Where does “atseełgaii” come from?

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

atseełgaii (Navajo): white eagle feathers historically placed at the top of a mask

Definitions

  1. white eagle feathers historically placed at the top of a mask

Ancestry of “atseełgaii”, step by step

atseełgaii traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Navajo łigaii

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajołigaiiwhite
2Navajobikéyahhis land, his homeland, his country, his nation
3Navajokéyahland, country, terrain; planet
4Navajokéfoot, feet; shoe
5Proto-Athabaskan*-qeʔfoot

via Navajo atseeʼ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajoatseeʼtail, tailbone, coccyx; tail feather
2Proto-Athabaskan*-k̯eʼtail
Every word from Proto-Athabaskan *-qeʔ →Every word from Navajo ké →Every word from Navajo kéyah →