Where does “tooh nílínígíí” come from?

tooh nílínígíí (Navajo) comes from Navajo nílį́, from Navajo ní-, from Navajo ł-, from Proto-Athabaskan *-ɬ — Forms instrumental nouns from verbs.

tooh nílínígíí (Navajo): stream, river

Definitions

  1. stream, river

Ancestry of “tooh nílínígíí”, step by step

tooh nílínígíí traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Navajo nílį́

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajonílį́it flows along (in a line)
2Navajoní-forms the comparative form of neuter imperfective verbs
3Navajoł-the
4Proto-Athabaskan*-ɬForms instrumental nouns from verbs

via Navajo tooh

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajotoohriver, body of water
Every word from Proto-Athabaskan *-ɬ →Every word from Navajo ní- →Every word from Navajo ł- →