Introduction to Particles
This is a lexicon of simple and complex particles, miscellaneous small words that are important to formulating coherent sentences and expressing meaning. Some of them have a similar effect to what intonation does in English. Particles are small words that are not nouns, verbs, postpositions, or adjectives, but are nevertheless important. Particles and adverbs are similar, but particles are small and adverbs are bigger.
This lexicon is built on Young & Morgan’s (1948) pamphlet “The Function and Signification of Certain Navajo Particles,” which was reprinted with corrections in Fernald & Platero (2000). We have included some additional particles, and removed certain ones for reasons we will explain below. The Young & Morgan list of particles overlaps with the list of adverbs from Young & Morgan (1987:12-17). This list was the basis for the Adverb Lexicon on this website. For example, doo…da, le’ ’át’éégóó, and hanii appear on both lists. The Young & Morgan (1948/2000) list of particles includes some enclitics. However, we assume particles to be independent words (free morphemes), and enclitics, (by definition,) must attach to other words.
The Young & Morgan list of particles includes several postpositional enclitics (e.g., -gi, -góó, -jį’), which we have included in our Postpositions Lexicon, and we do not reproduce them here. Certain other enclitics in their list appear in other sections of our website and so are not listed here. These include -go, which is in the Adverb Lexicon; -ii’, which is in the Conjunctions Lexicon -ísh, -sh, and shą’, which are question focusing enclitics and appear in the Grammar of Questions.
The Young & Morgan particles list also includes several examples of what we have called complex particles, which are composed of more than one particle (e.g., ła’í ndi, t’áá ’ááłdįį, t’áá ká). Several include frames, often involving negation (e.g., doo t’áá k’ad —— da, dó’ —— -ísh łí). Complex particles sometimes include an enclitic (e.g., -gile’ ’át’éego), and possibly an adverb (e.g. t’áadoo —— -ígo t’éiyá).
An example search has returned 50 entries
’Ashkii ’éí łį́į́’ bił naaldloosh łá’í nidi doo yiyiichįįh da.
boy TOP horse 3-with 3-ride.I one but 3-3-know.NP NEG’Asdzą́ą́ t’ah doo naalyéhé bá hooghangóó dighááh da.
woman still NEG trading.post-to 3-walk.I NEG’Ayóo la’ deesdoi, nahóółtą́ą́’ laanaa.
very disc 3-hot.SPN 3-rain.O hope’Ałchíní ’ólta’di t’áá ’áhą́dígo ’ahąąh naazį́.
boy school-at just together-GO abreast pl-3-stand.SPN’Áde’óóyą́ą́’ lágo.
self-2-eat.O don’tAt’ééké dził gó’ąą nída’iilááh.
3-girls mountain areal.over 3pl-gather.CIAłk’idą́ą́’ ’éiyá naadą́ą́’ ’ayóo k’éédadiilyééh ńt’éé’. Díísh jį́įdi ’éiyá kindę́ę́’ nidahiilniih.
long.ago TOP corn very pl-3-1dpl-plant.R past | this day-at TOP store-from pl-3-1dpl-buy.CILong ago, we planted corn. Now, we buy corn from the store.
bookmark- ’éiyá topic marker
- nit’ee’ past
- ’ałk’idą́ą́’ long ago, formerlyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’ayóo very, extremelyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- díísd jį́įdi nowadaysfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Iterative (R)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Dibé t’áá daaztsą́ą́ lágo bik’íníyá.
sheep just pl-3-die.P DISC-GO 3-onto-1-come.PDoo yéé chizh yah ’ííjaa’í hooghan shį́į́ ’adííłk’ą́ą́’ nít’éé’.
DOO YÉÉ firewood into 3-1-carry.pl.P-Í hogan probably 3-1-burn.P pastDoochǫǫł á’téego!
repulsive 3-be.NI-GODoozáagi naahné?
how.long 2dpl-play.IDoozáagi Diné bíbee hazʼaanii bi nanilnish?
PTL.NEG navajo.people 3-government ? 3-2-to.work-IDíí ké tʼóó laʼ ʼáłtsʼíísí nahalin.
this shoe T’ÓÓ LA’ small 3-3-resemble.NIHa’átíísh diidííł? Díí daats’í: naa’oł’í da, naadą́ą́’ da, ’ats’í da, éí hólǫ́ǫ́ lá.
What-Q 1pl.eat,F This maybe: beans, corn, meat, 3-become.P DISCHaalá t’áá ’éiyá naaltsoos niníłtsooz ni’.
what-Q just TOP paper 3-1-put.FFO.P recallHaashą’ ʼátʼé, shí bichʼįʼ haʼdiisdzih.
how-Q 3-be.NI 1 3-to 1-speak.FHow about this, let me speak to him.
bookmark- haashą’ ’át’é why sure, of course
- haa + Neuter V how / what Vfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -shą’ enclitic for content questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ch’į’ to, towardfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Haánee’ haa nóolnin dooleeł.
what-NEE’ how 3-3-resemble.NI futureHaánee’ náánááshdáał dooleeł.
well 1-again-walk.R futureKintagóó shį́į́ diikah.
house-among-to maybe goKinŁánídi ’ííníshta’ ńt’éé’ ’áádóó t’áá ’ániidígo ’áadi náánísdzáá ńtéé’ ’ééhosisya’ lá.
Flagstaff-in 1-study.P past and.then just recently there-at 1-return.P past 1-get.hazy.P discKóhoot’éédą́ą́’ dibé yázhí t’óó ’ahayóí hazlį́į́’. K’ad ’éí doo t’óó ’ahayói da.
last.year sheep baby a.lot 3-Pas-it.occured.P now this NEG a.lot NEGLą́ʼąą’, hágoóneeʼ nibééso łaʼ shaa níʼaah.
okay well 2-money some 1-for 3-2-give.SRO.IMasí dó’ nee holǫ́ǫ́’ísh łí?
cat DÓ’ 2-with exist.NI-Q ŁÍNaadą́ą́’ t’ah doo dadiigááhdą́ą́’ deiiti’.
corn before pl-3-leaves.turn.white.I-past pl-3-1dpl-harvest.PNaaki yiskánídą́ą́’ da’iiníílta’go hahoolzhiizh.
two day-past pl-1dpl-school.NI-GO start-time.passing.PNida’iilyéego ’áłt’ąą yiską́ągo ’índa yínááł doo.
pass.pay.I-go after.all tomorrow only.then 2-come.Prog futureAfter all, you’ll finally show up for payday tomorrow.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’áłt’ąą after all, in spite of unfortunately
- yiską́ągo tomorrowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’índa and only thenfind in Navajo Conjunctions
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- doo, dooleeł future
Nimásání kohgo dibé yá niná’áłjoł łeh.
2-grandmother this.time sheep 3-for 3-3-feed.NCM.R usuallyNá’áł’ah doo ndi yiyiichįįh da.
3-butcher.CI NEG 3-good.at.NP NEGNízhánee’ saabiihi’níłí bóhwiinił’ą́ą́’.
2-good.thing-NEE’ computer 3-2-learn.PShikindóó t’áá ’ahanidi nikin si’ą́
1-house-at just near-at 2-house 3-sit.P.SROShiníbaal doo tó biníkáoogeeh le’ ’át’éégóó ’íishłaa.
1-tent NEG water 3-through-3-flow.I prepare.against 3-1-make.PShił naa’aash shį́į́! T’áá shǫǫdí shaná’níłtsóód!
1-with 3-go.dl.CI maybe please 1-to-back-3-2-feed.IOh, my cousin! Please give me (some of) the food back!
bookmark- I-A-Request, affirmative
- I-i-Imperfective
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yish’aash go as a pair (with)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- shį́į́ perhaps, probably, possibly
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ba’nistsóód feed itfind in Navajo Verb Modes



