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’.
| Sha’áłchíní | bá | 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:
| Chidí | k’asdą́ą́’ | shił | ’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:
| 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:
| 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
’At’ééd ’éí ch’iyáán ’ál’į́įgi łá’í nidi doo bił bééhózin da.
girl TOP food 3-make.NI-at one but 3-with 3-know.CI NEGThe girl does not know how to cook food.
bookmark- ’éí topicfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -gi at
- łá’í ndi not even one, not a single onefind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- doo expresses negationfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -ił with
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- da expresses negationfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
’Aadę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł.
there-from 3s-rain.Prog’Adeesdíilgo dibé sits’ą́ą́’ dah diijéé’.
3-thunder.P-GO sheep 1-away.from start-3-run.Pl.P’Eii mósí tsásk’eh bik’i dah síłteeh.
that cat bed 3-on up 3-2-AO.CI-ba’
-deená
-na’
beside, at one’s side, in place of, waiting for
bookmark-ni
-t’ááh
Ayóó biká ’anáshwo’.
often 3-for 1-help.RBéeso 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.PBéégashii yáázh ła’ shibee’í’diidłííd bik’i niní’ą́.
calf one 1-cattle.brand 3-on 3-1-put.NPCh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Bilagáanaa Bizaad doo diists’a’ da. K’ad ’éí t’áá shxǫǫ t’áá bee yáshti’.
formerly English neg 1-understand.I neg. Now TOP good.thing barely 3.with 1.speak-IBefore, I didn’t understand English. Now, thankfully, I can speak some.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- diists’a hear, understandfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yáshti’ speakfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ formerly, originallyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ee by means of
- instrumental
Chidí sits’ą́ą́’ hashtł’ish yiih yilwodgo t’áá ch’į́į́góó ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd.
car 1-away mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO just fail in.vain 3-1-act.PI did everything possible to get my car out of the mud.
bookmark- -ts’ą́ą́’ away from, separating from, derived from
- location
- -iih into
- location
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ch’į́į́góó, ch’ínígóó everything possible without resultfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ch’ééh in vain, futilely, tryfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
Chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodago ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?
car-Q 3-with 4-exist.N or 2 maybe car 2-with 4-exist.NIDamóo 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.PDíí na’ach’ąą’ígíí ’éí Diné bee ’iiná shį́į́ wolyé.
TOP 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ Navajo 3-by.means.of living perhaps 3-name.NIDíí yihahígíí biyi’, háísh tówónaanígóó ch’aa deeyá?
this year.IGII within who overseas.GOO travel 3-going.F-QDoo chosh shijooł’į́į́’ léi’gi’ ’át’éégóó shił hóyéé’.
NEG 3-1-make.use.O proof.against-NEG 1-with lazy.NIDził bíchį́į́shk’ą́ą́h gódeg hoołtį́į́ł.
mountain 3-nose-against areal-up areal-rain.ProgDíí séí dóó tsé yázhí ’ałtahígíí łeezh bikáa’gi naasaas ’áko shį́į́ doo hashtł’ish da doołeeł.
this sand and stone little mixed.together-NOM dirt 3-on-at 3-1-sprinkle.Prog then maybe NEG mud NEG futureGah bikéé’ yishwoł.
rabbit 3-following 1-run.ProgGohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ biłgo daats’í nínízin?
coffee only TOP or milk 3-with-GO perhaps 3-2-want.NIHa’a’aahdę́ę́sh naaghan ’éí doodago e’e’aahdę́ę́sh naaghan?
east-from-Q 2-home TOP or west-from-Q 2 homeHaidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.
winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past neg 1-with area-good.N negHádą́ą́’sh Mary ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?
when-past-Q Mary school-from 3-return.PHoghaandi nánisdzáago tʼáá shǫǫ ’ííyą́ą́ʼ.
home-at again-1-came.back.P T’ÁÁ SHǪǪ 1-eat.PHoozdo hoolyéedi deesdoi sha’shin. ’Áyaańda (’áyąą) diné bi’éétsoh t’áá gééd ndaakai.
Phoenix areal-called-at hot possibly no.wonder person 3-coat without pl-3-go.pl.PK’aa’ísh tsénaa ’aní’á biyaa doodago daats’í báhátis ’ayiist’oh?
arrow-Q bridge 3-under or perhaps 3-over 3-3-shot.PNaaltsoos ’ásaayázhí bikáá’ dah síłtsóós.
paper bowl 3-on up 3-FFO.CINichidí lá háadi nííníłbą́ą́z?
2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.PSam Diné yitah naalnish.
Sam Navajo 3-among 3-work.IShicheii t’áá ’íiyisíí hastihgo biniinaa kónááhoot’éhí doo na’ádódlíi da.
1-grandfather very 3-old.N-GO because next.year NEG 3-expect.live.NP NEGSince my grandfather is very old he doesn’t expect to be alive next year at this time.
bookmarkShighandóó ndáá’góó ’ada’iisdee’go nihí ’éí t’áá yiike’.
1-home-from war.ceremony-to 3-go.away.P we.du.pl TOP just 1du-remain.behind.PShilééchąą’í sitsijį’ yilwoł.
1-dog 1-ahead-to 3-run.IShiye’ éí naaki béeso yideená chidí yésį́.
1-son TOP two money 3-exchange.for car 3-stand.SPNShíká ’anánílwo’ doodago’ t’áadoo shaa nánít’į́ní!
1-after indef-help.R or just-neg 1-about 1-2-bother.NI-negShínaaí shikétł’á ’iiyilgo łį́į́’ bikáá’ hasis’na’.
1-older.brother 1-foot-bottom 3-3-boost.P-GO horse 3-top up-1-crawl.PMy older brother boosted me and I got up on the horse’s back.
bookmarkT’áadoo hosh biih dadoołtaałí.
neg cactus 3-in pl-2dpl-step.O-ÍT’áá ’ákódí na’ach’ąą’ígíí bee nihił hweeshne’.
just here.at 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ 3-by.means.of 2du-with 1-tell.PTó háálínídi ’ahéédidiit’ash ’ałní’ní’ą́ągo.
spring-at refl-1du-meet.F noon-GOLet’s meet at the spring at noon.
bookmark- Proposal, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- 1st person inclusive, Let’s!find in Navajo Imperatives
- -di at
- ’ałní’ní’ą́ągo at noonfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- 1st person inclusive, Let’s!find in Navajo Imperatives
- -di at
- ’ałní’ní’ą́ągo noon-atfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes




