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

Jáan biʼdizhchínéejįʼ ʼanááyííłką́. Bá daʼdiidį́į́ł.

John 3-birth.past-up-to again-day.P 3-for 1pl-eat.F
listenloadingplaying

It is Johnʼs birthday. Let’s have a dinner for him.

’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).

’Ashkii nishłínę́ędą́ą́’ łah yoostsah bik’íníyá.

boy 1-be.NI-past once ring 3-1-find.P
listenloadingplaying

Once when I was a boy I found a ring.

’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 NEG

-ba’

bik’ídazhdeezdiz

pl-3DO-4dpl-wrap.it.around.it.P

bik’ízhdídis

3DO-4-wrap.it.around.it.I

Ch’ééh jiyáán náshdį́į́h ’áádóó tó náshdlį́į́h.

watermelon again-1-eat.R then water again-1-drink.R

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.

formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I past
listenloadingplaying

I used to live in Gallup. I lived formerly in Gallup.                                                                                                                                                                        

Chidí 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.NI

Chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?

car-Q 3-with 4-exist.NI or 2 maybe car 2-with 4-exist.NI
listenloadingplaying

Does s/he have a car or do you have a car?

Da’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?

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

Da’ Ron saad nináánéíłkaah ya’?

Q Ron word 3-3-investigate.I Q

dajishbéézh

pl-3DO-4dpl-boil.it.P

dajííłhį́į́’

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.(snow).P

Damóogo nihaa náájídááh.

Sunday.GO us.return 4-again.visit.F
listenloadingplaying

Visit us again on Sunday.

daohshóóh

pl-3DO-2dpl-brush/comb.it.I

deidíníłkaad

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

Dichin nínízin ya’?

hungry 2-want.NI Q

dideidííłjéé’

pl-3DO-3dpl-start.fire.P

Díkwíí jį́ nanilnish?

how.many-Q day 2-work.I

Doo choshijooł’į́į́’ le’ ’át’éégóó sh hóyéé’.

NEG 3-1-make.use.O proof.against-NEG 1-with lazy.NI

Doondó’ ’ółta’ da.

NEG 3-go.school.NI NEG

haa nízahdę́ę́’ hoolzhiizh

listenloadingplaying

for how long

hadanoołchaad

pl-3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

Halah doo bííghah jiztį́į da.

opposite.sibling NEG 3-beside 4-lay.O NEG
listenloadingplaying

Do not lay beside your brother or sister.

Hatáaldi 'iikááh 'atah 'ajóle’.

ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.O
listenloadingplaying

One wants to take part in the sandpainting at the ceremony.

Hái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa lá?

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

(I wonder) who made this boat?

Háágóósh díníyá?

where-to-Q 2-go.I

K’aa’ísh ’aní’á biyaa doodago daats’í báhátis ’ayiist’oh ?

arrow-Q bridge 3-under or perhaps 3-over 3-3-shot.P

Neel’ą́ą le’.

term-3-reach.up.to.NI LE’
listenloadingplaying

I wish water to reach (my stomach).

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.P

Nichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.

stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t do bad stuff!

nidííleeł

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

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

2-auntie 3-house-toward 2-run.F and there-at baby 3-to 2-care.CI FUT

Nizhónígo ha’íí’ą́ yę́ędą́ą́’ sxíiłgo da’ségis.

beautiful sunrise past quickly pl-3-1-wash.P

Ronshą’ saadísh neiiłkaah?

Ron-Q word-Q 3-3-investigate.I

What about Ron, is he investigating words? / Is Ron studying words (too)?

She’abe’ sits’ą́ą́’ wóódlą́ą́’ lágo.

1-milk 1-from 3-2-drink.O LÁGO

Shilééchąą’í yázhí shikéé’ yildlosh ńt’éé’ hashtł’ish yiih yildloozh.

1-dog little 1-behind 3-walk.Prog past mud 3-into 3-walk.P
listenloadingplaying

My puppy went into the mud as he trotted along behind me.

Shiye’ 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.P
listenloadingplaying

I loaned my son to his grandfather to help him and he just kept him.

T’áadoo hoshíníkéhé.

T’ÁADOO 2-scold.NI-Í

T’áá ’ákódí na’ach’ąą’ígíí bee nihił hweeshne’.

just here.at 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ 3-by.means.of 2du-with 1-tell.P

That is all I have to say about the picture.

Tsékooh góyaa tł’óół bee ’adanásh’nah.

canyon areal-down 3-with 1-climb.down.R
listenloadingplaying

I climb down into the canyon with a rope.

Tsxį́įłgo łees’áán ádíílííł; nimásání nihaa yíghááh!

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

yidíníłkaad

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

yik’íididis

3DO-3-wrap.it.around.it.I

Yiską́ągo ’azee’ííłíní niwoo’ yideeshnish doo.

tomorrow doctor 2-teeth 3-2-work.F will.be
listenloadingplaying

Tomorrow the doctor will begin working on your teeth.

yíníyą́ą́’

3DO-2-eat.it.P

ʼAzhishgóó, sis łigaii shaʼ díílééł.

dance-to 1-go.F belt silver 1-borrow3-lend.SFO.F