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

’Ahbínígo ch’éshááh ’áádóó sodiszįįh.

morning-GO 1-go.out.U and.then 1-pray.U

’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.

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ tóniteel bąąhgóó tádííyáhę́ę bénááshnii’.

long.ago ocean 3-beside-along around-1-past 3-1-remember.P

’Áko ’índa ’ákǫ́ǫ́ dah diiyá.

after.that to.there start 1.go.I

’Óshą́ą́’ laanaa’ dichin shi’niiłxį́.

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

-ni

bíhoosh’aah

1-learn.it.I

Ch’ééh déyá léi’ t’óó hanáshyį́į́h.

try 1.go.P since just 1.rest.I

Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghankáá’góó ch’ínísaal ’éí doodaii’ dziłghąą’góó daats’í?

airplane house-over-along over-3-fly.P TOP or mountain-attached-along perhaps

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

car 1-from mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO failure in.vain 1-act.P

Chidí t’ą́ą́’ nináníłbą́ą́z.

car just 3-1-reparked.R
listenloadingplaying

I backed in the car again.

daohshóóh

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

Dibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.

Sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.P

Dibé yázhí ła’ yóó’ ’ííyáá ńt’ę́ę́’ tsiyi’di bik’íníyá.

lamb one away 3-go.P past forest-at 3-find.it.P

didadiiljeeh

pl-3DO-1dpl-start.fire.I

Díí chizh shá ’ałk’íniishóósh.

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

Split these pieces of wood for me.

Díkwíí lá ninááhai?

how.many Q 2-winter

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ’akǫ́ǫ́ náájilwod.

Prairie Dog LOC-there It. 4-2-run.I
listenloadingplaying

The Prairie Dog went over there.

Doo kingóó diit’ash da.

NEG town-to 1dpl-go.du.Prog NEG

Doochǫǫł ’át’éego ha’éé’ bik’íhizhdizheeh dooleeł.

ridiculous 3-be.NI-GO 4-clothes 4-spit.P FUT
listenloadingplaying

It is ridiculous (intolerable) for a person to spit on his clothing.

Dził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.

Mountain 3-close.to-at deer 3-3-hunting.CI
listenloadingplaying

He’s deer hunting over near the mountain.

Dził bíchį́į́shk’ą́ą́h gódeg hoołtį́į́ł.

mountain 3-nose-against areal-up areal-rain.Prog
listenloadingplaying

It’s raining up on the point of the mountain.

díníilkaad

3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

Ha’át’éegoshą’ ’ayóo náníldzid?

why-Q very 2-fear.I

Haa néelą́ą́’ nidá’ák’eh?

how 3-much.N 2-cornfield

haa nízah

listenloadingplaying

how far is it, how much time

Haa’ísh neezgai?

where-Q 3-hurt.N

hadasoogeed

pl-3DO-2dpl-dig.it.out.P

Hastiin Nééz doo ’asht’é’égóó nihibéégashii yá doolnih.

Mr. Long extremely 1pl-cow 3-for 3-annoy.Prog

Hádą́ą́’sh Mary ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

when-past-Q Mary school-from 3-return.P

Háhgo lá Tséghá Hoodzánídi na’ahóóhai nitsaa’í ’áleeh?

When part Window Rock-at fair will occur.F
listenloadingplaying

When is the fair in Window Rock going to happen?

Háí shą’ bił nanilnish?

who Q 3-with 2-work.I

Hodíína’go deesháál.

in.a.while-GO go.sg.F

Jake ’ólta’ b bóhoneedzą́.

Jake education 3-with 3-possible.NI
listenloadingplaying

Education is possible for Jake.

jííłhį́į́’

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

Kintahgóó diit’ash.

town-to 1dpl-go.du.Prog

Mary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.

Mary 3-grandmother 3-for indef-between 3-talk.DI
listenloadingplaying

Mary is translating for her grandmother.

Naaltsoos bikáá’ na’aníshí bikáa’gi si’ą́.

book desk 3-on-at up 3-lie.SRO.SPN

Nibéézh bee hane’ doo ndi naalnish da.

2-cellphone NEG but 3-work.P NEG

Shi’éé’ kin bikáá’dóó hadah (or bidah, ’adah) ’ahé’ah.

1-clothes house 3-on-from areal-downward 3-1-toss.FFO.P

Shicheii t’áá sáhí ’átsą́ą́’ ’ałtso yoolghal --- doochǫǫł ’át’éego ’ajilghał dooleeł!

1-grandpa just himself rib whole 3-chew.P ridiculous 3-be.NI-GO SER-3-ate.DI FUT
listenloadingplaying

My grandfather ate the whole rib section by himself --- it’s absurd to eat like that!

Shidibé ’ąą’ dinót’į́į́ł laanaa ch’ééh nisin.

1-sheep expanse 3-increase.O wish in.vain 1-want.CI

Shighan bich’ą́ą́h łeeshch’ih désas.

1-hogan 3-protect ashes 3-1-strew.P
listenloadingplaying

I strewed ashes to protect my hogan.

Shilééch’ąą’í bits’ąą ńdínésht’į́į́’.

1-dog 3-away.from 1-hide.P
listenloadingplaying

I hid from my dog.

Shimá nitsii’ yiilch’ííł áádóó bíni’ t’áá ’ákót’ée dooleeł.

1-mom 2-hair 3-2-curl.I and.then let.be just it.is will.be.F
listenloadingplaying

Mom curl your hair and leave it that way.

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.

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh.

neg 2-oversleep.O

Tł’éédą́ą́, yá’át’ééhgo iiłhaaz. Night.last good.GO 1-sleep.P

Night.last good.GO 1-sleep.P

woshóóh

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

yik’íideezdiz

3DO-3-wrap.it.around.it.P