ghel

Ahtna

Etymology

From Proto-Athabaskan *ɣəl; cognate with Lower Tanana gheɬ. Compare also Navajo -GHAAL (“to beat, club”).

Root

ghel

1. an elongated object moves independently or falls; refers also clubbing and drumming

Stem set

Aspect	Imperfective	Perfective	Future	Optative
Momentaneous	ghaał	ghel, ghal	ghał	ghaał
Reversative	ghał	ghel, ghal	ghał	ghał
Progressive	ghał	—	—	—
Distributive	ghel, ghal	ghel, ghal	ghel, ghal	ghel, ghal
Perambulative	ghał	ghel, ghal	ghał	ghaał
Semelfactive	ghał	ghał	ghał	ghał
Consecutive	ghel, ghal	ghel, ghal	ghel, ghal	ghel, ghal
Customary	ghał	ghał	ghał	ghał
Consecutive-customary	ghiil	ghiil	ghiil	ghiil

Derived terms

• cʼeghaʼ htngelghałi (“measuring stick”)
• cʼełghel (“he/she is drumming, pounding”)
• kaghałi (“trap prop stick”)
• lgheli (“drum”)
• nadelgheli (“barrel, keg”)
• nenʼkʼe łuhghaghałi (“compass”)
• tenghałi (“rifle”)
• tełghałi (“pit trap set with spikes for a bear”)
• uʼeł cʼelgheli (“drumstick”)
• xał (“club”)
• łucʼalghał (“he/she is poking around with something”)
• łuhghaghałi (“clock”)

References

• Kari, James (1990), Ahtna Athabaskan Dictionary, Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, →ISBN, pages 217-218