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

’Anít’i’ ńtłóo’go biniinaa béégashii t’óó yigháníkah.

fence 3-loose.P-GO 3-because.of cow just 3-through-3-go.pl.P
listenloadingplaying

Because the fence is slack (loose), the cows go right through it.

’Asdzą́ą́ ’éí ’ashkii ha’át’íí yeiní’ą́?

woman TOP boy what 3-to-3-3-move.SRO.P
listenloadingplaying

What did the woman give the boy?

’Ashą́ą́ nít’ę́ę́’ t’áadoo hooyání shaa ’ílwod.

1-eat.Prog past suddenly 1-for 3-drive.P

’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

’Áádóó níléíjigo daaníigo t’óó ’áajigo sh dah ’adiilwod.

and.then over.there-toward pl-3-say.I-GO just that.way-toward 1-with start.off 3-drive.P
listenloadingplaying

And then they said to go that way, so I just drove that way.

’Ámá chaha’oh yiyaagi sidáago dádíníigaazh ’íílééh.

INDEF.mother brush.arber 3-under-at 3-sitting.SPN-GO frybread 3-3-make.I

The mother is sitting under the shade structure making frybread.

’Óshą́ą́’ laanaa’ dichin shi’niiłxį́.

1-eat.O wish hunger 1-3-kill.I

-k’eh+-jí

in a language e.g. diné k’ehjí ’in Navajo’

-kéé’

-naashii

-ni

listenloadingplaying

in, during

Béégashii yáázh bichá ninish’aah.

calf 3-bunch 3-1-put.I.SRO

Bíla’ashdla’ii wolyéii bił dah nahaz’ą́ą́góó t’áá ’ał’ąą bizaad dahólǫ́.

3-fingers-five-NOM 3-be.called-NOM 3-with static areal-3-govern.P-toward just separate 3-language pl

Bíni’dii ’awáalyaa sitį́.

3-let-stay jail 3-lay.SPN
listenloadingplaying

Let him stay in jail!

Chidí nidabinóołtłáád.

car pl-3-2dpl-stop.O

Da’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?

Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.P

Deenásts’aa’ sh 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.P
listenloadingplaying

I was riding around on a ram when my mother saw me and she gave me a whipping because of it.

deidííłhį́į́’

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

Diné ła’ nizhónígo kéédahojit’į́ danihó’ní, ’áko ndi doo ’ákót’ée da.

people some 3-nice.NI-GO pl-4-3-reside.NI 3-Pl. so but NEG 4-think.CI NEG

Díí chidí ’ayóo dilwo’ ha’ní ’áko ndi doo baa jííníshłíi da.

this car very 3-fast 3-say.P CONJ NEG 3-about 4-1-rely.P NEG

Díí chizh shá ’ałk’íniishóósh.

this firewood 1-for 3-2-split.I
listenloadingplaying

Split these pieces of wood for me.

Díí tsídii bit’oh yisdádeeshjoł, ’áko shį́į́ kónááhoot’éhé tsídii ła’ náábít’oh dooleeł.

this bird 3-nest 3-1-save.F-NCM then maybe next.year bird some again-3-nest future
listenloadingplaying

I’ll save this bird nest (from destruction) and it will probably serve another bird next year.

Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.

this tomorrow 3-2-read.F

díłhį́į́h

3DO-2-melt.it.I

Ha’a’aahgo doo jiztįį da, johonaa’ai hwił ołtáh jíní.

sunrise-GO NEG 4-lay.O NEG, sun 4-with count 4-say.I
listenloadingplaying

Do not lay after the sun rises, the sun will count you in with the dead.

hadadíníilchał

pl-3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

Hahgo lá tá’dinigizh?

When part 2-shear.F

haiigeed

3DO-1dpl-dig.it.out.P

háágeed

3DO-1-dig.it.out.P

jidííłhį́į́’

3DO-4-melt.it.P

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.

Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?

Mary what 3-3-buy.P

Naashnéego jooł báátis yímááz.

1-play-go.CI ball over 3-roll.P
listenloadingplaying

As I was playing I rolled over the ball.

nanilé

3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

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

Nighéí na’ashch’ąą’ígíí níil’į́.

over.there painting-ÍGÍÍ 3-2-du.look.I
listenloadingplaying

We (us two) are looking at that painting.

Ńléígóó díníyáa dooleel.

there-GÓÓ 2-go.sg.SP FUT
listenloadingplaying

You will be going that way/over there.

Shilééchąą’í bikéé’ yishááł.

my.dog 3-following 1-go.Prog

Shiníbaal doo tó biníkáogeeh le’ ’át’éégóó ’íishłaa.

1-tent NEG water 3-through-3-flow.O proof.against-NEG 3-1-make.P

Shį́įgo ch’ééh jiyáán yishį́į́h ’áádóó tó lą’í yishdlį́į́h.

summer-GO watermelon 3-1-eat.U and.then water lots 3-1-drink.U

Shį́į́dą́ą́’ na’niiłkaadgo t’áá ’áháníjį’ ’adeeshch’iłgo bik’ee deelyiz.

listenloadingplaying

Last summer when we were out herding sheep a bolt of lightning struck nearby and gave us a startle.

t’áá

T’áá ’ákwíízhíní tó dah siyínígóó ’ałnánáshdááh.

every summer lake-toward again-1-go.R

Ts’aa’ t’áá nitsaaígíí bídin nishłį́.

basket just 3-large.NI-nom 3-lack 1-be.NI

Tsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ádíílííł nimásání nihaa yighááh!

quickly tortilla 3-2-make.F 2.poss-mat.grandma-NOM 1.pl-to 3-come.F

yik’íididoodis

3DO-3-wrap.it.around.it.F

Yílk’idę́ę́’ télii ła’ ’adah náádáałgo yiiltsą́.

hill-from donkey INDEF down 3-return.Prog 3-1du-see.P

yóó’

Yóó’ ’anáháshyeed.

away SER-1-run.R
listenloadingplaying

I run away time after time.

Łį́į́ b níníłjooł.

horse 3-for 3-2-handle.NCM.F