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

’Abe’ yistiní hazhóó’ógo ni’ ninishtłeeh ńt’éé’ nááłhęęsh.

ice.cream carefully stop 3-1-stop.carry.I past 3-fall.P
listenloadingplaying

I was carefully putting down a scoop of ice cream when it fell.

’Ashkii nishłínę́ędą́ą́’ łah yoostsah bik’íníyá.

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

Once when I was a boy I found a ring.

’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.

’ayóí

’Azhą́ hasistih ndi ’ayóo ’eesh’į́.

even.though 1-be.old.P even.though very 3-1-see.Prog

’Áádóó éí haa daadzaa?

and.then TOP what pl-3-do.P

’áko shį́į́

CONJ

-kéé’

ch’ínígóó

listenloadingplaying

everything possible without result, failure in spite of every effort, to no avail

Chizh ła’ ’ahidíłkaał ’áko ’índa nich’į’ n’deeshłééł.

firewood some 2-chop CONJ 2-to 1-pay.F
listenloadingplaying

I’ll pay you when you chop some wood (and not before).

dashiilbéézh

pl-3DO-1dpl-boil.it.P

didííníłjéé’

3DO-2-start.fire.P

Díí chizh shá ’ałk’íniishóósh.

this firewood 1-for 3-2-split.I
listenloadingplaying

Split these pieces of wood for me.

Dííshą’ látsíní háádę́ę́’ naa ninídee’?

this-Q bracelet where-from 2-to 3-arrive.PlO.P

Dooshą’ gah t’áá gééd náshdááh lá.

ensure rabbit just without 1-return.I DISC
listenloadingplaying

I’ll see to it that I don’t return without a rabbit.

Dził bíchį́į́shk’ą́ą́h gódeg hoołtį́į́ł.

mountain 3-nose-against areal-up areal-rain.Prog
listenloadingplaying

It’s raining up on the point of the mountain.

Gah bik’ee’ taah yí’áhígóó ’eesbąs.

rabbit foot water 3-into1-drive.Prog
listenloadingplaying

I’m driving to Florida.

ha’át’éégóó

listenloadingplaying

where to

Ha’át’ííshą’ hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?

what-Q man and girl 3-3-make.P
listenloadingplaying

What did the man and the girl make?

Haa’í lá neezgai?

where Q 3-hurt.N

hadadoołbįįd

pl-3DO-2dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hadadínóołchał

pl-3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

hadajiłgéésh

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

hadasoogeed

pl-3DO-2dpl-dig.it.out.P

hadeidééłbįįd

pl-3DO-3dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hadééłbįįd

3DO-1-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hayííłgizh

3DO-3-cut.it.out.P

Háadi lá ’ádeiit’į́?

where-at Q pl-3-be
listenloadingplaying

Where are we (pl)?

Háadi niyaa hazlį́į́’?

where-at 2-under area-grow.P
listenloadingplaying

Where did you grow up?

Háágóó díníyá?

where-to 2-go.F

Háí lá yiską́ągo Tónaneesdizígóó bił ’adeeswod

who discovery tomorrow.GO Tuba.City.GOO with 3-drive.F-Q
listenloadingplaying

Who is driving to Tuba city, tomorrow? (Who will be driving?)

Háísh tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?

who-Q boat 3-3-make.P

Hooghan bikáá’ dah si’áánígíí biyah danii’áago ’ádíílį́į́ł ’áko hooghan doo ałhiinídoołdas da.

hogan 3-on up 3-sit.SPN-ÍGÍÍ 3-under pl-3-extend.NP-GO 3-2-make.F so hogan NEG RECIP-3-collapse.F NEG

hááłgizh

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

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

le’ ’át’éégóó

listenloadingplaying

used with the optative mode to produce a meaning roughly equivalent to “proof against”

Na’nízhoozhígóósh díníyá?

Gallup-to-Q 2-go.SP

Naakaii bizaad jółta’ le’ dzinízingo dzizdá.

mexican language 4-read.I wish 4-wish.O-GO 4-sit.P
listenloadingplaying

She is wishing he could read Spanish.

Nahółtą́ą́’ laanaa t’óó daniidzin.

rain hope just pl-3pl-want.O
listenloadingplaying

We wish it would rain.

Nibéézh bee hane’é doo ndi naalnish da.

2-cellphone NEG but 3-work.P NEG

nidazhdooleeł

pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

Nizhé’é ha’át’íísh nahideeshnih nízin.

2-father-Q what 3-1-buy.F 3-want.NI

Nił hǫ́zhǫ́ǫ́sh doodaii’ doósh nił hózhǫ́ǫ da?

2-with-happy.NI-Q or neg-Q 2-with happy.NI neg

Nídeezidgo ’índa hoł ní’deeswod.

month-GO only.then 4-with 2-drive.back.F

Shimá dóó shizhé’é Yootóodi ’ółta’ ńt’éé’.

1-mother and 1-father Santa.Fe-at 3-go.to.school.NI past

T’áá ch’ééh ’ásht’į́įgo bįįh biyaaghah ’eelwod.

just in.vain 1-act.NI-GO deer 3-around.corner 3- run.away.P
listenloadingplaying

I was still trying (to get a bead) when the deer went around a corner and disappeared.

Ts’aa’ t’áá nitsaaígíí bídin nishłį́.

basket just 3-large.NI-nom 3-lack 1-be.NI

Tsékooh biniit’aají łįį’hoł sizį́į́go binísá.

canyon 3-barring.to.a.point horse 4-with 3-stand.SPN.GO 3-1-caught-up.P
listenloadingplaying

I caught up with him sitting on his horse at the canyon.

Tł’éédą́ą́’ ńléí dził bine’jí ’adildííl yiits’a’ ni’.

night-past there mountain 3-behind-way thunder 3-sound.P recall
listenloadingplaying

Last night there was the rumble of thunder over on the other side of the mountain.

yiishjį́į́h

Imperfective Mode: 1-become.black.I