-ʼÉÉL

Etymology

From Proto-Athabaskan *’etɬʼ ~ *’ʷətɬ’ (“plural subjects float or swim”).

Occurs in a very productive motion theme related to floating or sailing, but also occurs in a couple of unproductive bases related to the action of water (flush, sift, sweat, dissolve), and in a neuter theme (to droop or hang down).

Cognate root found in Ahtna ilʼaetlʼ (“they arrived swimming”), tezʼaetlʼ (“(a dam) washed out”), tełʼaetlʼ (“he hung it up”), with similar extended meanings.

Root

-ʼÉÉL

  1. to float
Theme Category Bases Transitive bases (O + ł)
∅ motion

S floats

S sails, rows O
∅/ł ?

S dissolves

  • ńdíʼeeł

moisture soaks

  • bigháłʼeeł
  • haałʼeeł

S sweats

  • niiʼeeł

S dissolves O

  • ńdíʼeeł
ni + l adjectival

S droops

  • nanilʼeeł
  • nanoolʼoł

Stem set
Aspect IMP PERF FUT ITER OPT
MOM / CONT -ʼeeł -ʼéél -ʼoł -ʼoł -ʼeeł

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Synonyms

action of water:

to float:

  • -DO (in the air)

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -ʼÉÉL (float)

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