Where does “tónteel” come from?

tónteel (Navajo) comes from Navajo tó, from Proto-Athabaskan tuˑ — water; juice of a fruit.

tónteel (Navajo): ocean, sea, large lake

Definitions

  1. ocean, sea, large lake

Ancestry of “tónteel”, step by step

tónteel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Navajo tó

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajotówater, liquid, fluid
2Proto-Athabaskantuˑwater; juice of a fruit

via Navajo niteel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajoniteelit is wide, broad

Words derived from “tónteel”

Every word from Proto-Athabaskan tuˑ →Every word from Navajo tó →