niimas
Navajo
Etymology
ni- (“round shape”) + -yi- (semelfactive) + -Ø- (3rd person subject prefix) + -Ø- (classifier) + -mas (semelfactive imperfective stem ofroot -MÁÁZ, “to roll”).
The stem -máás (“globular, spherical, ball-like shape”) is cognate with -bą́ą́z (“hooplike, ringlike shape”), and they have the same origin, which possibly is Proto-Athabaskan *wątsʼ (“roll”)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /nìːmɑ̀s/
Verb
niimas
- he/she/it is rolling up into a ball, is curling up (a cat, a person in a bed)
Conjugation
Paradigm: Semelfactive (yii/si).
| IMPERFECTIVE | singular | duoplural | plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | niismas | niiʼmas | daniiʼmas |
| 2nd person | niimas | noohmas | danoohmas |
| 3rd person | niimas | daniimas | |
| 4th person | jiniimas | dazhniimas | |
| PERFECTIVE | singular | duoplural | plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | némas | neeʼmas | daneeʼmas |
| 2nd person | nínímas | sinoomas | dasinoomas |
| 3rd person | neezmas | daneezmas | |
| 4th person | jineezmas | dazhneezmas | |
| FUTURE | singular | duoplural | plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | dínéesmas | díníiʼmas | dadíníiʼmas |
| 2nd person | díníímas | dínóohmas | dadínóohmas |
| 3rd person | dínóomas | dadínóomas | |
| 4th person | dízhnóomas | dazhdínóomas | |
Related terms
- chʼémáás
- chʼííłmáás
- haamáás
- haiłmáás
- iiłmáás
- iimáás
- naamaas
- neiłmaas
- nímaz
- yiłmáás
- yíłmáás
- yiłmaz
- yimáás
- yímáás
- yimas
- yiniiłmas
- yiniłmas
- yoołmas
See also
- iiłbąąs