-GAII

Navajo

Etymology

Probably from Proto-Athabaskan *ɢɑɣ ~ *ɢɑy (“to be white”). Cognate root found in Lower Tanana gwyh (“gray”), Ahtna lggay, Gwich'in daagąįį.

The extended meanings of “to be hot” and “to hurt” seem to be specific to Navajo among Athabascan languages.

Root

-GAII

1. white

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
łi + ∅	adjectival	S is white (neuter impf.) łigai dinilgai halgai
d		S is white (neuter perf.) deesgai dzígai haagai haasgai kʼídzígai naasgai naagai násgai bighádzígai
∅		S becomes white yiigááh ↳ bílátaʼiigááh adiigááh hoogááh	S makes O white yiyiiłgááh   adiiłgááh hoołgááh
∅	motion	white S moves dziigááh (MOM) naagaah (CONT) yigah (PROG)

2. hot

Theme	Category	Bases	Transitive bases (O + ł)
ni + ∅	adjectival	S is hot, hurts neezgai honeezgai	S causes heat, pain neesgai honeesgai
ni + ∅		S becomes hot, hurts niigááh honiigááh	S makes O hot, hurts O yiniiłgááh honiiłgááh yiʼniiłgááh

Stem set

Aspect	Imperfective	Perfective	Future	Iterative	Optative
Momentaneous	-gááh	-gaii	-gah	-gah	-gááh
Continuative	-gaah	—	—	—	—
Neuter	-gai	-gai	—	—	—

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Synonyms

warm, hot:

• -DOII
• -ZIIL

to hurt:

• -NIIʼ

Antonyms

Colors:

• -BAʼ (gray)
• -CHIIʼ (red)
• -TSOII (yellow)
• -TŁʼIIZH (blue, green)
• -ZHĮ́Į́ʼ (black)

cold, cool:

• -DLÍ
• -KʼAAZ
• -KʼEʼ (cool off, stop hurting)

 

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -GAII (white)

adiigááh

adiiłgááh

bighádzígai

bílátaʼiigááh

deesgai

dinilgai

dzígai

haagai

haasgai

halgai

honeesgai

honiigááh

hoogááh

hoołgááh

kʼídzígai

łigai

naagaah

naagai

naasgai

násgai

tsiishgaii

yigah

yiigááh

yiyiiłgááh

Navajo terms belonging to the root -GAII (hot)

honeezgai

neesgai

neezgai

niigááh