-GHAAZH

Navajo

Etymology

From Proto-Athabaskan *ɣ̇ʷa̓ž ~ *ɣ̇ʊš (“to make a bubbling noise”).

Occurs in Navajo in bases of disparate meanings related to “bubbling”, “shouting” and “sleeping”, probably originating in distinct roots that merged in shape.

These meanings are found in parts in other Athabaskan languages:

in Ahtna ghots (“to boil”), ghaas (“fish swim, plural subjects shout”);
in Koyukon nilɣos (“melted”), dəlɣʊs (“they are making noise”);
in Chipewyan nɛ́sɣáz (“my face swole up”), níłxáz (“I boiled it”), dɛlɣus (“it barks”), ɛ’ɛłxus (“he snored”);
in Mattole ’iłgwóxw (“you snore, are sound asleep”).