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

’Ahwééh yishdlį́į́h ’áádóó naanishgóó yishááh.

coffee 3-1-drink.U and.then work-toward 3-1-go.U

’Ajóółháásh laanaa.

4-sleep.O wish

’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.

candy 3-1-buy.CI-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister 3-1 split-GO.I 3-for 3-1 gave.I

’Ałní’ní’ą́ągo tó háálínídi ’ahéédidiit’ash.

noon-GO spring-at refl-1du-meet.F

’Áádóó hainidzaa?

and.then what-3-2-do.P

’Ákǫ́ǫ́ shił díí’ash.

there 1-with 2sg-go.du.F

-de

-diníná

-doondó’ --- da, doo ndi ---da, doondó’ ndi --- da

-ts’ą́ą́’, -ts’á

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

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

Chidíłtsooí bidááh síńzį́į dooleeł.

car-yellow-REL 3-for 2-stand.SPN FUT
listenloadingplaying

You wait for the yellow bus.

Chizh ła’ yah ’aníjááh.

firewood some in 2-bring.I

dadiilyį́į́’

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

Dah nóóljííd lágo.

up 2-jump.O don’t

daoo’aal

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

daołhį́į́h

pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.(snow).I

deitł’ó

pl-3DO-3dpl-weave.it.I

Dibé bits’į́’ daodą́ą́’ lágo.

sheep 3-meat pl-3-1dpl-eat.O LÁGO

Doo ’áłah dadiidleeł da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.F NEG

Doo t’áá k’ad ’ííłta’ da.

NEG just now 1-go.school.P NEG
listenloadingplaying

I don’t want to go to school.

dó’

Gohwééh doo ndi łikan da.

coffee NEG but 3-taste-good.NI NEG

Ha’át’íí baa ’áłah ’aleeh jiní?

what 3-for meeting 4-say.NI

Hahgosh Daniel hidilníísh?

when-GO-Q Daniel 3-start.work
listenloadingplaying

When does Daniel go to work?

Haidą́ą́’ shich’ą́ą́h ’ííchííl na’nishkaadgo.

winter-past 1-protect 3-snow.P 3-1-herd.CI-GO

hajiłgéésh

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

Háadi lá ’ádeiit’į́?

where-at Q pl-3-be
listenloadingplaying

Where are we (pl)?

Háágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?

where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI John

Háísh yiską́ągo ’adoogis?

who-Q tomorrow 3-wash.F

jidoołbish

3DO-4-boil.it.F

K’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.

now wash down water up 3-rise.Prog
listenloadingplaying

The water’s rising now down in the wash.

KinŁánídi ’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 disc
listenloadingplaying

I was young I went to school in Flagstaff but I returned there recently to find that I’m so hazy about things that I barely recognize the place.

Kǫ’ ’ayóigo bee n’deezdíín ndi doo shiníłdoi da.

fire very 3-with 3-sheds.light.P but NEG 1-3-warm.SPN NEG
listenloadingplaying

The fire gives lots of light, but it doesn’t warm me.

Na’nízhoozhígóó chídí doo n dah didoolwoł da.

Gallup-to car NEG 2-with up start-3.drive.F NEG

Na’nízhoozhígóó deeyá, ya’?

Gallup-toward 2-go.sg.F Q

naashłé

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

nideiilyé

pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

Nizhónígo saad ha’oodzíí’ ’áníléehgo bik’e’íłchí.

nicely word HO-speak.P 3-2-make.I-GO 3-2-write.I

Nizhéʼé nilą́ąjįʼ yigáałgo bikééʼ yilwoł.

2-father 2-in.front-to 3-walk.Prog-GO 3-behind 2-run.Prog

Níwe, tʼáádoo ʼabeʼ tʼóó bee naninéʼhí. Hazhóʼó nidlą́.

stop NEG milk just 3-with 2-play.R-NEG properly 3-2-drink.I

Shighandóó ha’a’aahjígo ’ahidiildzis dóó ’ákóyaa bida’atiin.

1-house-from east-to-GO join-together-canyons and there-down 3-off-road
listenloadingplaying

Eastward from my place the canyons converge, there’s a trail down there.

Shizhé’é nihwiiłdlaadgo bikéé’ naad’ ’adaashjaah łeh.

1-father 3-3-plow.I-GO 3-behind corn 3Pl-1-drop.I Cust.
listenloadingplaying

As my father plows it is my custom to follow along behind and drop the corn kernels.

Shínaaí shikétł’á ’iiyilgo łį́į́’ bikáá’ hasis’na’.

1-older.brother 1-foot-bottom 3-3-boost.P-GO horse 3-top up-1-crawl.P
listenloadingplaying

My older brother boosted me and I got up on the horse’s back.

T’áadoo naaltsoos dayínółta’í.

neg book pl-3-2dpl-read.I-Í

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’áá ká k’éé’yółchxǫǫh

Neg 3-erase.O
listenloadingplaying

Don’t let him/her erase it.

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.

wooyą́ą́’

3DO-2dpl-eat.it.P

łahgo