ayą́

See also: aya, Aya, ayá, áya, āya, aþa, and Ay'a

Navajo

Etymology

ʼa- (unspecified person object prefix) + -∅- (3rd person subject prefix) + -∅- (classifier) + -yą́ (durative imperfective stem of root -YĄ́Ą́ʼ, “to eat”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (NV)

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Verb

ayą́

1. (intransitive) to eat

   Shí dóó Jáan baʼáłchíní éí Mary bighandi daʼiidą́

   John’s children and I are eating at Mary’s house.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Durative (∅/yi)

IMPERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	ashą́	iidą́	daʼiidą́
2nd person	íyą́	ohsą́	daʼohsą́
3rd person	ayą́		daʼayą́
4th person	ajiyą́		daʼjiyą́

PERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	ííyą́ą́ʼ	iidą́ą́ʼ	daʼiidą́ą́ʼ
2nd person	ííníyą́ą́ʼ	ooyą́ą́ʼ	daʼooyą́ą́ʼ
3rd person	ííyą́ą́ʼ		daʼííyą́ą́ʼ
4th person	ajííyą́ą́ʼ		daʼjííyą́ą́ʼ

FUTURE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	adeeshį́į́ł	adiidį́į́ł	daʼdiidį́į́ł
2nd person	adííyį́į́ł	adoohsį́į́ł	daʼdoohsį́į́ł
3rd person	adooyį́į́ł		daʼdooyį́į́ł
4th person	azhdooyį́į́ł		dazhʼdooyį́į́ł

Verbal stems

• IMPERFECTIVE: -yą́
• PERFECTIVE: -yą́ą́ʼ
• FUTURE: -yį́į́ł
• ITERATIVE: -yį́į́h
• OPTATIVE: -yą́ą́ʼ

Derived terms

• ayání

See also

• alghał (“he eats meat”)
• yilghał (“he eats meat”)
• yiyą́ (“he eats it”)