łį́į́ʼ

See also: Appendix:Variations of "lii"

Navajo

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Athabaskan *ɬəŋʸ, *ɬįˑ-kʼʸeˑ (“dog”).

Of the extant senses, “pet” is oldest; the original meaning, retained in Athabaskan cognates, was “dog”. Upon the reintroduction of the horse to North America, the Navajo language transferred the usage of łį́į́ʼ to the horse (which became the new favored "pet" in Navajo culture), with the dog being referred to by a derived term, łééchąąʼí (literally “shit pet”), i.e. pet which eats excrement. Compare Dogrib tłı̨ (“dog”).

Has been compared with Ket тип (“dog”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɬĩ́ːʔ/
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Noun

łį́į́ʼ (compound łéʼé-, łéé-, łį́į́ʼ-, possessed form bilį́į́ʼ)

1. pet
2. livestock
3. horse
4. car

Inflection

Possessives of łį́į́ʼ

	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	shilį́į́ʼ	nihilį́į́ʼ	danihilį́į́ʼ
2nd person	nilį́į́ʼ	nihilį́į́ʼ	danihilį́į́ʼ
3rd person	bilį́į́ʼ
4th person (3o)	yilį́į́ʼ
4th person (3a)	halį́į́ʼ
Indefinite (3i)	alį́į́ʼ

Derived terms

• łééchąąʼí (“dog”)
• łéʼéyázhí (“colt”)
• łį́į́ʼ bee (“horseback”)
• łį́į́ʼ bighan (“corral”)
• łį́į́ʼ bikąʼii (“gelding”)
• łį́į́ʼ bikeeʼ (“horseshoe”)
• łį́į́ʼ bikʼídahaznilgo naalgeedígíí
• łį́į́ʼ bitsísʼná (“horsefly”)
• łį́į́ʼ biyéél (“saddle”)
• łį́į́ʼ tʼáá dilkǫǫhgo naalgeedígíí
• łį́į́ʼ yáshchʼį́į́d
• łį́į́ʼkąʼii
• łį́į́ʼtsaʼii (“mare”)
• táłtłʼááh łį́į́ʼ (“seahorse”)
• tééh łį́į́ʼ (“zebra”)
• tóshjeeh binaago łį́į́ʼ náádadiilwoʼígíí

Western Apache

Noun

łį́į́ʼ

1. horse

See also

• łį́į́ʼ hadikʼéké