-TĄ́

From Proto-Athabaskan *tan ~ *tən (“to handle stick-like objects or vessels”), probably one of the most polysemous root across all Athabascan languages.

Cognate root found in Ahtna deztaan (“(elongated object) is in position”), datiił (“he is counting”), natadghitaan (“water drips down”), hwghitaʼ (“it stops”), tinitaan (“there is a trail”), łtaan (“(enclosed object) is in position”), dełtaan (“(body of water) is in position”), sa dinhwtniłten (“explain to me!”), titahdiniłtaan (“they rushed off in a group”), l+taan (“animate rests”), among many other meanings in the sole Ahtna language.

Occurs in Navajo as momentaneous perfective -TĄ́ or -TĄ́Ą́ʼ, in themes related to the handling of stick-like objects (SSO), to raining, to teaching, to the gallopping of a horse, and also acts as the suppletive neuter stem of -BIN (plural S sit).

-TĄ́

 1. to handle a slender stiff object

 2. to rain

 3. to teach; to understand, to guess

 4. plural S sit

 5. to gallop

The stem set of this root shows a great deal of variation and irregular alternations across the various meanings and aspects.

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Navajo terms belonging to the root -TĄ́ (handle SSO)

Navajo terms belonging to the root -TĄ́ (rain)

Navajo terms belonging to the root -TĄ́ (teach)

Navajo terms belonging to the root -TĄ́ (sit)

Navajo terms belonging to the root -TĄ́ (gallop)