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

’At’ééd ’éí ch’iyáán ’ál’į́įgi łá’í nidi doo bił bééhózin da.

girl TOP food 3-make.NI-at one but 3-with 3-know.CI NEG

’Ahwééh bidáádít’áhí bikáá’ dah sí’aah.

coffee 3-lid 3-on up 3-SRO.CI

Put the lid on coffee pot.

’Ashkii yázhí bee’eldǫǫh yik’ee ’ádadeeznih.

boy little gun 3-on.account.of REFL-3-hurt.P
listenloadingplaying

The little boy hurt himself with the gun.

’At’ééd t’áá ’áhánídi ’ółta’ ’éí biniinaa doo hah dah nídiidáah da.

girl just far-at school TOP 3-cause NEG quickly up start-3-go.I NEG

’Atiingi chidí léi’ yiiłtsą́.

road-at car INDEF 3-1-see.P

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ shimá b na’nishkaadgo ’aghaa’ yisdizígíí dibé yázhí yichíihgo yizénéíłt’ih.

long ago 1-mother 3-with SUP-1-herd.I-GO wool 3-spin.P-ígíí lamb 3-birth.P-GO 3-neck-around-3-tie.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

’Ałní’ní’ą́ągo tó háálínídi ’ahéédidiit’ash.

noon-GO spring-at refl-1du-meet.F

’Ólta’dóó ’azee’ ’al’íníjį’ t’áá ná’ahanaad.

school-from hospital-to just long.time.pass.I

-’ąą

listenloadingplaying

beyond, on the other side, in addition to

-ba-

to the point of exhaustion, used up, completed

-dááh

listenloadingplaying

in front of, meeting, before, for

-ę́ę+-dą́ą́’ (yę́ędą́ą́’)

-k’eh

-na’

beside, at one’s side, in place of, waiting for

-niiyé

for the purpose of, to

-tah, -taa-, -ta-

listenloadingplaying

among, mixing; accompaniment;

Béésh ’áłts’ózí bee ’atsidí bee ’aháníłne’.

wire hammer 3-with 3-1-beat.P
listenloadingplaying

I beat the wire in two with a hammer.

Ch’ééh jiyáání hooghangóó dah dii’ą́ągo shee nahóółtą́.

watermelon home-toward up 3-1-move.SRO.P 1-with area-rain.P
listenloadingplaying

When I set out for home with the melon it rained on me.

Chidí sits’ą́ą́’ hashtł’ish yiih yilwodgo t’áá ch’į́į́góó ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd.

car 1-away mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO just fail in.vain 3-1-act.P

Damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ Yootóógóó niséyá.

Sunday past Santa.Fe-to 1-go.P

Dá’ák’ehdi t’ah ńt’éé’ t’óó ’ayóigo nahachagii bizhiin yijiłgo yiiłtsą́.

field-at still past many grasshoppers swarm 4-move.along.Prog-GO 3-1-see.P
listenloadingplaying

To my surprise, I saw a swarm of grasshoppers moving along a field.

Dibé nee hólǫ́, ya’?

sheep 2-with 3-exist.NI Q

Dichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.

hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P neg
listenloadingplaying

On account of famine conditions have become hopeless.

Díí dziłígíí shádi’ááh bich’ijígo ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąąd.

this mountain-Comp southward 3-toward-GO one-behind-another 3Pl-scatter.NP
listenloadingplaying

These mountains are strung out, one behind the other toward the south.

Dziłdę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł ńt’éé’ t’áá nihich’į’jį’ ’ásdįįd.

mountain-from areal-rain.Prg past just 1pl-toward-up.to 3-disappear.P

Gohwééh haa néeląą’ nee hólǫ́?

coffee how 3-much.N 2-with 4-exist.NI

Ha’át’éego lá ’íiyisíí ’atiinjį’ ’ańdeeshdááł lá?

how Q main road-up.to 1-back-on-go.sg.F DISC
listenloadingplaying

How can I get back onto the main road?

Ha’át’éegoshą’ t’áadoo ’azee’ál’į́į́góó nisíníyáa da?

why-Q NEG hospital-to 2-go.sg.P NEG

Ha’át’íí́sh baa hane’?

What Q 3-for be.told.CI

Hak’az bik’ee shíchį́į́h doo ’áháłchįįh da.

listenloadingplaying

My nose is numb with the cold.

Hatáaldi 'iikááh 'atah 'ajóle’.

ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.O
listenloadingplaying

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

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

Kintahdę́ę́’ łį́į́’ sh nááldlosh.

town-from horse 1-with 3-crawl.CI

Kóhoot’éédą́ą́’ dibé yázhí t’óó ’ahayóí hazlį́į́’. K’ad ’éí doo t'óó ’ahayói da.

last.year sheep baby a.lot 3-Pas-it.occured.P now this NEG a.lot NEG

Na’nízhoozhígóó chídí doo n dah didoolwoł da.

Gallup-to car NEG 2-with up start-3.drive.F NEG

Nanise’ígíí ch’iyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah yá’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.

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

Naʼahóóhai baa nídiikai ʼakó ʼakʼidahiʼniłí bee shí ʼadíílwoł.

rodeo 3-about 1pl-do.pl.F so saddle.blanket 3-with 1-after 2-help.F

Shicheii t’áá ’íiyisíí hastihgo biniinaa kónááhoot’éhí doo na’ádódlíi da.

1-grandfather very 3-old.N-GO because next.year NEG 3-expect.live.NP NEG
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Since my grandfather is very old he doesn’t expect to be alive next year at this time.

Shilééchąą’í yázhí táa’go tsásk’eh yiyaa ’ahííjéé’.

1-dog small three-comp bed 3-under 3-lie.pl.NP
listenloadingplaying

My three puppies are lying with part of their bodies extending under the bed.

Shimá sání lééchą́ą́’í tsin bee nidiiłhaal.

1-grandma dog stick 3-for 3-1-hit.P
listenloadingplaying

My grandma hit the dog with a stick.

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

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

Shiázh ’ółta’góó deeyáhą́ą doo yénániih da.

1-son school-to 3-go.P-past one but NEG 3-3-remember.CI NEG

Shí ’éí doo shił bééhozin da nít’éé’.

1-possessive TOP NEG 3-3-knowledge.CI NEG past

Shíká ’anilyeed, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

1-for 2-run.F Obi-Wan Kenob
listenloadingplaying

Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Shoo sitsóí, da’ Na’nízhoozhígóó n ’adeeswod?

hey 1-grandson Q Gallup-to 2-with 2-go.F

Shí Kinłánígóó shiłayóó ’ánízáád ’áko ndi sitsóí ’éí bił ’áyídí.

I Denver to 1-with 3-far.NI but 1-grandsongranddaughter 3-with nearby

Sitsilí shilááh ’áníłdáás.

1-brother 1-beyond 3-heavy.NI
listenloadingplaying

My younger brother is heavier than I am.

T’áá ká tó tsíídkáá’ dididííkááł.

NEG water charcoal-on start-3-2-put.OC.F
listenloadingplaying

Don’t put the water the charcoal (at some time in th future). (YM 1987: 314)

Yadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.

can 3-through-1-cut.open.I
listenloadingplaying

I am cutting the can open.