ííłniih

Navajo

Etymology

ʼa- (unspecified person object prefix) + ∅- (3rd person subject prefix) + -ł- (classifier) + -niih (imperfective stem of root -NÍÍʼ, “middle”)

Verb

ííłniih

1. to become the middle of

   Shį́ ʼííłniih. ― It becomes mid-summer.

   Hai ʼííłniih. ― It becomes the middle of winter.

   Tłʼééʼ ííłnííʼ. ― It became midnight.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Momentaneous (∅/yi), with some irregularities, third person only.

	3rd person singular
IMPERFECTIVE	ííłniih
PERFECTIVE	ííłnííʼ
FUTURE	adoołnííʼ
ITERATIVE	náʼáłnih
OPTATIVE	ółnííh

Note: the imperfective is conjugated like a perfective with a high tone prefix.

Related terms

• anííʼ

See also

• ałnéʼéʼaah (“to become noon”)