ná-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "na"

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse ná, from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz. Cognate with Old Saxon nāh, Dutch na, Old High German nāh (German nah and nahe); Swedish nära, Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ); Old English nēah (English nigh).

Prefix

ná-

1. near, close, nigh
2. insignificant, two-bit, loathsome

Usage notes

Appended to nouns and adjectives. Not to be confused with the identical stem of nár (“corpse”), also used in compounds.

Derived terms

Icelandic terms prefixed with ná-

near or nigh

• náfrændi
• nágranni
• nágrenni
• nákominn
• nákunnugur
• nálægur
• náskyldur
• nátengdur
• návera (presence)
• návist
• návígi

insignificant or loathsome

• náhundur, náhundar
• náspil
• náhland
• náskol
• návatn

Navajo

Alternative forms

• né-, ní-, ń-

Prefix

ná-

2. Gives a verb a reversionary meaning, equivalent to back, back again, re-

Usage notes

• In some cases, this prefix indicates a change to a normal or expected state. For example, náltsááh (“it dries”) is from the root -TSEII (“to be dry”), and therefore represents a return to the default state of "dry."
• In certain phonological environments, this prefix appears as né-, ní-, or ń-.

See also

Navajo terms prefixed with ná- (disjunct)

References

• Young, Robert W & William Morgan, Sr. The Navajo Language. A Grammar and Colloquial Dictionary. University of New Mexico Press. Albuquerque, NM: 1987.