Where does “Deeteel bikéyah” come from?

Deeteel bikéyah (Navajo) comes from Navajo bikéyah, from Navajo kéyah, from Navajo ké, from Proto-Athabaskan *-qeʔ — foot.

Ancestry of “Deeteel bikéyah”, step by step

Deeteel bikéyah traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Navajo bikéyah

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajobikéyahhis land, his homeland, his country, his nation
2Navajokéyahland, country, terrain; planet
3Navajokéfoot, feet; shoe
4Proto-Athabaskan*-qeʔfoot

via Navajo deeteel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajodeeteelmoose
2Navajoadeeʼantler, horn, tusk, antenna; ladle, dipper,...
3Proto-Athabaskan*-deʼhorn, antler
Every word from Proto-Athabaskan *-qeʔ →Every word from Navajo ké →Every word from Navajo kéyah →