-NIID

Navajo

Etymology 1

From Proto-Athabaskan *ni (“to feel, to think, to want, to wish”). Relates to the mind.

Cognate root found in Ahtna uniʼoʼolnii (“I am attracted to her”), Tanacross shiiníʼ (“my mind”).

-NIID shares many stems with the roots -NÍÍD, -NIIʼ, -NÍÍʼ, -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.

Root

-NIID

1. to want, to love, to have in mind

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
O + yíní + d		S wants, loves O yóʼní (NEUT) ayóóʼáyóʼní
ni + l		S wants, desires P yidánoolní ↳ bidáhonooní
yí + di + l		S is addicted yídéelniʼ ↳ hwíídéeniʼ
d		S changes his/her mind anáʼniih (MOM)

Stem set

Aspect	IMP	PERF	FUT	ITER	OPT
MOM	-niih	-niid	-niił	-niih	-niił
NEUT	-ní	-	-	-	-
NEUT	-	-niʼ	-	-	-

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Synonyms

to want:

• -ZĮĮD

  to think:

• -KÉÉZ

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIID (desire)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Athabaskan *də-ni (“to say”).

Cognate root found in Ahtna desnii (“I say”), sełnii (“he says to me”), Carrier hotni (“it is said”).

Root

-NIID

1. to say

Theme	Category	Bases	Indirect transitive (+ Pi)
di + ∅		S says [I say] ní [dishní] ↳ haʼní ~ hodiʼní (+d passive) ání [ádíshní] ↳ áháʼní ááhní [ááhdishní] kʼéní [kʼédíshní]	S says [I say] to P yiłní [bidishní]   ííłní [ábidishní]   ááhyiłní [ááhbidishní] kʼéyíłní [kʼébidishní] ↳ kʼénáyíłʼní
di + ł			S imitates the sound of P yidiłní [bidishní]

Usage notes

• As in all Athabaskan languages, the thematic di- prefix deletes in the third person, and the pronominal P-i prefix is replaced with P-ił.

  dishní, bidishní ― I say, I say to him

  ní, shiłní ― he says, he says to me

• Most of the above neuter verbs have a matching active verb conjugated in the momentaneous aspect, mainly suppleting for the modes other than the imperfective.

  Neuter / Imperfective / Perfective / Future

  ní / niih / dííniid / didooniił

  ání / ániih / ádííniid / ádidooniił,...

Stem set

Aspect	IMP	PERF	FUT	ITER	OPT
MOM	-niih	-niid	-niił	-niih	-neʼ
NEUT	-ní	-	-	-	-

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Synonyms

to tell, to speak:

• -NEʼ
• -TIʼ

 

 

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIID (say)

Etymology 3

Root

-NIID

1. to be new, fresh, young, recent

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
∅		S is new ániid, ániidí áníídí

Stem set

Aspect	IMP	PERF	FUT	ITER	OPT
NEUT	-	-niid	-	-	-
NEUT	-	-nííd	-	-	-

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIID (new)

Etymology 4

From Proto-Athabaskan *ni ~ *ni̓gʸ (“to be joyful”).

Cognate root found in Ahtna neniic (“happiness”), Carrier honəsni (“to be joyful”).

Root

-NIID

1. there is fun, joy

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
ni + ∅		there is fun honeeni

Stem set

Aspect	IMP	PERF	FUT	ITER	OPT
MOM	-niih	-niid	-niił	-niih	-niih
NEUT	-ni	-	-	-	-

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIID (enjoy)

Etymology 5

Root

-NIID

1. to affect, to be the solution for, to cure

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
di + ł		S affects P, cures P bidééłní bihodééłní biʼdiłniih

Stem set

Aspect	IMP	PERF	FUT	ITER	OPT
MOM	-niih	-niid	-niił	-nih	-niiʼ
NEUT	-ní	-	-	-	-

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NIID (affect)