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
Yadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.
can 3-through-1-cut.open.I’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ shichidí tsé bik’ą́ą́h yíłbą́ą́z.
yesterday 1-car rock 3-against 3-run.P’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’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
Bik’idah’asdáhí yikáá’ dah neezdá.
chair 3-on up 3-sit.PBíla’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 plCh’iyáán bá hooghandi béeso bideená naashnish.
food.store-at money 3-in-exchange.for 1-work.CIChidí 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.Chidí bitiin ’ałts’ą́ą́hjí ’ańt’i’.
car 3-road both-side fenceChidí 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 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.PI did everything possible to get my car out of the mud.
bookmark- -ts’ą́ą́’ away from, separating from, derived from
- -iih into
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yilyeed go, runfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’áá ch’į́į́góó failurefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ch’ééh in vain, futilely, tryfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’asht’í actfind in Navajo Verb Modes
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.NIDa’ 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.NIDamóogo ’áłah ’aleeh ’áko ’áadi nihaadíínááł.
Sunday 3-gather 3-be so there-at 1-Pl-to-2-arrive.FDiné 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 NEGDíí na’ach’ąą’ígíí ’éí Diné bee ’iiná shį́į́ wolyé.
TOP 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ Navajo 3-by.means.of living perhaps 3-name.NIDlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.
prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.PDoo yéé shaa yáníłti’go ndiséts’ą́’į́.
NEG fear 1-to 2-talk.DI-GO 2-1-hear.PDził bikáa’di yas łą́.
mountain 3-on.top-at snow a.lotDził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.
mountain 3-close.to-at deer 3-3-hunting.CIDziłdę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł ńt’éé’ t’áá nihich’į’jį’ ’ásdįįd.
mountain-from areal-rain.Prg past just 1pl-toward-up.to 3-disappear.PDííshjį́įdi, tsididįįjį’ nihinaanish dahólǫ́ǫgo biniinaa ’ádaa ńdeii’nah.
these-days-at overwhelmed 2pl-work pl-there-exist.NI-GO 3-because RFLX pl-1dpl-forget.RGohwééh ła’ shaa níkaah.
coffee some 1-to 2-give.OC.IHa’át’éego lá ’íiyisíí ’atiinjį’ ’ańdeeshdááł lá?
how Q main road-up.to 1-back-on-go.F DISCHaidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo shił yá’át’éeh da.
winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past NEG 1-with 3-good.N NEGHatáaldi ’iikááh ’atah ’ajóle’.
ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.OHádą́ą́’sh Mary ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?
when-past-Q Mary school-from 3-return.PJake ’ólta’ bił bóhoneedzą́.
Jake education 3-with 3-possible.NIJáan Mary bił baghan.
John Mary 3-with 3-liveMósí dóó łééchąą’í baníłtsoodii, bił dahózhǫ́.
cat dog 3-1-feed.P-and 3-with PL-3-happy.NIMósí yázhí chizhtah yiyah yílwod.
kitten woodpile.among 3-under 3-run.PNa’nízhoozhídi yíníyáago t’áá ká ła’ bił ’ahóókááh lágo.
Gallup-at 2-go.P-GO see.to.it some 3-with 3pl-meet.O NEGNaadą́ą́’ t’ah doo dadiigááhdą́ą́’ deiiti’.
corn before pl-3-leaves.turn.white.I-past pl-3-1dpl-harvest.PShichídí shá hooghangóó dídzį́į́s.
1-car 1-for hogan-GÓÓ start-3-2-tow.IShilééchąą’í yázhí táa’go tsásk’eh yiyaa ’ahííjéé’.
1-dog small three-comp bed 3-under 3-lie.pl.NPShimá 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.IShí 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.PShį́į́dą́ą́’ na’niiłkaadgo t’áá ’áháníjį’ ’adeeshch’iłgo bik’ee deelyiz.
Tó bąąhjí naa’ołí k’idíílá.
water 3-beside-side bean 3-1-plant.PTó háálínídi ’ahéédidiit’ash ’ałní’ní’ą́ągo.
spring-at refl-1du-meet.F noon-GOLet’s meet at the spring at noon.
bookmark- Proposal, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- 1st person inclusive, Let’s!find in Navajo Imperatives
- -di at
- ’ałní’ní’ą́ągo at noonfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- 1st person inclusive, Let’s!find in Navajo Imperatives
- -di at
- ’ałní’ní’ą́ągo noon-atfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Tsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąsgo shi’dizhchį́.
wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I-GO 1-pass-born.PI was born when wagons were being used.
bookmark- -ee by means of
- instrumental
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- na’abąąs drivefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bi’dizhchį́ be bornfind in Navajo Verb Modes




