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.”
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
| 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
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