Navajo

Suffix

-ę́ę

1. at that time back then (forms ending in -ę́ę are often part of a narrative when telling a story)

   deeztʼiʼę́ę — it had its beginning

   ńtʼę́ʼę́ę — the one which was

Usage notes

-ę́ę may be attached as an enclitic to nouns, pronouns, or verbs. The vowels of this enclitic take the form of an /a/ or /e/ in the preceding syllable. -ę́ę has a meaning similar to -ígíí, except that it is past tense. When added to a relationship term, such as azhéʼé, it implies that the person is deceased. Attached to a verb in the future tense, it expresses a hope, wish, or desire, and is the equivalent of an optative verb + laanaa: daʼdooyíłę́ę (I wish they would eat).

Alternative forms

• -ą́ą
• -hą́ą
• -hę́ę
• yę́ę
• yéeniʼ
• héeniʼ
• yáaniʼ
• háaniʼ