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Definition 2024

díní-

díní-

See also: dini, diní, and dinî

Navajo

díní-

Conjugation

When the high tone is triggered, díní- requires a si-perfective, while low-tone dini- keeps a yi-perfective.

There are two active and two neuter paradigms, of disparate origins:

  • The two active paradigms are totally regular, showing the expected contracted forms of ni- plus the si-perfective endings, except in the 2sg person of the second paradigm (-nííní- instead of -níní-, reminiscent of a yi-perfective prefix).
  • The two neuter paradigms seem very irregular and should probably be better analyzed as ni-imperfectives in the 1st and 2nd persons, and si-perfectives in the 3rd, with a dí- and díí- prefix respectively.
SI-PERF Active Neuter
díní- hadíní- díní- díní- (dí-yíní-)
Example dínéeskaad hadínéeshcha déesxéél kʼídéesniiʼ
1sg díné(sh)- hadínésh- dínísh- dínísh-, díínísh-
2sg díníní- hadínííní- díní- dííní-
3 dínéez/s- hadínées- déez/s-
1dpl dínée(d)- hadínée(d)- díníi(d) dííníi(d)-
2dpl dí(sí)noo(h)- hadínóo(h)- dínó(h)- díínó(h)-

Derived terms

Navajo verbs with prefix díní-.

Etymology

Unknown. Probably the combination of various lexical or aspectual di- and ni- prefixes of disparate meanings ("oral", "noise", "color", "legs", inceptive, static, neuter...). The high tone is an especially striking feature of this prefix complex.

It seems that the two prefixes di- and ni- when combined together are prone to receiving a high tone, in a fashion similar to yíní-. Compare:

  • imperfective nishdaah "I sit down"/ future dínéeshdaał "I will sit down", where the di- prefix of the future mode in contact with the lexical ni- prefix triggers a high tone.
  • imperfective nishkaad "I drive them into it" / imperfective díníshkaad "I start to drive them along", where the inceptive di- triggers a high tone.

Young (2000) analyses díní- as a prolongative prefix complex, composed of inceptive di- and terminative ni-. He also proposes that the complex may originally derive from di- + yíní- (directive) in neuter perfective verbs (see below).

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