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

ʼAshiiké chahaʼoh ʼádeidoolííł, ʼatsʼos bee ʼazhish biniiyé.

boy-pl shade-house 3-3-pl-build.F feather 3-means-of dance 3-reason

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.

morning-past NEG 1-eat.P-NEG.GO because soon hunger 1-3-kill.P

’Aoo’, shí dó’ t’áá ’ákwíinisin.

yes 1 also just 1-think.so.NI
listenloadingplaying

Yes, I think so too.

’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?

-ghá

-tsi

listenloadingplaying

first, ahead, in front in space or time

Bibee’eldǫǫh haiyííłhan’ii’ ’bįįh yił ’adeesdǫǫh.

gun 3-jerk.out.P-and deer 3-shot.P

Chidí bąąh dah sitání bąąh dah shishtįįh ńt’éé’ ’ił adaagizí doo ’éí da lá.

car license plate 3-1-put. I SSO past Sup-with screw neg that neg Disc.
listenloadingplaying

I started to put the license plate on my car when I found out I had the wrong kind of nut and bolt (or screws).

Chidí binaashnish yę́ę ’áádóó t’óó ni’ kwíishłaa.

vehicle 3-1-work.CI past and.then just stop 1-stop.P
listenloadingplaying

I was working on the vehicle and then I just let it be.

Chidí kǫ́ǫ́ ndaajeehígíí t’áá ’ániidígo dahodeezlįįd.

car here 3-run.pl.I-COMP just recently pl-3-become.P
listenloadingplaying

These cars that run around here just recently came into existence, cars are a recent invention.

Chidíísh bee hólǫ́ ’éí doodago ni daats’í ła’ nee hólǫ́?

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

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

Chʼééh jiyáán doo łikan da, wóóyą́ą́ʼ.

watermelon NEG sweet NEG 3-3-eat.O
listenloadingplaying

The watermelon does not taste good. Don´t eat it.

dadiidį́į́ł

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

deididínóołkał

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

Dibé tóógóó neeshkał.

sheep water-toward 3-1-herd.Prog

diilyį́į́’

3DO-1dpl-melt.it.P

Díigi ’át’éegoósh ’ájiił’įįh?

this-at 3-be-GO-Q SUP-4-do.P

Díí ’ashkii Bilagáana bizaad shá bíbiyiił’aah.

this boy English 3-language 3-2-teach.I
listenloadingplaying

Teach this boy English for me.

Díí jį́ ’áłchíní nááda’ołta’.

this day children again-pl-3-study.R
listenloadingplaying

Today, the children are in school again.

Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.

this tomorrow 3-2-read.F

doołhį́į́’

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.P

Haa néelą́ą́’ nidá’ák’eh?

how 3-much.N 2-cornfield

haa níldííl

listenloadingplaying

how large is it

haa nízahdę́ę́’ hoolzhiizh

listenloadingplaying

for how long

hadajishgizh

pl-3DO-4dpl-cut.it.out.P

hazhnííłchaad

3DO-4-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

Háadi niyaa hazlį́į́’?

where-at 2-under area-grow.P
listenloadingplaying

Where did you grow up?

jidííłhį́į́’

3DO-4-melt.it.P

k’adę́ę ... lágo

K’os jóhonaa’éí yich’ą́ą́h ’i’ííjool.

cloud sun 3-protect 3-drift.P
listenloadingplaying

A cloud moved in front of the sun.

Kǫ’ ’ayóigo bee n’deezdíín ndi doo shiníłdoi da.

fire very 3-with 3-sheds.light.P but NEG 1-3-warm.SPN NEG
listenloadingplaying

The fire gives lots of light, but it doesn’t warm me.

Kwe’é k’ad łe’esh’aah.

here now earth-1-put.into.I.SRO
listenloadingplaying

Now, I am putting it (SRO) into the ground here.

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

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

nitł’ó

3DO-2-weave.it.I

Níwe, naaltsoosgo yee' baa nitsíníkees!

stop paper-GO really 3-with 3-2-think.I
listenloadingplaying

Stop, think about the paper!

Níwe, t’óó bee nídinine’!

stop just 3-with 3-2-play.P
listenloadingplaying

Stop, you are just starting to play with it!

Níyolgo t’áá ’áko niishch’ił.

wind-GO immediately 3-blink.U
listenloadingplaying

When it’s windy, I usually blink.

Ronshą’ saadísh neiiłkaah?

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

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

Shá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’.

sun proportionate 1-swim.CI

Shich’ah tsékooh góyaa ’adah b ’ííyol.

1-hat gorge areal-down downward 3-with 3-blow.P

Shich’é’é bi’éé’ bá ’áshłéehgo naat’ą́hí hááłgizh.

1-daughter 3-clothes 3-for 3-1-make-I 1-GO fabric I-cut.P

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.

Shínaaí shikétł’á ’iiyilgo łį́į́’ bikáá’ hasis’na’.

1-older.brother 1-foot-bottom 3-3-boost.P-GO horse 3-top up-1-crawl.P
listenloadingplaying

My older brother boosted me and I got up on the horse’s back.

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.

Tooh ńlínígíí ha’naa shił ’adeezbą́ą́z ńt’éé’ tsinaabąąs nihits’ą́ą́’ k’é’éłtǫ’.

water river areal-across 1-with 3-drive.P past wagon 2dpl-away 3-break.P
listenloadingplaying

I started to ride across the river (by wagon) but it broke down on us.

Ts’aa’ t’áá nitsaaígíí bídin nishłį́.

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

Tsinaabąąs bikáá’dę́ę́’ t’áá ’ałkéé’ ’adahaago’ ndeii’néego.

wagon 3-top-from just one-after-another down-1Pl-fall.P 3Pl-play.CI-GO.CI

Tʼáadoo baa nitsinikeesí, tʼóó ’íízoh.

NEG 3-about 2-think.I just 2-write.Prog

Ąąh háá’á wolyéii k’ad doo ’asht’é’égóó bik’ee ntsinisdzá.

debt 3-extend.NP 3-be.called.NI now extremely 3-on.account.of 1-???? YÁ
listenloadingplaying

I’m really fed up with bills now.

ʼAwéé chʼídeeldloʼ; chʼiyáán bá ʼádaʼdoołííł dóó bá niʼdaʼdoonih.

baby 3-laugh.P food 3-for pl-3-2dpl-prepare.F and 3-for pl-3-2dpl-distribute.F