Introduction to Conjunctions

This Saad Dílzin lexicon illustrates various conjunctions, words like dóó (and), doodaii (or), ndi (but), háálá (because), and others. The term we use for a word that holds constituents together is conjunction (zaatą’ii). Conjunctions combine two or more sentences, phrases, or words into a single sentence or phrase. Each conjunction has its own meaning.

This lexicon is mainly focused on coordination, but it includes other expressions that can connect two sentences (like yę́ędą́ą́’). It is sometimes difficult to distinguish conjunctions from adverbs.

Sometimes adverbs appear with conjunctions, and they influence or modify the meaning of the conjunction.

Joe and Louise are conjoined in the sentence below to make a single phrase:

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(1)
Joe dóó Louise hataał.
Joe and Louise 3-sing.CI
Joe and Louise are singing.

The verb hataał, is intransitive, meaning that it can only have one argument:

(2)
Joe hataał.
Joe 3-sing.CI
Joe is singing.
(3)
*Joe Louise hataał.
Joe Louise 3-sing.CI
Joe Louise is singing.

Example (3) is only grammatical if Joe Louise is the name of a particular person. If we take the two names to refer to two different people then we have to connect them with the conjunction dóó (and). This is what happens in (1). When dóó is in the middle you know there are two people.

In Navajo, more than two phrases can be conjoined, but the verb will have the plural marker da in it when three or more actors are involved in the event being described:

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(4)
Joe dóó Louise dóó Kii dahataał.
Joe and Louise and Kii pl-3-sing.CI
Joe, Louise, and Kii are singing.

The examples, (1) and (4), above include conjunctions of noun phrases. Other phrases can be conjoined in the same way. Here are examples with postpositional enclitic phrases:

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(5)
Tsé’áándę́ę́’ dóó tsédáajį’ ninish’na’.
cave-from and cliff-to 1-crawl.P
I crawled out of the cave and to the edge of the cliff.

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(6)
Na’ná’á biyaa góne’ dóó báhátis ’adiłt’oh.
bridge 3-under below and 3-across 3-3-shoot.P
S/he shot them (e.g., arrows) over the bridge and under it.

Sentences can also be coordinated, and several different conjunctions can be used:

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(7)
Kin Łánídi naashnish háálá ’áadi shaghan.
Flagstaff 1-work.I because there 1-live.NI
I work in Flagstaff because I live there.

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(8)
Kin bighą́ą́’dę́ę́’ hadah ’adzííłhaal ndi t’áadoo ’ádadénih da.
house 3-to-from down 1-tumble.P but NEG RFLX-1-hurt.P NEG
I tumbled off the housetop but I didn’t get hurt.

The table below shows the expressions in this lexicon, except that the complementizer -go is listed in the Adverbs lexicon [link]. This list appears in Young & Morgan (1987:23-24).

Navajo English Is the expression a coordinating conjunction? categories that can be conjoined
dóó ‘and’/‘and then’ yes clause, NP, PP, EP
’áádóó ‘and then’ yes clause
’áko ‘so, so that, so then’ yes clause
’áko ’índa ‘when, then’ yes clause
’áko ndi ‘even so, even then’ yes clause
’áko shį́į́ ‘then maybe/ then probably’ yes clause
’áko shį́į́ ’índa ‘then only’ yes clause
doodago ‘or’ yes clause, NP, PP, EP?
doodaii’ ‘or’ yes clause, NP, PP, EP?
-go no clause, NP
háálá ‘for, because’ yes clause
-ii’ ‘and, and thereupon’ yes clause
’índa ‘and only then’ no clause
léi’ ‘because’, ‘inasmuch as’ or ‘in view of the fact that’ yes clause
ndi ‘but’ yes clause
’azhą́…ndi ‘even though, despite the fact that, notwithstanding’ yes (or else ’azhą́ is an adverb and ndi is a conjunction) clause
ńt’éé’ past maybe clause
yę́ędą́ą́’ past no clause
NP
noun phrase
PP
postpositional phrase
EP
postpositional enclitic phrase

With coordination, two phrases have the same status. With subordination, one clause modifies the other. In this way, they are different. When there are two clauses and -go appears in the first, the two become one sentence. Then the first clause modifies the second.

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(9)
Shilééchąą’í bił na’nishkaadgo jooł bá ’abíńjíshhałgo yikéé’ náádiilwo’.
1-dog 3-with 1-herd.CI ball 3-for 3-1-bat.R-GO 3-after 3-run.R
When I’m out herding with my dog I bat fly balls for him and he chases them.

The first clause modifies the second by describing its reference time. A range of interpretations for -go is possible. In the following example, the -go clause is understood as describing the cause for the main clause:

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(10)
’Ádihodideesht’ih sha’shin nisingo t’áadoo ’atah haasdzíi’ da.
Joe dóó Louise dóó Kii dahataał.
I didn’t say anything because I thought I might get myself into trouble.

Examples of clauses subordinated using -go can be found in the Adverbs lexicon [link].

Some observations

Our understanding is that -go is a complementizer, sometimes called subordinating conjunction in traditional grammar (we follow Schauber 1975 [link] in concluding this).

When clauses are coordinated, a conjunction appears in place of -go. Ńt’éé’ can also take the place of -go. We take it that it can be either a conjunction or a complementizer. (Occasionally, it can appear along with -go, suggesting that it could be an adverb as well!)

Some of the expressions in this lexicon can only appear when -go appears on the first clause. These expressions are likely to be adverbs.

Concerning ’azhą́…ndi, we have already concluded that ndi is a conjunction. We could analyze ’azhą́ as an adverb, or we could consider ’azhą́…ndi to be a two-part conjunction, similar to either…or.

An example search has returned 50 entries

ʼAdaʼniigeh, nihíká ʼadoohjah.

3pl-marry.F 1dpl-after 2dpl-run.pl.F
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We are having a wedding, we need everyone’s help.

’Adeesdíilgo dibé sits’ą́ą́’ dah diijéé’.

3-thunder.P-GO sheep 1-away-from start-3-run.Pl.P
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When thunder rumbled the sheep stampeded on me, ran away from me.

’Ahwééh náshdlį́į́h áádóó naanishgóó yishááh.

coffee again-1-drink.R then work-toward 1-go.I
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I drink coffee and then I go to work.

’Ashkii nishłínę́ędą́ą́’ łah yoostsah bik’íníyá.

boy 1-be.NI-past once ring 3-1-find.P

’Ashkii tó nílinígíi yiih dzółhaał.

boy water 3-be.NI-ÍGÍÍ 3-in 3-fall.O

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ dahane’ yę́ę k’ad ’índa baa nídahane’.

past pl-3.tell.story.I old now until.now 3-for pl-3.tell.story.I
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In the past, all those old stories are now being retold.

’Áłah ’aleehdi hastiin léi’ t’óó yááłtih yiits’a’.

meeting-at man INDEF just 3-talk.Prog 3-be.heard.I

’Áłchíní hastą́ą́ binidááhaidóó deigo hodees’áago t’áá ’ałtso da’ółta’go yá’át’ééh.

children six 3-year.P-from up areal-extend.NP all pl-3-study.NI-GO 3-good.N

bik’ídideesdis

3DO-1-wrap.it.around.it.F

Bíla’ashdla’ii nishlį́.

3-hand-five-NOM 1-be.NI

I am a five-fingered being (= a person).

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad t’éiyá bee yádeilti’ nít’ę́ę́’.

formerly Navajo language only 3-with pl-3-speak.I past

Chidí ’anáshdlééh, háálá doo naalnish da.

car 3-1-repair.I because NEG 3-work.I NEG

Chidí t’ą́ą́’ nináníłbą́ą́z.

car just 3-1-reparked.R
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I backed in the car again.

Daané’é baa na’aldeehdi ’at’ééd jooł yídzoołtał.

game 3-to 3-happen.CI-at girl ball 3-3-kick.Prog

Dichinísh doodaii’ dibáá’ísh jinízin?

hunger-Q or thirst-Q 3-4-want.NI

Díí jį́ ’áłchíní nááda’ołta’.

this day children again-pl-3-study.R
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Today, the children are in school again.

Díkwíísh ninááhai?

how.many-Q 2-winter.NI

Doo ndó’ daatsaah noolin da.

NEG but 3-be.sick.I 3-resemble.NP NEG
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He doesn’t even look sick (much less act sick).

dołhį́į́h

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.I

Dziłdę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł ńt’éé’ t’áá nihich’į’jį’ ’ásdįįd.

mountain-from areal-rain.Prg past just 1pl-toward-up.to 3-disappear.P

haahláyéé

Haahláyéé ’ajiiłhosh.

don’t.dare 4-sleep.I

hadajiłgéésh

pl-3DO-4dpl-cut.it.out.I

hadeiilgizh

pl-3DO-1dpl-cut.it.out.P

hadeiłgéésh

pl-3DO-3dpl-cut.it.out.I

Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.

man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEG

Hatáálgóó déyáago shikélchí t’óó tsxį́į́łgo bił ’ada’shéshiizhgo ńdaséłkad.

ceremony-1-go-Fut-GO 1-moccasin merelyhurry.GO 3-with 3-1-pierce-GO 3-1-sew-P
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Since I was going to a ceremony, I hurriedly pierced holes in my moccasins and sewed them.

hazhnííłchaad

3DO-4-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

H lá bá nidáá’?

who Q 3-for 2-enemyway.ceremony

Háí lá kintahgóó sh adoołbąs?

who-Q town-to 1-me 3-drive.F

Háádę́ę’shą’ díí ch’ah nizhóní léi’ naa yílts’id?

where-from-Q DEM hat 3-beautiful.NI INDEF 2-to 3-move.air.SRO.P

Jáan Mary bił baghan.

John Mary 3-with 3-live

Joołísh ’atiin tsé’naa ’ahííníłhan doodaii’ daats’í ’anít’i’ báhátis ’ahííníłhan?

ball-Q road across 3-2-throw.P or perhjaps fence 3-over 3-2-throw.P

Naakaii Bito’gi béégashii bee łá’í ’ídlínígíí bee ’anishtah.

mexican water-at cow 3-with one-unify.P-COMP 3-with 1-among.NI
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I’m a member of the Mexican Springs Cattle Association.

Naalyéhé hooghandi tł’oh hániikai ńt’éé’ ’áníídí yee’ ’ásdįįd lágo ’áadi niikai.

trading.post-at hay 1dpl-go.pl.P past recently very 3-disappear.P DISC-GO there 1dpl-go.pl.P
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We went to the trading post after hay only to find that the supply had just run out.

naohłé

3DO-2dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

ndi

but

nisínílá

3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.P

Shá hooł’aah.

1-for areal-2 move-over.I

Shilééchąą’í yázhí shikéé’ yildlosh ńt’éé’ hashtł’ish yiih yildloozh.

1-dog little 1-behind 3-walk.Prog past mud 3-into 3-walk.P

Shínaaí shikétł’á ’iiyilgo łį́į́’ bikáá’ hasis’na’.

1-older.brother 1-foot-bottom 3-3-boost.P-GO horse 3-top up-1-crawl.P
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My older brother boosted me and I got up on the horse’s back.

Shį́įgo ’ahbínígo ’ashdladi dóó ’ałníi’go k’adę́ę ha’a’aah łeh.

summer-GO morning-GO five-at and half-GO almost 3-sunrise.I usually
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At five thirty in the summer time the sun is about to come up.

T’áadoo hosh niyą́ní.

T’ÁADOO cactus 3-2-eat.I-Í
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Don’t eat cactus.

T’áá ’aaníígóó shił hodoonih bíniiká na’ídíshkid.

truth 1-with 3-tell.O 3-against 3-1-question. I
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I’m asking questions (against him) to get him to tell the truth.

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh.

neg 2-oversleep.O

T’áádoo shich’į’ béésh nídiiłts’į́hí

NEG 1-to phone 2-call.R-Í

Yadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.

can 3-through-1-cut.open.I

yiishjį́į́h

Usitative Mode: 1-become.black.U

yiishjį́į́ł

Progressive Mode: 1-become.black.Prog
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I am in the process of becoming black, getting sunburned

Yiską́ągo níléí hódahdi ’ółta’di ni’dí’néeshtįįł nissin.

tomorrow that up.at school-at 1-teach.F 1-want.CI