navajo handling verbs

Transitive Roots

Solid Round Object = SRO

-’ą́ (perfective), –’aah (imperfective) = handle

-ne’ (perfective), -łne’ (imperfective) = propel

-ts’id (perfective), –’ts’ííd (imperfective) = fly

Non Compact Matter = NCM

-jool  (perfective), –jooł (imperfective)

Mushy Matter = MM

-tł’éé’  (perfective), –tł’ééh (imperfective)

Flat Flexible Object = FFO

-tsooz  (perfective), -łtsoos (imperfective) = handle

-’ah (perfective), ́-áád (imperfective) = propel

-’na (perfective), –nééh (imperfective) = fly

Slender Flexible Object = SFO

-lá  (perfective), – (imperfective)

-déél  (perfective) = propel and fly

-łdeeł (imperfective) = propel

-deeł (perfective) = fly

Slender Stiff Object = SSO

-tą́ (perfective), –tįįh (imperfective) = handle

-t’e’  (perfective), –łt’e (imperfective) = propel

-kééz  (perfective),-kęęs (imperfective) = fly

Slender Stiff Object = SSO and Animate Object = AnO

-tį (perfective), –łteeh (imperfective) = handle

-t’e’  (perfective), –łt’e (imperfective) = propel

-kééz  (perfective), –geeh, -tłíísh (imperfective) = fly

Load Pack Burden = LPB

-yį́  (perfective), –yeeh (imperfective) = handle

-łhęęzh (perfective), –yeeh (imperfective) = propel

-łhį́ (perfective), –łęęzh (imperfective) = fly

Open Container = OC

-ką́  (perfective), –kaah (imperfective) = handle

-kaad, –daaz  (perfective), –kaad (imperfective) = propel, fly

Plural Separable = PIO

-nil  (perfective), –niił (imperfective) = handle

-ni-de  (perfective), –ni-deeh (imperfective) = fly

Plural Non-Separable Objects = PlO

-jaa  (perfective), –jááh (imperfective) = handle

-kaad  (perfective), –łkaad (imperfective) = propel

-daaz (perfective), ni-deeh (imperfective) = fly

Stream

-ziid

Intransitive Roots

-cha = weep, cry

-dlóóh = be cold

biih -ghááh = get into it (sg)

-dziih = remain, be left

-leeh = become

biih -geeh = fall into it

biih -nééh = crawl into it

keeh -’ees = put on shoes

biih -máás = roll into it

biih -tłíísh = fall into it

the line – as in máás before the root means it needs something before in order to be a word.

References:

Robert W. Young and William Morgan, Sr. (1987), The Navajo Language. A Grammar and Colloquial Dictionary, Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, page 196.

Wiktionary contributors. (n.d.). Navajo verb. In Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Retrieved October 31, 2025, from https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Navajo_verb

Young, R. W. (2000). The Navajo verb system: An overview. University of New Mexico Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1c3gs57

Young, RobertMorgan, William; Midgette, Sally (1992), Analytical lexicon of Navajo, Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, →ISBN, page 40