The Usitative mode
The Usitative mode is used to describe frequently occurring events and actions and for talking about habitual and customary actions. This mode is called ’Áhát’į́ bízhníldį́į́hígíí hoolzhish góne’ in Navajo. Something that one does regularly will eventually become habitual. The Usitative mode is used to talk about this. These examples will illustrate this:
’Ałné’é’áahgo | ’ashį́į́h. |
at.become.noon.I | 1-eat.U |
I usually eat at noon. |
’Ahwééh | yishdį́į́h | ’áádóó | naanishgóó | yishááh. |
coffee | 3-1-drink.U | and.then | work-toward | 3-1-go.U |
I drink coffee and then I go to work. |
’Abínígo | ’at’ééd | bitsii’ | yishoh. |
girl | morning-go | 3-hair | 3-3-brush.U |
The girl usually brushes her hair in the mornings. |
The usitative mode describes what you do habitually according to the way the sun progresses or the clock ticks. There are ways of describing habits or repeated events without using the usitative or iterative modes. An imperfective verb with a frequency adverb like łeh (usually) or łahda (sometimes) will serve this purpose:
’Ałné’é’áahgo | ’ashkii | łahda | ’atsį’ | yilghał. | |
become.noon.I-GO | boy | sometimes | meat | 3-3-chew.I | usually |
The boy chews some meat sometimes at noon time. |
’Ałné’é’áahgo | ’ashhosh | łeh. |
become.noon.I-GO | 1-sleep.NI | usually |
I’m usually asleep at noon. |
Sentences using the Usitative mode can include expressions that modify the habitual action. Here are examples with the modifiers in italics:
T’áá ákwíí | abíní | gohwééh | yishdlį́įh. |
every | morning | coffee | 1-drink.U |
Every morning I drink coffee. |
Tósiyį́įdi | shilééchąą’í | t’áá ’áko | taah | yilwo’. |
lake-at | 1-dog | immediately | water.into | 3-run.U |
At the lake, my dog immediately runs into the water. |