From Proto-Athabaskan *ʼa (“to handle compact object”), with nasalized perfective *ʼa-nʸ.
One of the most productive root occurring in all Athabaskan languages, in a wide range of themes and specialized meanings.
Cognate root found in Ahtna zʼaan (“it is in position”), yiniʼaan (“he arrived carrying it”), diniʼaan (“he brought the news”), nikuniʼaan (“it is planned”), (“sun moves”), with similar extended meanings.
-ʼĄ́
Motion themes:
| Theme | O + ∅ | ʼa + ∅ | O + di + ∅ | O + ł + d | ni + d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
S handles SRO |
S moves
|
S handles abstract O
|
S carries O
|
S moves head |
|
ni-MOM
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CONT PROG |
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Misc. |
| Theme | ho + ∅ | O + di + d | ádąąh O + d |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
S carries food
|
S puts O on self
| |
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ni-MOM
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CONT PROG |
Other themes:
| Theme | Category | Bases | Transitive bases (O + ł) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ∅ | positional |
SRO is in position
|
S keeps SRO in position
|
||||
| ∅ |
SRO gets in position
|
S sets SRO in position
|
| Aspect | IMP | PERF | FUT | ITER | OPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOM | -ʼaah | -ʼą́ | -ʼááł | -ʼááh | -ʼááł |
| CONT | -ʼá | -ʼą́ | -ʼaał | -ʼááh | -ʼaał |
| TRANS | -ʼaah | -ʼaʼ | -ʼaał | -ʼaah | -ʼaał |
| NEUT | — | -ʼą́ | — | — | — |
See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.
SRO verbs:
to sing:
to act with body: