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

’adah

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.

morning-Past in.vain 2-wait ready REFL-1-keep.CI
listenloadingplaying

I was all ready and waiting for you all this morning (but you didn’t come), (Lit. in vain I wait for you in readiness).

’Ashkii yázhí éí bimá kingóó yił yi’ash.

boy little TOP 3-mother store-to 3-with 3-walk.du.Prog

’Ashkiísh ’at’ééd yiyiiłtsą́?

boy-Q girl 3-3-see.P
listenloadingplaying

Did the boy see the girl?

’Azhą́ ts’aa’ nízhóní ndi ’áłts’íísí.

even.though basket 3-be.pretty.NI even.though 3-be.small.NI

bik’ídídis

3DO-2-wrap.it.around.it.I

bik’ízhdídis

3DO-4-wrap.it.around.it.I

Ch’ééh jidighaahgo, ajółhosh laanaa jinizin łeh.

in.vain 4-walk.I-GO, 4-sleep.O hope 4-want.CI usually

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.

formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I past
listenloadingplaying

I used to live in Gallup. I lived formerly in Gallup.                                                                                                                                                                        

Dah díníilghaazh ’áshįįh bik’ídíínił.

fry.bread salt 3-on-3-2-sprinkle.PlO.F
listenloadingplaying

You will sprinkle salt on the fry bread. Sprinkle salt on the fry bread.

dayiigish

pl-3DO-3dpl-make.one.cut.in.it.I

Dibé doo deeghánígóó ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąądgo hooghanjį’ náákah.

sheep neg long.distance-neg-GO following.behind 3-in.a.line.NP-GO home-up.to return.go.I
listenloadingplaying

The sheep were strung out a long ways, one behind the other, as they headed home.

didoołhįh

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.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.

Dziłghą́’ą́ bizaad diists’a’ laanaa.

White.Mountain.Apache 3-language 1-understand.NI wish

dííłbish

3DO-2-boil.it.F

ha’át’éédę́ę́’

Haaʼísh niʼnishʼaah?

where-Q 3-1-park.SRO.F

hadeiilgéésh

pl-3DO-1dpl-cut.it.out.I

hadeiłgéésh

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

Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.

man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEG

háajį’

Háidíígíí lá neidiyoołnih?

which.one-ÍGÍÍ Q 3-3-buy.F
listenloadingplaying

Which one is s/he going to buy?

Háidíígíísh neidiyoołnih nínízin?

which.one-ÍGÍÍ-Q 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NI

Háí shą’ ’ałhosh?

who Q 3-sleep.I

Hoozdo 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.P
listenloadingplaying

I guess it’s warm in Phoenix. No wonder people go around without coats.

jidííłhį́į́’

3DO-4-melt.it.P

Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?

Mary what 3-3-buy.P

Mósí yázhí chizhtah yiyah yilwod.

kitten woodpile.among 3-under 3-run.P
listenloadingplaying

The kitten ran under the woodpile.

Nanise’ígíí ch’iiyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah ya’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.

plant-ÍGÍÍ food pl-2-eat.I so 3-with 2pl-body 3-among pl-3-good.NI future

Nádí daats’í ’éí doodaii’ nideezhí daats’í bááh ’íidoolííł?

older.sister perhaps or younger.sister perhaps bread 3-make.F
listenloadingplaying

Is your older sister or your younger sister going to make bread? / Maybe your older sister or your younger sister is going to make bread.

Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ doo daats’í nidlóoh da?

2-cold.I-Q or neg perhaps 2-cold.I neg

Nił hǫ́zhǫ́ǫ́sh doodaii’ doósh nił hózhǫ́ǫ da?

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

néishjį́į́h

Iterative Mode: 1-become.black.R
listenloadingplaying

I will become black, get sunburned again and again

Shich’ahashkéé léi’ doo bíká ’iishyeed da.

1-3-upset.I since NEG 3-for 1-help.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

I didn’t help him/her since s/he was upset with me.

Shicheii bighangóó yishááł.

1-grandfather house-toward 1-go.Prog

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

T’áadoo naaltsoos dayínółta’í.

neg book pl-3-2dpl-read.I-Í

T’áá ká ’adah ’oogeeh (lágo)

Neg down 3-fall.O
listenloadingplaying

See that s/he don’t fall.

Tó diłhił bá hooghan góne’ sáanii ’ałk’iijée’go hááhgóóshį́į́ jó shí da ’adadanishchidgo sédá.

bar 3-at women RECIP-3-fight.P-GO very instead 1-flinch.I-GO 1-sit.P
listenloadingplaying

When the women got into a fight in the bar I really had to protect myself as I sat there.

Tsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąsgo shi’dizhchį́.

wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I-GO 1-pass-born.P

yah

listenloadingplaying

in, inside (a spacious chamber, as a room, burrow, cavern, building, mouth)

Yas Niłt’ees bini góne’ yas dajiłhį́į́h.

January 3-in 3-into snow Pl.4-melt.I
listenloadingplaying

In January you melt snow.

yiigish

3DO-1dpl-make.one.cut.in.it.I

Yiską́ągo nighandi naadeeshááł.

tomorrow 2-home-at 2-to-1-go.F

Yiską́ągo Bee’eldííldahsinilgóó ’adeesdee’.

tomorrow Albuquerque-to 4-PL.underway.F
listenloadingplaying

Tomorrow, they will be on their way to Albuquerque.

yíníłhį́į́’

3DO-2-melt.it.(snow).P

Ła’ damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dah ’iyétł’ónée, k’ad ’ałníí’góó ’eeshtł’óół.

one Sunday past up 3-1-set.P-past now middle-toward 1-weave.Prog

ʼAtʼééd doo bzhǫ́ǫ da dooleeł.

girl NEG 3-with HO-happy.NI NEG 3-become.F

ʼAwéé chʼídeeldloʼ. ʼA’áshįįh daatsʼí nihee dahólǫ́.

baby 3-laugh.P Navajo.salt perhaps 2dpl-with pl-HO-exist.NI