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

Yadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.

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

I am cutting the can open.

’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ shichidí tsé bik’ą́ą́h yíłbą́ą́z.

yesterday 1-car rock 3-against 3-run.P
listenloadingplaying

I ran my car against a rock yesterday.

’Asdzą́ą́ t’ah doo naalyéhé bá hooghangóó dighááh da.

woman still NEG trading.post-to 3-walk.I NEG

’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.

’Ałchíní ’ólta’di t’áá ’áhą́dígo ’ahąąh naazį́.

boy school-at just together-GO abreast pl-3-stand.SPN

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

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

-niiyé

for the purpose of, to

Bik’idah’asdáhí yikáá’ dah neezdá.

chair 3-on up 3-sit.P

She sat down on a chair.

Bíla’ashdla’ii wolyéii bił dah nahaz’ą́ą́góó t’áá ’ał’ąą bizaad dahólǫ́.

3-fingers-five-NOM 3-be.called-NOM 3-with static areal-3-govern.P-toward just separate 3-language pl

Ch’iyáán bá hooghandi béeso bideená naashnish.

food.store-at money 3-in-exchange.for 1-work.CI

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

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

Chidí bitiin ’ałts’ą́ą́hjí ’ańt’i’.

car 3-road both-side fence
listenloadingplaying

There’s a fence on both sides of the highway.

Chidí 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.P

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

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

Da’ chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?

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

Damóogo ’áłah ’aleeh ’áko ’áadi nihaadíínááł.

Sunday 3-gather 3-be so there-at 1-Pl-to-2-arrive.F

Diné nihaikaíígíí nihizaad nideilkaahgo ayóó bił danilį́ ’áko ndi doo ’akót’ée da.

people 1dpl-3-come.pl.P-COMP 1dpl-language pl-3-1-investigate.I-GO very 3-with pl-3-be.NI even so NEG thus-3-be.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

The people who came to visit us believe that we are doing a great job investigating our language, but that is not the case.

Díí na’ach’ąą’ígíí ’éí Diné bee ’iiná shį́į́ wolyé.

TOP 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ Navajo 3-by.means.of living perhaps 3-name.NI
listenloadingplaying

I think this picture is about how Navajos live.

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.

prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.P

Doo yéé shaa yánłti’go ndiséts’ą́’į́.

NEG fear 1-to 2-talk.DI-GO 2-1-hear.P
listenloadingplaying

It’s a good thing I didn’t hear you talking about me.

Dz bikáa’di yas łą́.

mountain 3-on.top-at snow a.lot

There is a lot of snow on the mountain.

Dził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.

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

He’s deer hunting over near the mountain.

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

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

Dííshjį́įdi, tsididįįjį’ nihinaanish dahólǫ́ǫgo biniinaa ’ádaa ńdeii’nah.

these-days-at overwhelmed 2pl-work pl-there-exist.NI-GO 3-because RFLX pl-1dpl-forget.R
listenloadingplaying

Today, we don't take care of ourselves because we are overwhelmed with work.

Gohwééh ła’ shaa níkaah.

coffee some 1-to 2-give.OC.I
listenloadingplaying

Give me some coffee.

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

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

How can I get back onto the main road?

Haidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo sh yá’át’éeh da.

winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past NEG 1-with 3-good.N NEG

Hatáaldi ’iikááh ’atah ’ajóle’.

ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.O
listenloadingplaying

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

Háadi niyaa hazlį́į́’?

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

Where did you grow up?

Hádą́ą́’sh Mary ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

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

Jake ’ólta’ b bóhoneedzą́.

Jake education 3-with 3-possible.NI
listenloadingplaying

Education is possible for Jake.

Jáan Mary bił baghan.

John Mary 3-with 3-live
listenloadingplaying

Mary lives with John.

Mósí dóó łééchąą’í baníłtsoodii, bił dahózhǫ́.

cat dog 3-1-feed.P-and 3-with PL-3-happy.NI

Mósí yázhí chizhtah yiyah yílwod.

kitten woodpile.among 3-under 3-run.P
listenloadingplaying

The kitten ran under the woodpile.

Na’nízhoozhídi yíníyáago t’áá ła’ bił ’ahóókááh lágo.

Gallup-at 2-go.P-GO see.to.it some 3-with 3pl-meet.O NEG

Naadą́ą́’ t’ah doo dadiigááhdą́ą́’ deiiti’.

corn before pl-3-leaves.turn.white.I-past pl-3-1dpl-harvest.P
listenloadingplaying

We harvested the corn before the leaves turned white.

Náhookǫsdę́ę́’go níyol.

north.fromGÓ 3-wind.NI

Shichídí sh hooghangóó dídzį́į́s.

1-car 1-for hogan-GÓÓ start-3-2-tow.I

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 ła’í ndi béeso t’áado shaa yiní’ą́ą da.

1-mother not.even.one money just.NEG to.me 3-3-give.P NEG.

Shí ’éí t’áá naanishdóó kingóó déyá.

I TOP just work-from town-to 1-go.I

Shí 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.P
listenloadingplaying

My father drove (a wagon) up out of the canyon with me walking alongside.

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.

Tó bąąhjí naa’ołí k’idíílá.

water 3-beside-side bean 3-1-plant.P
listenloadingplaying

I planted the beans alongside the stream.

Tó háálínídi ’ahéédidiit’ashałní’ní’ą́ągo.

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

Let’s meet at the spring at noon.

Tsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąsgo shi’dizhchį́.

wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I-GO 1-pass-born.P

Tł’éédą́ą́’ ni’shéłhaazh.

night-past 1-rest.P

Łééchąą’í ’ałch’į’ yiil’aad.

dog RECIP-toward 3-1du-sic.P
listenloadingplaying

We sicced the dogs on each other.

Łíí’ bił naaldloosh doo ndi yééhósin da.

horse 3-with 3-run.CI NEG but 3-3-know.NI NEG