nizhóní

Navajo

Etymology

ni- (modal) + -∅- (3rd person subject prefix) + -∅- (classifier) + -zhǫ́ (neuter absolute stem of root -ZHǪǪD, “to be nice, beautiful”) + -í (nominalizing suffix), resulting noun later repurposed as a verb.

Pronunciation

• Audio (NV)

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Verb

nizhóní

1. it/he/she is pretty, beautiful
2. it/he/she is clean, good, nice, fine, neat

Usage notes

This is a neuter verb. As such, it has only the imperfective stem.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Neuter absolute (ni), with some irregularities.

IMPERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	nishzhóní	niijóní, niilzhóní	daniijóní
2nd person	nízhóní	nohzhóní	danohzhóní
3rd person	nizhóní		danizhóní
4th person	jízhóní		dajízhóní
Other forms
Unspecified person	Spatial person	Passive A	Passive B
ízhóní	hózhóní	—	—

First person appears as nishzhóní instead of the expected nishshóní if null classifier is assumed.

Related terms

• hózhǫ́
• hózhóní
• nizhónígo