Where does “béésh” come from?

béésh (Navajo) comes from Navajo biiʼ, from Navajo kǫʼ, from Proto-Athabaskan *qʊ̓nʼ — fire.

béésh (Navajo): flint; iron; metal

Definitions

  1. flint; iron; metal

Ancestry of “béésh”, step by step

béésh traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Navajo biiʼ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajobiiʼin it/him/her/them, within it/him/her/them,...
2Navajokǫʼfire
3Proto-Athabaskan*qʊ̓nʼfire

via Proto-Athabaskan *weˑš

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Athabaskan*weˑšknife

Words derived from “béésh

Every word from Proto-Athabaskan *qʊ̓nʼEvery word from Navajo kǫʼEvery word from Navajo biiʼ