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’éédísh yiniłtsą́?

girl-Q 3-2-see.P

’ayóo

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ dahane’ yę́ę k’ad ’índa baa nídahane’.

past pl-3.tell.story.I old now until.now 3-for pl-3.tell.story.I

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ tóniteel bąąhgóó tádííyáhę́ę bénááshnii’.

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

’Áádóó haa hóót’įįd?

and.then how ho-happened.P

’Ádihodideesht’ih sha’shin nisingo t’áadoo ’atah haasdzíi’ da.

RFLX-1-get.into.trouble.F perhaps 1-think.CI-GO NEG among 1-say.P NEG

’áko shį́į́

CONJ

’Íídeeshwosh daats’í doodaii’ saad naalkaah bindeeshnish.

1-sleep.F maybe or word research 3-1-work.F

Baa dahwiinít’ínígíí sh bééhodoozįįł nissin.

agenda 1-with 3-about-ho-find.out.F 3-1-want.NI

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

dajitł’ó

pl-3DO-4dpl-weave.it.I

Dibé hólǫ́ǫgo ła’ níjół’ah laanaa.

sheep exist-GO some 4-butcher.O hope
listenloadingplaying

I wish we could butcher, if we had sheep.

didííłhįh

3DO-2-melt.it.F

didííłjéé’

3DO-1-start.fire.P

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ba’áán góne’ yahadeeshnii’go dlǫ́’áyázhí shishhash.

prairie.dog 3-hole into down1-3.to.reach.out.hand prairie.dog-little 1-bite.P
listenloadingplaying

I stuck my hand into a prairie dog hole and a little prairie dog bit me.

Doo choshijooł’į́į́’ le’ ’át’éégóó sh hóyéé’.

NEG 3-1-make.use.O proof.against-NEG 1-with lazy.NI

Doo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.

NEG contrary town-toward 2-start.go.P NEG 1-think.CI

Doo ńdeeshdááł da, háálá kwii doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.

NEG 1-return.F NEG because here NEG 1-with 3-good.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

I won’t come back because I don’t like it here.

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.

doozhǫǫgo

Ha’át’íísh nizhé’é nahideeshnih nízin.

what-Q 2-father 3-1-buy.F 3-want.NI

Haa néelą́ą́’ nidá’ák’eh?

how 3-much.N 2-cornfield

haa nízahdę́ę́’ hoolzhiizh

listenloadingplaying

for how long

Haa’ísh neezgai?

where-Q 3-hurt.N
listenloadingplaying

Where does it hurt?

hadeeshtééł

3DO-1-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hadííníłbįįd

3DO-2-fill.something.up.with.it.P

Haidą́ą́’ shich’ą́ą́h ’ííchííl na’nishkaadgo.

winter-past 1-protect 3-snow.P 3-1-herd.CI-GO

haidééłbįįd

3DO-3-fill.something.up.with.it.P

Hatáálgóó déyáago shikélchí t’óó tsxį́į́łgo bił ’ada’shéshiizhgo ńdaséłkad.

ceremony-1-go-Fut-GO 1-moccasin merelyhurry.GO 3-with 3-1-pierce-GO 3-1-sew-P
listenloadingplaying

Since I was going to a ceremony, I hurriedly pierced holes in my moccasins and sewed them.

hayííłgizh

3DO-3-cut.it.out.P

Háágóó lá díníyá?

where-to.Q 2-go.F

K’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.

now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.I

Mary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

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

Mosi ałts’si ndi nidaaz.

cat small but 3-heavy.NI

The cat is small but it is heavy.

Niłísh bééhosin doodaii’ biłísh bééhozin?

2-with-Q 3-know.CI or 3-with-Q 3-know.CI

Ronshą’ saadísh neiiłkaah?

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

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

Sha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.

1-children Shiprock-to 3-with 1-drive.Prog

Shichá si’ą́ągo ’iiłhaazh.

1-huddle 3-put-SPN-GO 1-sleep.P
listenloadingplaying

I went to sleep huddled up into a ball.

Shighanídóó ’e’e’aah bich’ijígo shádí bighan.

1-home-from west 3-in.the.direction.of older.sister 3-dwell.N
listenloadingplaying

My sister’s place is westward from mine.

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 bighangóó náshdáahgo łééchąą’í baná’ástso’.

1-mother 3-house-toward again-1-go-GO dog 3-again-1-feed.R

Shí shighan nihígíí bilááh ’áhoníltso.

1 1-house 2-Comp 3-beyond areal-big.NI
listenloadingplaying

My house is more spacious than yours.

Sitsóí yik’i sidáhí béé’éshdlééh.

1-grandchild 3-on 3-sit.SPN-nom 3-1-copy.I

T’áá ’ałkéé’ ’azee’ííł’íní bił yah ’adahaadzá.

just one-behind-another doctor 3-with into 1Dist-4-go.I

T’áá hooshch’į’ déshnish.

suddenly 1-start.work.P

Tówónaanígóó ch’aazhdóya’ laanaa.

overseas-to 3-1-travel.O hope
listenloadingplaying

I wish to travel overseas.

Tsinaabąąs t’éiyá bee ch’aa nida’asdee’ ha’níigo dahane’.

wagon only 3-it travel pl-3-go.P 3-say-GO.NI pl-3-tell.P
listenloadingplaying

We heard people traveled by wagon long ago.

Yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi háadish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?

tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CI

yiłhį́į́h

3DO-3-melt.it.(snow).I

Ániid iiyą́ą́ ’áko ndi t’ah dichin nisin.

Recently 1-eat.P even then still 3-hungry 1-want.NI