-NIIʼ

From Proto-Athabaskan *ni̓gʸ, from pre-Proto-Athabaskan *niʼg, a root with many disparate meanings, perhaps resulting in the merger of originally distinct roots.

A first meaning involves action with the hand (squeeze, touch). Another meaning relates to the passing of an invisible or hazy entity, as an epidemic, a cold wave, a fad, a swarm, and also relates to pain, ache. A last meaning relates to mental actions as to know, to be aware, to remember.

-NIIʼ shares many stems with the roots -NÍÍʼ, -NIID, -NÍÍD, -NIʼ, -NÍ, -NIH, -NIIH ~ -LĮH and -NEʼ, each of these being themselves a conflation of several originally distinct roots with at times overlapping meanings, which makes their actual identification often speculative.

Maybe as a consequence, the themes in this root often do not behave as neatly as with other roots (classifiers, aspect, conjugations may follow irregular alternations).

-NIIʼ

  1. to act with the hand

 2. to hurt, to be painful

 3. a wave passes or spreads (epidemic, a heat wave, a crowd, a swarm, a fad)

 4. to know, to be aware

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIIʼ (act with hand)

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIIʼ (hurt)

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIIʼ (wave passes)

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIIʼ (know)