íílééh

Navajo

Etymology

ʼá- (“thus”) + -y- (3rd person object prefix) + ∅- (3rd person subject prefix) + -ł- (classifier) + -nééh (imperfective stem of root -YAA, “to make”).

Classifier and stem-initial merge as follows:

• ł + -nééh > -∅-lééh
• ł + -yaa > -∅-laa

The stem initial reappears under d-effect (1st person duoplural and passives):

• d + ł + -nééh > -l-nééh
• d + ł + -yaa > -l-yaa.

Verb

íílééh

1. he/she is making it

   Bááh ádeiilnééh. ― We are making bread.

2. (with łahgo) he/she is changing it, altering it
3. (with ąą) he/she is opening it

Usage notes

1. Both áshłaa and íishłaa are acceptable first-person singular perfective forms of this verb.
2. the perfective is highly irregular, and appears to follow a yii-imperfective paradigm.
3. Iterative and usitative use the suppletive stem -ʼįįh, from root -ʼĮĮD, of similar meaning.

Conjugation

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

IMPERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	áshłééh	íilnééh	ádeiilnééh
2nd person	ánílééh	óhłééh	ádaahłééh
3rd person	íílééh		ádeilééh
4th person	ájílééh		ádajilééh
Other forms
Unspecified person	Spatial person	Passive A	Passive B
—	—	álnééh	ábiʼdilnééh

PERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	áshłaa, íishłaa	íilyaa	ádeiilyaa
2nd person	íinilaa	óohłaa	ádaoohłaa
3rd person	áyiilaa		ádayiilaa
4th person	ájiilaa		ádajiilaa
Other forms
Unspecified person	Spatial person	Passive A	Passive B
—	—	ályaa	ábiʼdiilyaa

FUTURE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	ádeeshłííł	ádiilnííł	ádadiilnííł
2nd person	ádíílííł	ádoohłííł	ádadoohłííł
3rd person	íidoolííł		ádeidoolííł
4th person	ázhdoolííł		ádazhdoolííł
Other forms
Unspecified person	Spatial person	Passive A	Passive B
—	—	ádoolnííł	ábidiʼdoolnííł

ITERATIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	ánéishʼįįh	ánéiilʼįįh	áńdeiilʼįįh
2nd person	ánéilʼįįh	ánáoołʼįįh	áńdaoołʼįįh
3rd person	ánáyiilʼįįh		áńdayiilʼįįh
4th person	áńjiilʼįįh		áńdajiilʼįįh