-ę́ę

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Etymology

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A truncated form of yę́ę

Suffix

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-ę́ę

  1. at that time back then (forms ending in -ę́ę are often part of a narrative when telling a story)
    deeztʼiʼę́ęit had its beginning
    ńtʼę́ʼę́ęthe one which was

Usage notes

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-ę́ę may be attached as an enclitic to nouns, pronouns, or verbs. The vowels of this enclitic take the form of an /a/ or /e/ in the preceding syllable.

-ę́ę has several usages:

  1. a relativizer similar to -ígíí in a past tense context.
    Ashkii atʼééd yiyiiłtsánę́ę deezgoʼ.The boy that saw the girl fell.
  2. added to a relationship term, it implies that the person is deceased
    shizhéʼé yę́ęmy late father
    shimáhą́ąmy late mother
  3. attached to a verb in the future tense, it expresses a hope, wish, or desire, and is the equivalent of an optative verb + laanaa:
    Daʼdooyį́łę́ę.I wish they would eat.
    Nahodoołtį́łę́ę.I wish it would rain.

Alternative forms

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