-ZO

See also: Appendix:Variations of "zo"

Navajo

Etymology

From Proto-Athabaskan *zʊɣ (“to scrape”).

Cognate root found in Ahtna zogh (“to scrape”), Carrier təszoh (“to rake it”), Lower Tanana dhwx (“to scrape”).

In Southern Athabaskan, the root evolved to mean “to mark”, “to draw a line or a border”. In Navajo, it is also found in bases related to the four operations.

Root

-ZO

  1. to mark, to draw, to write

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
O + ∅	successive	S marks hoodzo (+d passive) naʼazo (CONT) yoozoh (PROG) yiyiizoh (SEM)

  2. to add, to subtract, to multiply

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
O + ∅	?	S adds... yíizóóh (+) ↳ ahíizóóh yiidizóóh (-) néízóóh (×) ałtsʼéízóóh (÷)

Stem set

Aspect	Imperfective	Perfective	Future	Iterative	Optative
Momentaneous	-zóóh	-zo	-zoh	-zoh	-zóóh
Continuative	-zo	-zo	-zoh	-zoh	-zo
Semelfactive	-zoh	-zoh	-zoh	-zoh	-zoh
Neuter	—	-zo	—	—	—

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Synonyms

to write:

• -CHĮ́

to draw:

• -CHʼĄĄʼ

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -ZO (mark)

ałtsʼéízóóh

hahoodzo

hoodzo

náházo

naʼazo

yiyiizoh

yoozoh