eʼeʼaah

Navajo

Etymology

ʼa- (“away”) + -ʼa- (unspecified person object prefix) + -∅- (3rd person subject prefix) + -∅- (classifier) + -ʼaah (imperfective stem of root -ʼĄ́, “to handle SRO”)

Pronunciation

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Verb

eʼeʼaah

1. a solid roundish object (SRO) moves down
2. the sun is setting
3. evening is falling

Usage notes

This verb has an intransitive meaning, implicitly referring to the sun as a subject. The root -ʼĄ́ is otherwise never used for the free movement of an SRO (for this, -TSʼID is used instead). This verb is semantically limited to expression in the third person.

Conjugation

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

	3rd person singular
IMPERFECTIVE	eʼeʼaah
PERFECTIVE	iʼííʼą́
FUTURE	iʼdooʼááł

Noun

eʼeʼaah

1. west

Usage notes

Each of the four cardinal directions is associated with a different color. Eʼeʼaah is associated with the color yellow (łitso). Eʼeʼaah is considered the third direction and is associated with the carrying out of the living and learning process that begins with the rising sun (haʼaʼaah). It represents twilight, life (iiná), and is associated with autumn, squash, adulthood, social responsibilities, and the ability to communicate effectively. It also represents the tó díchʼíiʼnii clan.