yi-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "yi"

Navajo

Etymology 1

Prefix

yi-

1. his, her, its, their

   ‎amá (“one's mother”) + ‎yi- → ‎yimá (“his/her/its/their mother”)

See also

Navajo possessive pronouns

			singular	dual	plural
1st person			shi-	nihi-	danihi-
2nd person			ni-	nihi-	danihi-
3rd person			bi-
4th person (3o)			yi-
4th person (3a)			ha-, hw-
indefinite person (3i)			a-

Etymology 2

Prefix

yi-

2. A peg element added to 1st person singular and third person ∅-imperfective verbs to fit syllable shape restraints

   ‎yi- + ‎sh- + -cha → ‎yishcha (“I'm crying”)

See also

• Navajo terms prefixed with yi- (peg element)

  yibááh

  yibal

  yibéézh

  yicha

  yíchííł

  yíchʼííh

  yidąąh

  yideeł

  yidleeʼ

  yidlóóh

  yidziih

  yigan

  yigeeh

  yighááh

  yíghááh

  yighaał

  yihę́ę́s

  yíjeeh

  yikááh

  yíkááh

  yikad

  yikah

  yikęęs

  yilchʼąął

  yildin

  yildlóósh

  yíldlóósh

  yileeh

  yílį́

  yilnood

  yiltłʼééh

  yíltłʼééh

  yiltsą́

  yilyeed

  yílyeed

  yilʼá

  yimáás

  yímáás

  yinééh

  yínééh

  yishtłizh

  yitaał

  yitiih

  yitin

  yitʼééh

  yítʼééh

  yitʼį́

  yitłíísh

  yitsʼííd

  yiwod

  yiwozh

  yiyéés

  yíyéés

  yiyį́į́h

  yiził

  yiʼaash

  yiʼeeł

  yíʼeeł

  yiʼéés

  yiʼnééh

  yíʼnééh
• y-

Etymology 3

Prefix

yi-

2. Marks the progressive mode

   ‎-DLOʼ (“to laugh”) + ‎yi- → ‎yidloh (“he/she/it is smiling”)

3. With di-, marks the future mode

Conjugation

progressive	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	yish-	yii-	deíníi-
2nd person	yí-	woh-	deínoh-
3rd person	yi-		deí-
4th person	joo-		dají-
Other forms
Unspecified person	Spatial person	Passive A	Passive B
ʼoo-	hoo-	yi-	biʼdoo-

The future tense prefixes are formed by combining di- and yi-:

future	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	deesh-	dii-	dadii-
2nd person	yí-	díí-	dadoo-
3rd person	doo-		dadoo-
4th person	jidoo-		dazhdoo-

Derived terms

Navajo terms prefixed with yi- (progressive)

dadii-

dii-

diid-

doo-

dooh-

doolnih

hodoo-

jidoo-

náábał

náhookǫs

náyoołbał

náyoołtʼih

díí-

wooh-

yibah

yichih

yichííł

yidloh

yigááł

yigoh

yihah

yijah

yijį́į́ł

yikǫs

yikʼaih

yilchʼął

yildlosh

yildził

yileeł

yiljoł

yiltał

yiltłʼééł

yilwoł

yilzhah

yilʼis

yimas

yinééł

yisał

yitih

yitił

yitʼah

yitłish

yitłʼił

yitsʼǫł

yiʼash

yiʼnah

yiʼoł

yoodzį́į́s

yoojih

yookááł

yoolééł

yooloh

yoolóós

yoołbąs

yoołchʼął

yoołdoh

yoołjił

yoołjoł

yoołkááł

yoołkił

yoołmas

yoołtééł

yoołtʼááł

yoołtʼah

yoołtʼih

yoołtʼoł

yoołtsos

yoołtsʼǫł

yoołʼah

yoołʼoł

yoosas

yooshoł

yootį́į́ł

yootʼááł

yootłoh

yootłʼį́į́ł

yootłʼóół

yooyééł

yoozoh

yoozǫ́ǫ́s

yooʼááł

yooʼish

ʼadoo-

Etymology 4

Prefix

yi-

2. Marks the transitional aspect

Derived terms

• Navajo terms prefixed with yi- (transitional)

  bééhoozįįh

  dii-

  diibááh

  diichʼééh

  diidzééh

  diigis

  diiłheeł

  diimáás

  diitííh

  diitłʼíísh

  hiłiijį́į́h

  honiikʼáás

  honiizííł

  hoogááh

  hoolʼįįh

  hoołʼaah

  hooʼaah

  íhoołʼaah

  iiłháásh

  niidóóh

  yadidiilnííh

  yayiizííd

  yidiidzį́į́s

  yidiilkaal

  yidiilóós

  yidiiłbąąs

  yidiiłkǫǫh

  yidiiłmáás

  yidiiłtłʼíísh

  yidiitsʼį́į́h

  yíhoołʼaah

  yiibááh

  yiichííh

  yiigááh

  yiijį́į́h

  yiiltééh

  yiiłtsʼįįł

  yiitáás

  yiitįįh

  yiitsóóh

  yiizįįh

  yiniisííł

  yiyiiłbááh

  yiyiiłchííh

  yiyiiłgááh

  yiyiiłtáás

  yiyiiłtsóóh

  yiyiinih

  yiyiishį́į́h

Etymology 5

Prefix

yi-

2. Alternative form of hi-, used after dzi-, position IV prefixes, and V prefixes

References

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

Northern Ndebele

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. they; class 4 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. them; class 4 object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *jɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. he, she, it; class 9 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. him, her, it; class 9 object concord.

Phuthi

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. they; class 4 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. them; class 4 object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *jɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. he, she, it; class 9 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. him, her, it; class 9 object concord.

Southern Ndebele

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. they; class 4 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. them; class 4 object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *jɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. he, she, it; class 9 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. him, her, it; class 9 object concord.

Swazi

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. they; class 4 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. them; class 4 object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *jɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. he, she, it; class 9 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. him, her, it; class 9 object concord.

Xhosa

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. they; class 4 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. them; class 4 object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *jɪ́-.

Prefix

yi-

1. he, she, it; class 9 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. him, her, it; class 9 object concord.

Zulu

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-.

Prefix

yí-

1. they; class 4 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. them; class 4 object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *jɪ́-.

Prefix

yí-

1. he, she, it; class 9 subject concord; form of i- used when another prefix precedes.
2. him, her, it; class 9 object concord.

References

• C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “yi-”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “yi-”