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

’Áłchíní bi’éé’ náádaségis.

children 3-clothes 3-1-wash.R
listenloadingplaying

I will wash the children’s clothes again.

*Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ doo sha’shin nidlóoh da?

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

-k’é

for, in compensation for

Bįįh b da’doółdǫǫh.

deer 3-with pl-2dpl-shoot.O

Chidí bik’ee heesh’ááł.

car 3-tire 3-1-move.SRO.Prog

Chidí 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 perhaps

Daniel hahgosh hidilníísh?

Daniel when-Q 3-start.work.I

dazhdiłhį́į́h

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.I

deiidą́ą́’

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

dishhį́į́h

3DO-1-melt.it.I

Doo ’áłah dadiidleeł da.

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

Doo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.

NEG contrary town-toward 2-start.go.P NEG 1-think.CI

dó’ --- -ísh łí

Gohwééh doo ndi łikan da.

coffee NEG but 3-taste-good.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

The coffee doesn’t even taste good.

Gohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ bgo daats’í nínízin?

coffee only TOP or milk perhaps 3-with 3-2-want.NI

Haa níníłnééz?

what 2-tall.relatively.NI
listenloadingplaying

How tall are you?

Haa nízahdę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł?

how 3-long-from rain.Prog

Haa’ísh nínígai?

where-Q 2-hurt.I

Haidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo sh yá’át’éeh da.

winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past neg 1-with 3-good.N neg

háágóó

Hádą́ą́’ hooghan ’ájíilaa?

When-past this hogan 3-4-make.P

Hoozdohdi ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó deesdoi.

Phoenix-at TOP extremely 3-hot.SPN

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.

Kwe’éshą’ haa nízah nináhálzhishgo nináháltį́į́h?

here-Q how 3-long.N-up.to time.move.R-GO rain.R
listenloadingplaying

How often does it rain here?

Kénídánííljeehgo, sin ła’ beehódíítał.

shoe.game-GO song some 2-sing.F

Mary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

Mary when-past-Q school-from 3-return.P

Na’ná’á biyaa góne’ dóó báhátis ’adiłt’oh.

bridge 3-under below and 3-across 3-3-shoot.P

Naakidi ’oolkiłgo ’áko ’índa ’áajigo dah diiyá.

two.at time-GO after.that. towards.GO start 1.go.I
listenloadingplaying

After 2 o’clock I started to go that way.

Naalyéhé hooghandi tł’oh hániikai ńt’éé’ ’áníídí yee’ ’ásdįįd lágo ’áadi niikai.

trading.post-at hay 1dpl-go.pl.P past recently very 3-disappear.P DISC-GO there 1dpl-go.pl.P
listenloadingplaying

We went to the trading post after hay only to find that the supply had just run out.

Naʼahóóhai baa nídiikai ʼakó ʼakʼidahiʼniłí bee shí ʼadíílwoł.

rodeo 3-about 1pl-do.F so saddle.blanket 3-with 1-after 2-help.F

Nichidí naah nooltłáad le’.

2-car 2-on 3-off.P hope
listenloadingplaying

Don’t let the car stall on you.

Nimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́dooleeł.

your aunt 3-house-to 2-run-and that-way baby 3-for 2-care.CI FUT

nisoołkáá’

3DO-2dpl-investigate.it.P

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

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

niłhį́į́h

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

néishjį́į́h

Iterative Mode: 1-become.black.R
listenloadingplaying

I will become black, get sunburned again and again

Obi-Wan Kenobi, shíká ’ajoolwod.

Obi-Wan Kenobi 1-after indef-4-run.P
listenloadingplaying

Obi-Wan Kenobi helped me.

Shideezhí náneeskaadí ’ánáánéídlééh.

1-younger.sister tortilla 3-3-make.R
listenloadingplaying

My younger sister is making tortilla again.

Shidá'í, nilį́į́’ sha’níłteeh.

1-maternal.uncle 2-horse 1-to-3-2-lend.AnO.I
listenloadingplaying

My uncle, lend me your horse.

Shilééch’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.P
listenloadingplaying

My dog wanted to hide from me but I found him.

Shíká ’anánílwo’ doodaii’ t’áadoo shaa nánít’íní.

1-for 3-run.R or just-neg 1-to 2-1-bother.I
listenloadingplaying

Help me or else don’t bother me!

Sitsóí yik’i sidáhí béé’éshdlééh.

1-grandchild 3-on 3-sit.SPN-nom 3-1-copy.I

Tį’ ninádeiilnish.

let’s.go again-pl-1dpl-work.R

Tsé dzídzahashníiłgo baa naashá, daniidoiigo táchééh góne’ yah ’adoo’nił biniiye.

rock into.fire-3-1-put.P-GO 1-go.I 3-become.hot.P-GO sweathouse into in 3-PASS.put.PlO.F 3-because
listenloadingplaying

I’m busy putting stones into the fire, to be taken into the sweathouse when they get hot.

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.

yaa

Yadiizíníshą’ haa néelt’e’go nínízin?

can-Q how 3.many.N-GO 2-want.NI

yidoołbish

3DO-3-boil.it.F

yidíníłkaad

3DO-3-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

“Chizh ła’ nahílááh”, hałní jíní.

firewood some 2-gather.I 4-say.P 4-say.P
listenloadingplaying

“Gather some firewood”, one said, it was said.