ání

ání

Navajo

Etymology

ʼá- (“thus”) + -di- (“oral”) + -Ø- (3rd person subject prefix) + -Ø- (classifier) + -ní (neuter imperfective stem of root -NIID, “to say”).

Verb

ání

1. he/she says thus, he/she says as follows

   Mąʼii ání “doo shił bééhózin da”. ― The coyote says, “I donʼt know”.

2. (with bíká) he/she calls him/her, he/she gets his/her attention

   Bíká ádíshní. ― Iʼm calling him.

   Yíká ání. ― Heʼs calling him.

3. denotes sounds produced by animals

   Atʼéés bimósí yázhí ání. ― The girlʼs little kitten meows/cries.

   Shimá yázhí bidibé ádaaní. ― My auntʼs sheep bleat.

Usage notes

This is a neuter verb that uses only the imperfective mode. Other modes are suppleted by the active verb niih, reproduced below for convenience.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Neuter imperfective (Ø), with some irregularities.

NEUTER IMP	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	ádíshní	ádiiʼní	ádadiiʼní
2nd person	ádíní	ádóhní	ádadohní
3rd person	ání		ádaaní
4th person	ájíní		ádajiní

PERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	ádííniid	ádiiʼniid	ádadiiʼniid
2nd person	ádííníniid	ádooniid	ádadooniid
3rd person	ádííniid		ádadííniid
4th person	ájidííniid		ádazhdííniid

FUTURE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	ádideeshniił	ádidiiʼniił	ádadidiiʼniił
2nd person	ádidííniił	ádidoohniił	ádadidoohniił
3rd person	ádidooniił		ádadidooniił
4th person	ádizhdooniił		ádazhdidooniił

ITERATIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	áńdíshʼniih	áńdiiʼniih	áńdadiiʼniih
2nd person	áńdíʼniih	áńdóhʼniih	áńdadohʼniih
3rd person	áńdíʼniih		áńdadiʼniih
4th person	ánízhdíʼniih		áńdazhdiʼniih

OPTATIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	ádóshneʼ	ádooʼneʼ	ádadooʼneʼ
2nd person	ádóóneʼ	ádoohneʼ	ádadoohneʼ́
3rd person	ádóneʼ		ádadóneʼ
4th person	ázhdóneʼ		ádazhdóneʼ

See also

• ní
• haʼní