Introduction to Conjunctions
This lexicon illustrates various conjunctions, words like dóó (and), doodaii (or), ndi (but), háálá (because), and others. Conjunctions combine two or more sentences or phrases 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, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish coordination from subordination.
Sometimes adverbs appear with conjunctions, and they influence the meaning of the conjunction.
Coordination is a kind of syntactic structure that allows two similar constituents to act as one. For example, Joe and Louise are conjoined in the sentence below:
The verb hataał is intransitive, meaning that it can have only one argument:
Joe | hataał. |
Joe | 3-sing.CI |
Joe is singing. |
*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, the sentence does not make sense because the verb is intransitive. Coordination, used in (1), allows two or more phrases to act as one.
In Navajo, more than two phrases can be conjoined, but the verb will need to have a plural marker in it when three or more actors are involved in the event being described:
Joe | dóó | Louise | dóó | Kii | dahataał. |
Joe | and | Louise | and | Kii | pl-3-sing.CI |
Joe, Louise, and Kii are singing. |
The examples above include conjunctions of noun phrases. Other phrases can be conjoined in the same way. Here are examples with postpositional enclitic phrases:
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. |
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:
Kin | Łánídi | naashnish | háálá | ’áadi | shaghan. |
Flagstaff | 1-work.I | because | there | 1-live.NI | |
I work in Flagstaff because I live there. |
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].
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
Subordination is a different way that two sentences can be combined into one. The enclitic -go attached to the first sentence subordinates it to the second:
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:
’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
’Ach’íí’ ła’ deeshį́į́ł.
rolled.intestine some 1-eat.F’Amásání léi’ dibé yázhí yootééł.
grandmother INDEF sheep little 3-3-carry.AnO.Prog’Atsiniltł’ish dóó tó dayókeedígíí baa ’áłah ’aleeh lá.
electricity and water pl-3-request.I-NOM 3-for meeting DISC-ghá
Béeso bá hooghan góne’ shił ha’ashch’ą́ą́l dóó ’azéé’ííł’íní bił yah ’ííyá.
money 3-for building inside 1-with 3-go.up.as.elevator.P and doctor 3-with into 1-GO.PBichidí yichǫ’ yę́ędą́ą́’ ’ashkii t’áani’ nálwod.
3-vehicle 3-P-ruin past boy on.foot 3-P-returnBini’ íídeeshtah doodago ’éiyá yóó’ ’adeeshwoł.
let will-1-school or only away 1-off-run.PCh’ééh jiyáán náánááshdą́ą́’.
watermelon again-1-eat.RCh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad naalkaah doo baa ’áhonissin da. K’ad ’éí t’áá shxǫǫd bik’i’diitą́.
formerly Navajo language research NEG 3-about 1-aware.CI NEG | now TOP at.least 3-of-1-understand.PFrom the beginning, I didn’t know about Navajo linguistics. Now I’m finally able to understand it.
bookmark- ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ formerly, originallyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áhonissin be awarefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’áá justfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- diists’a hear, understandfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Da’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?
Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.PDamóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dziłghą́ą́’dę́ę́’ shádí dóó ba’áłchíní bił ’adaashkai.
sunday past-time mountain top.of-from 1-elder.sister and 3-children 3-with downward-1-go.Pl.PDamǫ́ǫgo tódilchxoshí yishdlį́į́h.
Sunday-GO soda 3-1-drink.Udaooshóó’
pl-3DO-2dpl-brush/comb.it.Pdeiyííyą́ą́’
pl-3DO-3dpl-eat.it.Pdididiiljah
3DO-1dpl-start.fire.Fdidołjeeh
3DO-2dpl-start.fire.IDził bíchį́į́shk’ą́ą́h gódeg hoołtį́į́ł.
mountain 3-nose-against areal-up areal-rain.ProgHa’át’íísh neidiyoołnih nínízin?
who-Q 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NIWhat do you think s/he is going to buy?
bookmarkhah
Haidą́ą́’ shich’ą́ą́h ’ííchííl na’nishkaadgo.
winter-past 1-protect 3-snow.P 3-1-herd.CI-GOHastiin dóó ’at’ééd ha’át’íí lá ’áyiilaa?
man and girl what Q 3-3-make.PHastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.
man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEGHáísh ’átsą́ą́’ jóyą́ą́’ laanaa nízin?
Who ribs 4-eat.O hope 3-3-want.CIjoodlą́ą́’
3DO-4-drink.it.PK’ad niba’ sédáa dooleeł.
now 2-wait 1-sit.SPN FUTléi’
because, inasmuch as, or in view of the fact that
bookmarkMary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.
Mary 3-grandmother 3-for indef.between 3-talk.DIMary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?
Mary what 3-3-buy.PNa’nízhoozhígóó nihił ’adeeswod ’áko shį́į́ ’adiidį́į́ł chidí nihá ’ánálnéehgo.
Gallup-to 1-with INDEF-drive.P then maybe 1-dual-eat.F car 1-for 3-fix.I-GOWe are going to Gallup maybe then eat while the car is being repaired.
bookmark- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áko shį́į́ then maybe, then probably
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Nádí daats’í ’éí doodaii’ nideezhí daats’í bááh ’íidoolííł?
older.sister perhaps or younger.sister perhaps bread 3-make.Fnidazhdooleeł
pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Fcarry a ropelike thing around, 4th person plural
bookmarkNił hǫ́zhǫ́ǫ́sh doodaii’ doósh nił hózhǫ́ǫ da?
2-with-happy.NI-Q or neg-Q 2-with happy.NI negNíléí dá’ák’ehdi ła’ joogááł.
there corn.field-at some 4-walk.ProgShi’éé’ kin bikáá’dóó hadah (or bidah, ’adah) ’ahé’ah.
1-clothes house 3-on-from areal-downward 3-1-toss.FFO.PI dropped my clothes down one after another from the top of the house.
bookmark- ’adah downward from a heightfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -káá’ on, on top offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -dóó from a specific location or point in space or timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ahish’áád toss awayfind in Navajo Verb Modes