-ZHĮ́

Navajo Etymology From nv ath-pro *šeˑn(ə) summer. In Navajo, the initial fricative *š of Proto-Athabaskan did not sonorize to zh, so in verbal stems and in the nominal stem nv shį́ summer the initial voiceless fricative sh is maintained (with the exception of the adverbial derivative nv díízhíní this summer, which shows a later sonorization). However, for consistency, the stem set of this root is presented with an analogical voiced initial zh. See also nv -HAI winter for a similar situation. Root nv root nv summer to become summer, to pass the summer ∅ motion it becomes summer nv yishį́į́h ↳ nv beeshį́į́h nv chʼéshį́į́h ↳ nv chʼínáshį́į́h ná-, “back” nv iʼniishį́į́h iʼnii-, “begin” |} Stem set MOM shį́į́h shį́ shį́į́ł shį́į́h shį́į́h Antonyms nv -DĄĄD spring nv -HAI winter Derived terms summer nv Summer