naałniih

Navajo

Etymology

By surface analysis, naa- (“across”) +‎ ł- (classifier) + + -niih (neuter imperfective stem of root -NIIʼ, “to spread”).

Verb

naałniih

1. to spread, go about (of disease, famine, poverty, a heatwave, etc.)

Noun

naałniih

1. epidemic disease, contagious disease

References

• Robert W. Young and William Morgan, Sr. (1987) The Navajo Language. A Grammar and Colloquial Dictionary, Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, page 583.