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
Jáan biʼdizhchínéejįʼ ʼanááyííłką́. Bá daʼdiidį́į́ł.
John 3-birth.past-up-to again-day.P 3-for 1pl-eat.F’Ahbínídą́ą́’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.
morning-Past in.vain 2-wait ready REFL-1-keep.CI’Ashkii nishłínę́ędą́ą́’ łah yoostsah bik’íníyá.
boy 1-be.NI-past once ring 3-1-find.P’Ádihodideesht’ih sha’shin nisingo t’áadoo ’atah haasdzíi’ da.
RFLX-1-get.into.trouble.F perhaps 1-think.CI-GO NEG among 1-say.P NEGI didn’t say anything because I thought I might get myself into trouble.
bookmark- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ádihodiisht’ééh get oneself into troublefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- sha’shin perhapsfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- haasdziih speak, exclaimfind in Navajo Verb Modes
-ba’
bik’ídazhdeezdiz
pl-3DO-4dpl-wrap.it.around.it.Pbik’ízhdídis
3DO-4-wrap.it.around.it.ICh’ééh jiyáán náshdį́į́h ’áádóó tó náshdlį́į́h.
watermelon again-1-eat.R then water again-1-drink.RCh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.
formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I pastChidí daats’í bee hólǫ́ ’éí doodaii’ niísh chidí nee hólǫ́?
car maybe 3-with 4-exist.N TOP or 2-Q car 2-with 4-exist.NIChidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?
car-Q 3-with 4-exist.NI or 2 maybe car 2-with 4-exist.NIDa’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?
Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.PDa’ Ron saad nináánéíłkaah ya’?
Q Ron word 3-3-investigate.I QRon’s investigating words again?
bookmarkdajishbéézh
pl-3DO-4dpl-boil.it.Pdajííłhį́į́’
pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.(snow).PDamóogo nihaa náájídááh.
Sunday.GO us.return 4-again.visit.Fdaohshóóh
pl-3DO-2dpl-brush/comb.it.Ideidíníłkaad
pl-3DO-3dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Istart to herd them (animals), 3rd person plural
bookmarkDichin nínízin ya’?
hungry 2-want.NI Qdideidííłjéé’
pl-3DO-3dpl-start.fire.PDoo choshijooł’į́į́’ le’ ’át’éégóó shił hóyéé’.
NEG 3-1-make.use.O proof.against-NEG 1-with lazy.NIhaa nízahdę́ę́’ hoolzhiizh
Halah doo bííghah jiztį́į da.
opposite.sibling NEG 3-beside 4-lay.O NEGHatáaldi 'iikááh 'atah 'ajóle’.
ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.OHái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa lá?
who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P DISCK’aa’ísh ’aní’á biyaa doodago daats’í báhátis ’ayiist’oh ?
arrow-Q bridge 3-under or perhaps 3-over 3-3-shot.PDid s/he perhaps shoot arrows under or over the bridge?
bookmark- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- doodago particle orfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- daats’í particle for perhapsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -yaa under, beneath, down
- location
- -tis over
- location
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’adisht’oh be an archer, shoot arrowsfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Neel’ą́ą le’.
term-3-reach.up.to.NI LE’Nichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.
stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEGnidííleeł
3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Fcarry a ropelike thing around, 2nd person singular
bookmarkNimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́ą dooleeł.
2-auntie 3-house-toward 2-run.F and there-at baby 3-to 2-care.CI FUTGo to your aunt’s house and take care of the baby over there.
bookmark- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- goal
- 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
- location
- -aa to
- benefactive
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áháshyą́ carefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- dooleeł futurefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
Nizhónígo ha’íí’ą́ yę́ędą́ą́’ sxíiłgo da’ségis.
beautiful sunrise past quickly pl-3-1-wash.PI quickly did my laundry during the beautiful sunrise.
bookmarkRonshą’ saadísh neiiłkaah?
Ron-Q word-Q 3-3-investigate.IWhat about Ron, is he investigating words? / Is Ron studying words (too)?
bookmarkShe’abe’ sits’ą́ą́’ wóódlą́ą́’ lágo.
1-milk 1-from 3-2-drink.O LÁGOShilééchąą’í yázhí shikéé’ yildlosh ńt’éé’ hashtł’ish yiih yildloozh.
1-dog little 1-behind 3-walk.Prog past mud 3-into 3-walk.PShiye’ bicheii yi’ká ’análwo’dooleeł biniiyé ba’niłtį́į́́ nt’éé’ sits’ą́ą́’ yił nikidíńiit’ą́ą́zh. (YM 1987:632)
1-son 3-grand.father for 3-1-help.F for 3-loan for 1-away with 2-dpl.walk.PT’áadoo hoshíníkéhé.
T’ÁADOO 2-scold.NI-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.PTsékooh góyaa tł’óół bee ’adanásh’nah.
canyon areal-down 3-with 1-climb.down.RTsxį́įłgo łees’áán ádíílííł; nimásání nihaa yíghááh!
quickly tortilla 2-make.F 2.poss-mat.grandma-NOM 1.pl-to 3-come.Fyik’íididis
3DO-3-wrap.it.around.it.IYiską́ągo ’azee’ííłíní niwoo’ yideeshnish doo.
tomorrow doctor 2-teeth 3-2-work.F will.beyíníyą́ą́’
3DO-2-eat.it.PʼAzhishgóó déyá, sis łigaii shaʼ díílééł.
dance-to 1-go.F belt silver 1-borrow3-lend.SFO.FI am going to the song and dance, will you lend me your belt?
bookmark