Where does “kʼishchííʼ” come from?

kʼishchííʼ (Navajo) comes from Navajo kʼish, from Proto-Athabaskan *qʼəx̣šʷ — alder.

kʼishchííʼ (Navajo): birch

Definitions

  1. birch

Ancestry of “kʼishchííʼ”, step by step

kʼishchííʼ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Navajo kʼish

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajokʼishgrey alder
2Proto-Athabaskan*qʼəx̣šʷalder

via Navajo łichííʼ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajołichííʼhe/she/it is red; the colour red; a penny
Every word from Proto-Athabaskan *qʼəx̣šʷ →Every word from Navajo kʼish →