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’.
| Sha’áłchíní | bá | 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:
| Chidí | k’asdą́ą́’ | shił | ’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:
| 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:
| 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
’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.
lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CIYadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.
can 3-through-1-cut.open.I’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’óó ’ahodiyeeshdláałgo biniinaa ’ólta’di doo hah níyáa da.
morning-past with pretend-1-move.Prog-GO 3-because school-at NEG quickly 1-go.P NEGI was late getting to school this morning because I dilly-dallied on the way.
bookmark- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morningfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -dą́ą́’ past time
- time
- t’óó withfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -niinaa because of, on account of
- -di at
- location
- hah, hahí fast, quickfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
’Asdzą́ą́ t’ah doo naalyéhé bá hooghangóó digháah da.
woman still NEG trading.post-to 3-walk.I NEGThe woman has not gone to the store yet.
bookmark’Aseezį́ binaaltsoos biníkádinishchid.
gossip 3-paper 3-through-1-stick.finger.P’At’ééd bizhé’é kingóó yił yi’ash.
girl 3-father town-toward 3-with 3-go.du.Prog’Atiin bąąhgóó béésh halne’é tsin bá ’adaaz’á.
road 3-along.side telephone pole 3-for 3Pl-stand.upright.SPN’Awéé’ bimá bit’ah sitį́.
baby 3-mother 3-undercover 3-lying.SPN’Ałní’ní’ą́ą́dą́ą́’ t’ah doo da’adánígóó dishááhgóó ch’iyáán ’ásdįįd.
noon-past still NEG cafeteria-to 1-go.I-NEG food 3-dwindle.NIThe cafeteria ran out of food at noon before I could go there.
bookmark- ałní’ní’ą́ noonfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -dą́ą́’ past time
- t’ah doo góó beforefind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- dishááh start to gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ádįįh dwindle, become extinctfind in Navajo Verb Modes
-k’i
-zánághah
Baa tįįh náádiikah.
3-for achieve 1dpl-walk.pl.IBeehaz’áanii bik’ehgo baa hwiiníst’įįd.
laws 3-according-to-GO 3-about 3-discuss.PCh’ééh déyáago hooghangóó nááshdááł.
in.vain 1-go.sg.P-GO home-to 1-return.ProgI am tired and I’m on my way home.
bookmark- ch’ééh in vain, futilely, tryfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- déyá gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nááshdááł return, go backfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Chaha’oh biyaagi ni’dííłbąs.
shade.house 3-under-at 2-drive.FChidí daats’í bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ niísh chidí nee hólǫ́?
car maybe 3-with 4-exist.N or 2-Q car 2-with 4-exist.NIChidí naat’a’íísh hooghan yikáá’góó ch’ét’a’ doodaii’ dził bąąhgóósh ch’ét’a’?
airplane-Q hogan 3-over-along 3-fly.P or mountain 3-side-along-Q 3-fly.PChidí ’ániidígíí beít’ą́ą́ léi’ ’áyąąńda bił dahózhǫ́.
car new-ÍGÍÍ 3-to-3-pass-bring.SRO.P since no.wonder 3-with pl-3-good.NIDa’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?
Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.PDibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.
sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.PDibé ła’ yóó’ ’íínilgo k’adę́ę ’e’e’aahgo ch’ééh bíká naanááshwoł.
sheep some away 3-1-lose.P-GO almost evening in.vain 3-after 1-run.around.PDiné nishłį́į ndi Bilaagana bizaad t’éí bee yáshti’.
Navajo 1-be.NI but English language only 3-with 1-speak.IDíí chąą’ shą’ háádę́ę́’ niníyęęzh?
this manure-Q where-from 3-ooze.PDíí tł’óół tsin bik’ídísdis.
this rope stick 3-on-3-1-wrap.IDlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.
prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.PDoo nił bééhózín da lá jiní. T’áá káhí la’ bił hóolne’!
NEG 2-with 3-knowledge.CI NEG disc 4-say.P just never some 3-with 2-tell.FYou don’t know about this. Just don’t say anything!!
bookmark- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- lá jiní let’s play like, let’s pretend thatfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- la’ puzzlementfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -ił with
Dził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.
mountain 3-close.to-at deer 3-3-hunting.CIHáadi lá lį́į́’ naakai?
where-at Q horse 3-walk.pl.IHádą́ą́’ ’áłtsé chidí naat’a’í nił nast’a’?
When past first airplane 2-with 3-fly.PHáí lá kintahgóó shił adoołbąs?
who-Q town-to 1-me 3-drive.FHáidíígíísh łį́į́ʼ bił deeshdlóózh?
which.one-ÍGÍÍ-Q horse 3-with 3-crawl.FMary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?
Mary when-past-Q school-from 3-return.PNa’nízhoozhídę́ę́’ shíká bił ’oolwoł.
Gallup 1-for 3-with 3-drive.INaaltsoos ’ásaayázhí bikáá’ dah síłtsóós.
paper bowl 3-on up 3-FFO.CINá’oolkiłí sits’ą́ą́’ tanáóó’nił lágo!
watch 1-away 3-1-take.apart.O don’tNiłísh bééhosin doodaii’ biłísh bééhozin?
2-with-Q 3-know.CI or 3-with-Q 3-know.CIDo you know or does s/he know?
bookmark- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -ił with
- accompaniment
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- doodaii’ particle orfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
Sáanii ’éétsoh bi’oh ’ádaníłtso.
women coat 3-less.than indef-Pl-3.size.NShimá sitsilí bibéésh bee hane’í bits’ą́ą́’ náádii’ą́.
1-mother 1-little.brother 3-cellphone 3-away.from 3-3-return.PShimósí yázhí tsin yąąh dah sidáago hádésh’na’ ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą hadanáálwod.
1-cat little tree 3-on up 3-sit.SPN-GO 1-climb.P but after.all 3-run.down.PShí t’óó ’ááłk’iis yisháałgo shizhé’é tsékooh gódeg ha’asbą́ą́z.
1 merely SUP-alongside 1-go.Prog-GO 1-father canyon areal-up up-3-drive.PShíká ’anánílwo’ doodaii’ t’áadoo shaa nánít’íní.
1-for 3-run.R or just-neg 1-to 2-1-bother.ISitsóí yik’i sidáhí béé’éshdlééh.
1-grandchild 3-on 3-sit.SPN-nom 3-1-copy.IT’áá ’ałkéé’ ’azee’ííł’íní bił yah ’adahaadzá.
just one-behind-another doctor 3-with 3-in 1Dist-4-go.IT’áá ’ákódí na’ach’ąą’ígíí bee nihił hweeshne’.
just here.at 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ 3-by.means.of 2du-with 1-tell.PT’áá ’aaníí ’aníigo t’éiyá doo bikee’ saad si’ą́ą da.
truly 3-say.I-GO only NEG 3-behind word 3-sit.SPN NEGIf he’s telling the truth there will be nothing to say about it later.
bookmark- t’éiyá onlyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- t’áá ’aaníí trulyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- doo expresses negationfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -kéé’ behind, following
- Si-Perfective Neuter (SPN)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- da expresses negationfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon




