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

’ayóo

’áko

CONJ

’áko ndi

CONJ

-’ąą

listenloadingplaying

beyond, on the other side, in addition to

-diníná

-iih

Ashkii tó nílinígíi yiih dzółhaał.

Boy flowing.water-ÍGÍÍ 3-in 3-3-fall.O

Béégashii ndahaniihdi dóola ’ayóí ’ánóolin léi’ t’óó bidánééł’į́į́’.

cattle-NOM pl-3-sell.CI-at bull remarkable 3-resemble.N INDEF just 3-1-look.at.P
listenloadingplaying

At the cattle sale I saw a beautiful bull that I sure wished I had.

Bibee’eldǫǫh haiyííłhan’ii’ ’bįįh yił ’adeesdǫǫh.

gun 3-jerk.out.P-and deer 3-shot.P

bik’ídadiidis

pl-3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.I

Ch’aa dé ńt’éé shichídí bikee’ dilkǫǫh.

travel 1-go past 1-vehicle 3-tires worn.

Ch’į́į́góó baa ntséskees.

fail 3-about 1-think.I
listenloadingplaying

I think about it (from many angles) without success (as in trying to hit upon a practical solution for a problem).

Da’ dichinísh nínízin?

Q hunger-Q 2-feel.NI

dadoołhį́į́’

pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.P

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.

deiilyį́į́’

pl-3DO-1dpl-melt.it.(snow).P

dizhdínóołkał

3DO-4-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

Díkwíí lá ninááhai?

how.many Q 2-winter

dooshą’ dó’ léi’ --- lá

Gohwééh ła’ shaa níkaah.

coffee some 1-to 2-give.OC.I
listenloadingplaying

Give me some coffee.

Ha’át’íísh baa hane’?

What Q 3-for be.told.CI

haa nízahdę́ę́’ hoolzhiizh

listenloadingplaying

for how long

hadadiiltééł

pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

Hatáaldi 'iikááh 'atah 'ajóle’.

ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.O
listenloadingplaying

One wants to take part in the sandpainting at the ceremony.

há’at’é-go

Háí lá́ bá nidáá’?

who Q 3-for 2-enemyway.ceremony

Hoozdohdi ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó deesdoi.

Phoenix-at TOP extremely 3-hot.SPN

K’ad shį́į́ deesk’aaz hodooleeł.

now probably cold area-become.F
listenloadingplaying

Now it will probably turn cold.

Ląʼí nahółtą́ągo t’éiyá hodookʼááłígíí yaa hódoonííł.

much 3-rain.O-GO only areal-fire.I-IGII down HO-happen.F

Naat’áanii bich’į’ yáshti’.

leader 3-toward 1-talk.I
listenloadingplaying

I’m talking to the leader.

Nahółtą́ą́’ laanaa t’óó daniidzin.

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

We wish it would rain.

naohłé

3DO-2dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

Naʼazhǫǫshgóó dooʼáazhgo nihikééʼ ʼiih deeshwoł.

casino-GÓÓ 2du-go.F-GO 2pl-behind 3-into 1-run.F

ndi

but

nideeshłeeł

3DO-1-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

Nidlóóhísh ’éí doodago doo daats’í nidlóoh da?

2-cold.X-Q TOP or NEG perhaps 2-cold.X-Q NEG

Ronshą’ saadísh neiiłkaah?

Ron-Q word-Q 3-3-investigate.I

What about Ron, is he investigating words? / Is Ron studying words (too)?

She’abe’ sits’ą́ą́’ wóódlą́ą́’ lágo.

1-milk 1-from 3-2-drink.O LÁGO

Shighanídóó ’e’e’aah bich’ijígo shádí bighan.

1-home-from west 3-in.the.direction.of older.sister 3-dwell.N
listenloadingplaying

My sister’s place is westward from mine.

shéłbéézh

3DO-1-boil.it.P

Sitsóóké da’ółta’go t’óó bik’iisdził.

1-grandchildren pl-school-GO just 3-1-support.Prog

T’áá ’ashání ’ashą́ą ndi sitsį’ yę́ę ’áádįįł.

just 1-eat.I-í 1-eat.I but 1-flesh past 3-dwindle.Prog
listenloadingplaying

I eat and eat but I keep right on losing weight.

T’iis bąąh nidaohna’.

cottonwood 3-on pl-2dpl-climb.I

Tsinaabąąs bikáá’dę́ę́’ t’áá ’ałkéé’ ’adahaago’ ndeii’néego.

wagon 3-top-from just one-after-another down-1Pl-fall.P 3Pl-play.CI-GO.CI

Tsxį́įłgo yoołkááł.

in.a hurry-GO night.is.passing.Prog
listenloadingplaying

The days are going fast.

Tł’ée’go shibee ni’dildlaadí bóhosésa’go ch’ééh ’ádináhweessił.

night-GO 1-flashlight 3-1-miss.P-GO in.vain reflex-around-1-grope.Prog
listenloadingplaying

When I missed my flashlight at night I groped around myself.

yiidą́

3DO-1dpl-eat.it.I

yiłhį́į́h

3DO-3-melt.it.(snow).I

Łį́į́’ bik’i na’ashnííł.

horse 3-on 3-1-unsaddle.I

ʼAwéé chʼídeeldloʼ; chʼiyáán bá ʼádaʼdoołííł dóó bá niʼdaʼdoonih.

baby 3-laugh.P food 3-for pl-3-2dpl-prepare.F and 3-for pl-3-2dpl-distribute.F