niilkʼoł

Navajo

Etymology

ni- (thematic) + -yi- (semelfactive) + -∅- (3rd person subject prefix) + -l- (classifier) + -kʼoł (semelfactive imperfective stem of root -KʼOL, “to undulate, to move as a wave”).

Compare niilchʼił (“to blink one time”) from -CHʼIL for a similar relationship between "curling" and "blinking".

Verb

niilkʼoł

he/she is blinking his/her eyes (one time)

Conjugation

Paradigm: Semelfactive (yii/si).

IMPERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	niishkʼoł	niilkʼoł	daniilkʼoł
2nd person	niilkʼoł	noołkʼoł	danoołkʼoł
3rd person	niilkʼoł		daniilkʼoł
4th person	jiniilkʼoł		dazhniilkʼoł