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

’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ísh tł’óo’di nanilnishgo nee ’ałní’ní’ą́?

yesterday-Q outside-at 2-work.CI-GO 2-with noon

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.

morning-Past in.vain 2-wait ready REFL-1-keep.CI
listenloadingplaying

I was all ready and waiting for you all this morning (but you didn’t come), (Lit. in vain I wait for you in readiness).

’Ashdladi oolkiłgo ’áko shį́į́ ’índa ákǫ́ǫ́ diikah.

five.at time-GO only until then there 1dpl-go.pl.I
listenloadingplaying

At 5 o’clock only then we’ll leave for there.

’Ashkii yázhí ’ayóo hwe’ádílááh.

little boy very 3-mischief
listenloadingplaying

The little boy is very mischievous.

’índa

-íniiká

-nah

aside, to one side

Awéé’ doo ndó’ yidlóoh da.

baby NEG NDO’ 3-cold.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

The baby isn’t even cold.

Béégashii báháchxį’go bik’ee neeshchééł.

cattle 3-become.angry.I-GO 3-on.account.of 1-flee.Prog

Chidí ’anáshdlééh, háálá doo naalnish da.

car 3-1-repair.I because NEG 3-work.I NEG

Chidí bitoo’ hadi’dííłbį́į́łgo ’índa Na’azhǫǫshgóó diikah.

car 3-fuel 3.fill.up-GO.P only.then casino-GOO 3pl.go.F
listenloadingplaying

Fill up the gas and we’ll go to the casino.

Da’ dichinísh nínízin?

Q hunger-Q 2-feel.NI

dadiilyį́į́h

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

dadínółkaad

pl-3DO-2dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

Dah doónááł lágo!

up 2-go.F don’t

Damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dziłghą́ą́’dę́ę́’ shádí dóó ba’áłchíní bił ’adaashkai.

sunday past-time mountain top.of-from 1-elder.sister and 3-children 3-with downward-1-go.Pl.P
listenloadingplaying

Last Sunday I accompanied my older sister and her family down from the mountaintop.

Daniel hahgosh hidilníísh?

Daniel when-Q 3-start.work.I

dashoołbéézh

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

Dichinísh doodaii’ dibáá’ísh jinízin?

hunger-Q or thirst-Q 3-4-want.NI

dididiiljah

3DO-1dpl-start.fire.F

didołjeeh

3DO-2dpl-start.fire.I

didííníłjéé’

3DO-2-start.fire.P

dizhdínóołkał

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

Díí chąą’ shą’ háádę́ę́’ niníyęęzh?

this manure-Q where-from 3-ooze.P

Doo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.

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

doochǫǫł --- dooleeł

hadeidééłbįįd

pl-3DO-3dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hadiiltééł

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

hadínííłchał

3DO-2-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

háajį’

Hái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa lá?

who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P DISC
listenloadingplaying

(I wonder) who made this boat?

Hííłch’į’go ’íinda ta’iideeshnih.

evening.GO until 1-mix.dough.F
listenloadingplaying

I will mix the dough towards evening.

Hooghangóó nikéédeeshdááł nisin ndi ółta’di ’éí náshiilkááh.

home-toward 1-go.F 1-want.NI but school-at there 1-spend.night.N CHECK VERB GLOSSES

Hoozdohgóó daats’í deeshááł ’éí doodaii’ Be’eldííldahsínilgóó deeshááł.

Phoenix-toward maybe 1-walk.F or Albuquerque-toward 1-walk.F

Mary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

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

Na’nízhoozhídi Naasht’éshí ’Atsá’jí yee nááda’alzhish.

gallup.at Zuni.people eagle-way 3-with again-pl-3-dance.R

Nanise’ígíí ch’iiyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah ya’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.

plant-ÍGÍÍ food pl-2-eat.I so 3-with 2pl-body 3-among pl-3-good.NI future

Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ doo daats’í nidlóoh da?

2-cold.I-Q or neg perhaps 2-cold.I neg

nisoolá

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

Nizhe’é ha’át’íísh yaa naaghá?

2-father what-Q 3-about 3-do.CI

Ńléí ’asdzą́ą́ sáníshą’ háí ’át’į́?

there woman old-Q what 3-be.N

Who’s that old lady over there?

Sha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.

1-children Shiprock-to 3-with 1-drive.Prog

Shicheii t’áá sáhí ’átsą́ą́’ ’ałtso yoolghal --- doochǫǫł ’át’éego ’ajilghał dooleeł!

1-grandpa just himself rib whole 3-chew.P ridiculous 3-be.NI-GO SER-3-ate.DI FUT
listenloadingplaying

My grandfather ate the whole rib section by himself --- it’s absurd to eat like that!

Tóbąąhgóó yishtł’ééł.

river-toward 1-run.Prog

Tł’óo’di kǫ’ diltłi’ bikáa’gi chéch’il ła’ dináádísh’nííł.

outside-at fire 3-burn.NI 3-on-at oak some fire-again-3-1-move.PlO.I

Yas Niłt’ees bini góne’ yas dajiłhį́į́h.

January 3-in 3-into snow Pl.4-melt.I
listenloadingplaying

In January you melt snow.

yidíníłkaad

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

yiidlą́ą́’

3DO-1dpl-drink.it.P

yiishjį́į́ł

Progressive Mode: 1-become.black.Prog
listenloadingplaying

I am in the process of becoming black, getting sunburned

yiyííyą́ą́’

3DO-3-eat.it.P