łigai

See also: ligai

Navajo

Etymology

łi- (adjectival) + -∅- (ni-modal 3rd person subject prefix) + -∅- (classifier) + -gai (neuter imperfective stem of root -GAII, “to be white”).

Compare Dogrib degoo, Ahtna lggeyi.

The łi- prefix appears to have originated historically from the -ł- classifier. When this prefix appears immediately in pre-stem position, it takes the shape of a l- classifier.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

łigai

1. it is white.

   Shash łigai ― The (one or two) bear is white.

   Shash daalgai ― The (three or more) bears are white.

Usage notes

This is a neuter verb. As such, it has only the imperfective stem.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Neuter imperfective (ni).

IMPERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	łinishgai	łiniigai	dałiniigai
2nd person	łinígai	łinohgai	dałinohgai
3rd person	łigai		daalgai
4th person	jilgai		dajilgai
Other forms
Unspecified person	Spatial person	Passive A	Passive B
—	halgai	—	—

Derived terms

• dinilgai (“off-white”)
• łééchąąłgaii

See also

• dlǫ́ʼiiłgaii

Colors in Navajo · nidaashchʼąąʼígíí (layout · text)

łigai	łibá (dark gray: dinilzhin)	łizhin
łichííʼ	łichxíʼí (light orange: diniltsxo); dibéłchíʼí, yishtłizh (dark brown: dinilzhin)	łitso (light yellow: diniltso); dinilgai
	dinooltłʼizh, chʼilgo dootłʼizh
dootłʼizhii	yágo dootłʼizh	dootłʼizh
diłhiłgo dootłʼizh	tsédídéehgo dootłʼizh	dinilchííʼ

Western Apache

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɬɪ́kài]

Noun

łigai

1. white

Verb

łigai

1. be white

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.