From Proto-Athabaskan *lənʸ (“to flow”), possibly from Pre-Proto-Athabaskan *ɬ-hənʸ. The original *-ł- classifier fused with the following segment and, due to a subsequent sonorization, has been reinterpreted as the initial consonant of the stem.
This root occurs almost exclusively in the neuter perfective mode, although the repetitive stem -lį́į́h (< -d- + -łį́į́h) is apparently attested in the toponym Tó Nehelį́į́h (literally “where water customarily flows one time after another to a stopping point”), derived from the usitative form of neheezlį́ (Young & Morgan, 1991).
-LĮ́
| Theme | Category | Bases | Transitive bases (O + ł) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ∅ / d | motion | S flows
|
S makes O flow
|
| Aspect | IMP | PERF | FUT | ITER | OPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUT | - | -lį́ | - | - | - |
See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.