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
Yadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.
can 3-through-1-cut.open.I’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.
morning-past NEG 1-eat.P-NEG.GO because soon hunger 1-3-kill.PBecause I did not eat this morning I am hungry now.
bookmark- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morningfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -niinaa because of, on account of
- wónáásdóó soon, finallyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sisxé killfind in Navajo Verb Modes
’Awéé’ bimá bit’ah sitį́.
baby 3-mother 3-undercover 3-lying.SPN’Azhé’é ’éí chízh nííni’yį́ ’áádóó hastiin bíká ’adoolwoł.
INDEF.father TOP wood 3-3.haul.complete.LPB.P AND man 3-after 3-run.F’Ałk’idídą́ą́’ kin ’áshłaa ńt’éé’ ’éí t’ahdii bii’ shighan.
quite.long.ago house 3-1-make.P past it still 3-in 1-home’Ííshją́ą́ shį́į́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.
certainly perhaps this stew stove 3-on up 3-1-put.OC.P’Ííshją́ą́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.
don’t forget this stew stove 3-top up 1-put.P.OCBįįh bináyaa niłchiin ’éí hataałii chodayooł’į́.
deer 3-eye beneath matter that medicineman 3-3-use.ICh’į́į́góó baa ntséskees.
fail 3-about 1-think.ICh’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
Ch’ééh jiyáán hooghangóó dah dii’ągo shee nikihoníłt.
watermelon home-toward up 3-1-move.SRO.P 1-with area-start-rain.PChidí bitiin ’ałts’ą́ą́hjí ’ańt’i’.
Chidí bits’ą́ą́’ niiltłago t’óó yíyooyił.
car 3-from 3-stop.P-GO just 3-3-push.ProgChidí naat’a’íísh hooghankáá’góó ch’ínísaal ’éí doodaii’ dziłghą́ą́’góó daats’í?
airplane house-over-along over-3-fly.P TOP or mountain-attached-along perhapsChidíísh bee hólǫ́ ’éí doodago ni daats’í ła’ nee hólǫ́?
car-Q 3-with 4-exist.N TOP or 2 maybe one 2-with 4-exist.NIDa’adánídi ’áts’ą́ą́’ deeshghał.
restaurant-at ribs 3-1-eat.FDá’ák’ehdi nídahodoohgoł.
cornfield-at pl-3-2-hoe.FDeenásts’aa’ shił naaldloosh ńt’éé’ shimá siiłtsą́, yiniinaa násineestsxas.
ram 1-with 3-trot.CI past 1-mother 1-3-see.P 3-because 1-3-whip.PDibé yázhí ła’ yóó’ ’ííyáá ńt’ę́ę́’ tsiyi’di bik’íníyá.
lamb one away 3-go.P past forest-at 3-find.it.PDii éé’ shił nizhónígo nahideeshniih nisin nt’éé’ ’áko ndi ayóo ilį́į́ lá.
this clothing 1-with 3-like-GO 3-1-buy.F 1-think.Cl Past even then very 3-expensive DiscDíí dziłígíí shádi’ááh bich’ijígo ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąąd.
this mountain-Comp southward 3-toward-GO one-behind-another 3Pl-scatter.NPHa’át’íí baa ’áłah ’aleeh jiní?
what 3-for meeting 4-say.NIHáádę́ę́’shą’ tó ndahohheeh?
where-from-Q water pl-3-2-haul.LPB.IJáan Mary bił baghan.
John Mary 3-with 3-liveK’ad ’ałníí’góó ’eeshtł’óół doo yę́ę ła’ damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’asétł’ǫ́ǫ da.
now half-toward 1-weave.Prog future past one Sunday when.past NEG 1-weave.P NEGI could have been halfway through weaving, but last week I didn’t weave at all.
bookmark- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashtł’ó weavefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashtł’ó weavefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’ad nowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- goal
- -dą́ą́’ past time
- time
- yę́ędą́ą́’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
K’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.
now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.IKinŁánídi ’ííníshta’ ńt’éé’ ’áádóó t’áá ’ániidígo ’áadi náánísdzáá ńtéé’ ’ééhosisya’ lá.
Flagstaff-in 1-study.P past and.then just recently there-at 1-return.P past 1-get.hazy.P discMary łį́į́’ bił yá’át’ééh.
Mary horse 3-with 3-good.NIMą’iitsoh shik’iilwodgo tsékooh góyaa bidááłgo’.
wolf 1-3-attack-COMP canyon areal-down 3-1-push.PNa’nízhoozhídę́ę́’ shíká bił ’oolwoł.
Gallup-from 1-for 3-with 3-drive.INa’nízhoozhídę́ę́’ shíká bił ’oolwoł.
Gallup 1-for 3-with 3-drive.INaʼahóóhai nitsaa bił hoo’aahgóó dóola dííyééł.
rodeo 3-big.NI 3-with areal-space.I-to bull 2-haul.FNédáá dóó bikáá’adání bik’i ndinís’eez.
1-sit and table 3-on 1-place-1-foot.PNimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́ą dooleeł.
your aunt 3-house-to 2-run-and that-way baby 3-for 2-care.CI FUTGo to your aunt’s house and take care of the baby over there.
bookmark- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -jí on the side of, in the direction of, in the manner of
- goal
- -aa to
- benefactive
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áháshyą́ carefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- dooleeł futurefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
Níká ’adeeshwoł biniiyé níyá.
2-for 1-run.F 3-purpose.of 1-came.PSam Diné yitah naalnish.
Sam Navajo 3-among 3-work.IShikee’ ’ániidígo biniinaa shikee’ bąąh tó’diisool.
1-shoe recently because 1-foot 3-on 3-blister.form.PShilééch’ąą’í hats’ąą ńdóosht’į́į́ł laanaa nízin yę́ę bik’íníyá.
1-dog areal-away.from 1-hide.O wishful 3-want past 3-1-find.PShimá sání t’áá shídin ’ííyá.
Shinék’eesinilí shee hólǫ́ǫgo t’éiyá bee ’eesh’į́.
1-me glasses 3-there exist.NI with only 3-with1-see.N(Prpg:??)Shizhé’é bitsą́ądi haashį́į́ yidzaago tł’óó’góó yik’ee naalyiish.
1-father 3-stomach-at something 3-happen.P-GO outside-toward 3-on.account.of 2-bend/stoop.CIShí 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.PShį́į́dą́ą́’ łį́į́’ yázhí shee hazlį́į́’.
summer-past pony 1-with 3-become.PT’áá ká nikee’ ániidígíí biih wóó’éés lágo.
see.to.it 2-shoe new-IGII 3-into 2-step.in.O NEGT’áá shǫǫ hooghandi nádzáá lá.
good.thing home-at 3-return.P DISCTsé ’ayóí ’áníłtso léi’ tsékooh góyaa hadah ch’ééłmááz.
rock remarkably large INDEF canyon areal-down areal-edge out-3-1-roll.PTsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąs yę́ędą́ą́’ shi’dizhchį́.
wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I past 1-pass-born.PTł’éédą́ą́ łééchąą’í léi’ nihił ’yaííyá’ii’ neeztį́.
last.night dog strange 1dpl-with 3-come.inside.P-and lie.down.SNPLast night, a (strange) dogs came walking in on us and lay down.
bookmark- tł’éédą́ą́’ last nightfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ił with
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishááł walkfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ii’ and, and thereuponfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Si-Perfective Neuter (SPN)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sétį́ lie downfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi háadish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?
tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CIWhen you go to Gallup tomorrow where do you want to eat?
bookmark- yiską́ągo tomorrowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- háá-P.ENCLITIC wherefind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -sh enclitic for content questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -di at
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yíshą́ eat itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes