-NÁ

See also: Appendix:Variations of "na"

Navajo

Etymology 1

From Proto-Athabaskan *naʸ (“to move nomadically, to migrate”).

Cognate root found in Ahtna naa (“to travel”).

Root

-NÁ

1. to move household, to migrate, crowd moves

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
∅	motion	S moves household yinééh (∅-MOM) iinééh dinééh diinééh haanééh ńdíníinééh (ńdíníi-, “good start”) tádínééh yisdánééh yínééh (ni-MOM) chʼénééh niinééh naasná (CONT, perf.) yinééł (PROG)

Stem set

Aspect	Imperfective	Perfective	Future	Iterative	Optative
MOM	-nééh	-ná	-nééł	-nééh	-nééł
CON	-né	-ná	-nééł	-neeh	-nééł

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Synonyms

crowd or herd moves:

• -DÉÉL
• -NIIʼ
• -TEEL
• -YIZ (stampede)
• -YOL
• -ZĄ́

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NÁ (migrate) (0 c, 6 e)

References

• Robert W. Young and William Morgan, Sr. (1987), The Navajo Language. A Grammar and Colloquial Dictionary, Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, page 338.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Athabaskan *na (“to capture, to enslave”).

Cognate root found in Ahtna ʼelnaa (“slave”).

Root

-NÁ

1. to capture

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
O + ł	conversive	S captures O yiłná or yiłné (CONCL)

Stem set

Aspect	Imperfective	Perfective	Future	Iterative	Optative
CONCL	-ná	-ná	-nááł	—	—
CONCL	-né	-ná	-nééł	—	—

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NÁ (capture)

yiłnááh

yisnááh

Etymology 3

From Proto-Athabaskan *naʸ (“to become depleted”).

Cognate root found in Ahtna naa (“to be depleted”).

Root

-NÁ

  1. plural S die, (impf.) plural S get sick

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
∅	conversive	plural S die biʼniinééh (MOM) noonééł (PROG) niné (CONCL)

  2. to win (in a competition)

Theme	Category	Bases	Personal S (+ł)
ho + ni + ∅	conversive	it wins honinééh (MOM) hodínínééh honéenééł (PROG) honiné (CONCL)	S wins — — honéełnééł (PROG) honiłné (CONCL)

Stem set

Aspect	Imperfective	Perfective	Future	Iterative	Optative
MOM	-nééh	-ná	-nééł	-nééh	-nééł
CONCL	-né	-ná	-nééł	-nééh	-nééł

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Synonyms

to die:

• -DĮĮD
• -TSĄ́

to win:

• -BĄ́

 

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NÁ (die)

biʼniinééh

niné

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NÁ (win)

honiłné

honinééh