-BAʼ

Navajo

Etymology 1

Probably from Proto-Athabaskan *wa’ (“to be gray”).

Root

-BAʼ

1. to be gray

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
łi + ∅	adjectival	S is gray (neuter impf.) łibá dinilbá halbá
d		S is gray (neuter perf.) deesbá dzíbá haabá haasbá kʼídzíbá naasbá naabá násbá bighádzíbá
∅		S becomes — yiibááh / yiibééh diibááh	S makes O — yiyiiłbááh ↳ ádiilbááh (+d refl.)
∅	motion	gray S moves naabé (CONT) yibééł (PROG)

Stem set

Aspect	IMP	PERF	FUT	ITER	OPT
TRANS	-bááh	-baʼ	-bah	-bah	-bááh
TRANS	-bééh	-baʼ	-bééł	-bééh	-bééh
CONT	-bé	-	-	-	-
NEUT	-bá	-bá	-	-	-

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Antonyms

Colors:

• -CHIIʼ (red)
• -GAII (white)
• -TSOII (yellow)
• -TŁʼIIZH (blue, green)
• -ZHĮ́Į́ʼ (black)

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -BAʼ (gray)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Root

-BAʼ

1. to be kind, generous, helpful

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
ji + ∅	adjectival	S is kind joobaah (MOM) joobaʼ (NEUT) ↳ hojoobaʼ
ji + ∅/l	adjectival	there is poverty hojoobáʼí (NEUT) hojoolbaʼ (refl.)

Stem set

Aspect	IMP	PERF	FUT	ITER	OPT
TRANS	-baah	-baʼ	-baah	-baah	-baał
NEUT	-baʼ	-	-	-	-
NEUT	-báʼí	-	-	-	-

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -BAʼ (be kind)