níłchʼi

Navajo

Etymology

From níchʼi (“to blow”, perfective) + ł- (classifier), from -chʼi (perfective verb stem describing the movement of a current of air), from Proto-Athabaskan *tšʼʷəy ~ *tšʼʷi, from Pre-Proto-Athabaskan *kʼʷəy (“wind blows”). An air current is conceived as a moving thing, and the perfective form marking its arrival is the equivalent of the English present progressive “it is blowing.”

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “The ł- classifier is a verb morpheme, often denoting a transitive or causative aspect. Does this word still have any uses as a verb? Was this originally a verb, that is only ever used any more as a noun?”

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /nɪ́ɬt͡ʃʼɪ̀/

Noun

níłchʼi

air, breeze, wind^[1]
gas
níłchʼi łikoní ― flammable gas
spirit, benevolent spirits
Níłchʼi Diyinii ― the Holy Spirit (Christianity)

Inflection

possessives of níłchʼi

	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	shiníłchʼi	nihiníłchʼi	danihiníłchʼi
2nd person	niníłchʼi	nihiníłchʼi	danihiníłchʼi
3rd person	biníłchʼi
4th person (3o)	yiníłchʼi
4th person (3a)	haníłchʼi
Indefinite (3i)	aníłchʼi

Synonyms

níyol

Derived terms

References

^ “The air or atmosphere in its entirety, including such air when in motion, conceived as having a holy quality and powers that are not acknowledged in Western culture.” — McNeley, James (1981) Holy Wind in Navajo Philosophy, Arizona: University of Arizona Press

[1] “The air or atmosphere in its entirety, including such air when in motion, conceived as having a holy quality and powers that are not acknowledged in Western culture.” — McNeley, James (1981) Holy Wind in Navajo Philosophy, Arizona: University of Arizona Press

[1]