Introduction to Navajo Postpositions

This is a lexicon of Navajo postpositions and postpositional enclitics.

Postpositions are pretty much the same as prepositions in English but a postposition appears after its noun phrase object rather than before it. Postpositions tend to be short words with meanings that indicate information about location, direction, or timing of an event described by the verb in the sentence, or about the kind of role played by the noun phrase in the event.

There is a relatively small number of postpositions, so by memorizing them, language learners can quickly improve their comprehension of Navajo.

This lexicon includes 14 postpositional enclitics and 75 postpositions based on Young & Morgan (1987:25-26).

In example (1), sha’áłchíní bá is a postpositional phrase, meaning ‘for my children’.

(1)
Sha’áłchíní b ch’iyáán ’íishłaa.
1-children 3-for food 3-1-cook.P
I cooked for my children.

The postposition is -á, and the pronoun prefix is b-. This is a third person prefix, which is why the gloss underneath bá has a 3 in it. The meaning of -á is ‘for’, and this is also indicated in the gloss. Also, the sh in the word sha’áłchíní, ‘my children’, is a first person pronoun prefix. This pronoun prefix also appears inside the verb ’íishłaa. Note that the gloss is 3-1-cook.P; this indicates that the word means ‘I cooked it’: 3-1 in the gloss indicates that the subject of the verb is first person (‘I’), and the object is third person (‘it’). For a guide to glossing, click here.

The first person prefix appears again on the postposition -ił (‘with’), in the example below:

(2)
Chidí k’asdą́ą́’ sh ’adah ch’éélwod.
car almost 1-with down off-3-go.P
The car almost ran off (the road) with me.

Postpositional Enclitics do not have pronoun prefixes, and instead attach directly onto another phrase. In the example below, the enclitic is -di (‘at’). It is attached directly to Na’nízhoozhí (‘Gallup, New Mexico’). There is no pronoun prefix:

(3)
Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.
formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I past
I used to live in Gallup.

In the example below, the enclitic -gi is attached to the postpositional phrase tsé biká (‘on the rock’). The pronoun prefix bi- is attached to the postposition -káá (‘on’), not to the enclitic:

(4)
Tsé bikáa’gi béésh dah si’ą́.
rock 3-on-at knife up 3-sit.SNP
The knife is on the rock.

Note that both -di and -gi are glossed as ‘at’. The enclitic -di is used for more general locations, and -gi is used for more specific ones.

The postpositional enclitics in this lexicon are, from the list in YMM (1992:938-09):

-dą́ą́’
past time
-dę́ę́’
from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off of
-di
at a general location
-dóó
from a specific location or point in space or time
-ę́ę-dą́ą́’ =yę́ędą́ą́’
back when
-gi
at a specific location
-góó
to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
-í-jígo
over in the direction of the place where
-jigo
toward, northward
-jí
designates ceremonies, religious and political institutions and lifeways
-jí
on the side of, in the direction of, in the manner of
-jí-k’ehgo
in the manner of
-jį́’
up to, as far as
-k’eh -jí
in the way(s) of

The pronoun prefixes, which can appear on postpositions, are shown below:

singular dual-plural
1st person shi- nihi-
2nd person ni- nihi-
3rd person yi-/bi-
4th person ho-
unspecified ’a
reciprocal ’ahi-
reflexive ’ádi-
area ha-; ho-; go-

In using these prefixes, the final vowel sometimes changes due to the sound that comes next (e.g. shi-ałchiní → sha’áłchíní; ni- ’asdzą́ą́ → ne’asdzą́ą́; bi- ’awéé’ → be’ewéé’ / be’awéé’).

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.

lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CI

Yadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.

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

I am cutting the can open.

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’óó ’ahodiyeeshdláałgo biniinaa ’ólta’di doo hah níyáa da.

morning-past with pretend-1-move.Prog-GO 3-because school-at NEG quickly 1-go.P NEG

’Asdzą́ą́ t’ah doo naalyéhé bá hooghangóó digháah da.

woman still NEG trading.post-to 3-walk.I NEG

’Aseezį́ binaaltsoos biníkádinishchid.

gossip 3-paper 3-through-1-stick.finger.P
listenloadingplaying

I stuck my finger (hand) through the newspaper.

’At’ééd bizhé’é kingóó yił yi’ash.

girl 3-father town-toward 3-with 3-go.du.Prog

’Atiin bąąhgóó béésh halne’é tsin bá ’adaaz’á.

road 3-along.side telephone pole 3-for 3Pl-stand.upright.SPN
listenloadingplaying

The telephones are upright along the road for the phone line.

’Awéé’ bimá bit’ah sitį́.

baby 3-mother 3-undercover 3-lying.SPN
listenloadingplaying

The baby is lying under the same covers with its mother.

’Ałní’ní’ą́ą́dą́ą́’ t’ah doo da’adánígóó dishááhgóó ch’iyáán ’ásdįįd.

noon-past still NEG cafeteria-to 1-go.I-NEG food 3-dwindle.NI

-ghą́ą́h

listenloadingplaying

attaching to, hitched to, connected to

-k’i

on, onto, off, over

-zánághah

Baa tįįh náádiikah.

3-for achieve 1dpl-walk.pl.I

Beehaz’áanii bik’ehgo baa hwiiníst’įįd.

laws 3-according-to-GO 3-about 3-discuss.P
listenloadingplaying

He was tried according to the law.

Ch’ééh déyáago hooghangóó nááshdááł.

in.vain 1-go.sg.P-GO home-to 1-return.Prog

Chaha’oh biyaagi ni’dííłbąs.

shade.house 3-under-at 2-drive.F

Chidí daats’í bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ niísh chidí nee hólǫ́?

car maybe 3-with 4-exist.N or 2-Q car 2-with 4-exist.NI

Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghan yikáá’góó ch’ét’a’ doodaii’ dził bąąhgóósh ch’ét’a’?

airplane-Q hogan 3-over-along 3-fly.P or mountain 3-side-along-Q 3-fly.P

Chidí ’ániidígíí beít’ą́ą́ léi’ ’áyąąńda bił dahózhǫ́.

car new-ÍGÍÍ 3-to-3-pass-bring.SRO.P since no.wonder 3-with pl-3-good.NI

Da’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?

Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.P

Dibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.

sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.P

Dibé ła’ yóó’ ’íínilgo k’adę́ę ’e’e’aahgo ch’ééh naanááshwoł.

sheep some away 3-1-lose.P-GO almost evening in.vain 3-after 1-run.around.P

Diné nishłį́ndi Bilaagana bizaad t’éí bee yáshti’.

Navajo 1-be.NI but English language only 3-with 1-speak.I

Díí chąą’ shą’ háádę́ę́’ niníyęęzh?

this manure-Q where-from 3-ooze.P

Díí tł’óół tsin bik’ídísdis.

this rope stick 3-on-3-1-wrap.I

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.

prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.P

Doo kingóó diit’ash da.

NEG town-to 1dpl-go.du.Prog NEG

Doo nił bééhózín da lá jiní. T’áá káhí la’ bił hóolne’!

NEG 2-with 3-knowledge.CI NEG disc 4-say.P just never some 3-with 2-tell.F

Dził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.

mountain 3-close.to-at deer 3-3-hunting.CI
listenloadingplaying

He’s deer hunting over near the mountain.

Háadi lá lį́į́’ naakai?

where-at Q horse 3-walk.pl.I

Hádą́ą́’ ’áłtsé chidí naat’a’í n nast’a’?

When past first airplane 2-with 3-fly.P

Háí lá kintahgóó sh adoołbąs?

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

Háidíígíísh łį́į́ʼ b deeshdlóózh?

which.one-ÍGÍÍ-Q horse 3-with 3-crawl.F

Mary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

Mary when-past-Q school-from 3-return.P

Na’nízhoozhídę́ę́’ shíká bił ’oolwoł.

Gallup 1-for 3-with 3-drive.I

Naaltsoos ’ásaayázhí bikáá’ dah síłtsóós.

paper bowl 3-on up 3-FFO.CI

Put a sheet of paper on the bowl.

Ná’oolkiłí sits’ą́ą́’ tanáóó’nił lágo!

watch 1-away 3-1-take.apart.O don’t

Niłísh bééhosin doodaii’ biłísh bééhozin?

2-with-Q 3-know.CI or 3-with-Q 3-know.CI

Sáanii ’éétsoh bi’oh ’ádaníłtso.

women coat 3-less.than indef-Pl-3.size.N
listenloadingplaying

The coats are too small for the women.

Shimá sitsilí bibéésh bee hane’í bits’ą́ą́’ náádii’ą́.

1-mother 1-little.brother 3-cellphone 3-away.from 3-3-return.P
listenloadingplaying

My mother took my little brother’s cellphone away.

Shimósí yázhí tsin yąąh dah sidáago hádésh’na’ ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą hadanáálwod.

1-cat little tree 3-on up 3-sit.SPN-GO 1-climb.P but after.all 3-run.down.P

Shí t’óó ’ááłk’iis yisháałgo shizhé’é tsékooh gódeg ha’asbą́ą́z.

1 merely SUP-alongside 1-go.Prog-GO 1-father canyon areal-up up-3-drive.P
listenloadingplaying

My father drove (a wagon) up out of the canyon with me walking alongside.

Shíká ’anánílwo’ doodaii’ t’áadoo shaa nánít’íní.

1-for 3-run.R or just-neg 1-to 2-1-bother.I
listenloadingplaying

Help me or else don’t bother me!

Sitsóí yik’i sidáhí béé’éshdlééh.

1-grandchild 3-on 3-sit.SPN-nom 3-1-copy.I

T’áá ’ałkéé’ ’azee’ííł’íní bił yah ’adahaadzá.

just one-behind-another doctor 3-with 3-in 1Dist-4-go.I

T’áá ’ákódí na’ach’ąą’ígíí bee nihił hweeshne’.

just here.at 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ 3-by.means.of 2du-with 1-tell.P
listenloadingplaying

That is all I have to say about the picture.

T’áá ’aaí ’aníigo t’éiyá doo bikee’ saad si’ą́ą da.

truly 3-say.I-GO only NEG 3-behind word 3-sit.SPN NEG

Tł’éédą́ą́’ mą’ii léi’ shidááh gónaa ch’élwod.

last-night coyote there 1-before areal-around 3-move-rapidly.P

Tł’éédą́ą́’ásh nahóółtą́ kééhót’ínígi?

night-past-Q rain.P 2-live.NI-at

Łį́į́’ biyéél łį́į́’ bik’i dah sí’aah.

horse 3-saddle horse 3-on up SRO.CI

Put the saddle on the horse.