Introduction to Navajo Questions

Any competent speaker of any language will be able to form questions. This resource is a combined grammar and lexicon of Navajo questions. We provide a description of three kinds of questions along with glossed examples and audio recordings of them. We think this resource will be useful to students and teachers of this language, and to professional linguists within and outside Navajo communities.

We distinguish three distinct kinds of questions: Yes/no questions, Content Questions, and Alternative Questions. We treat Tag Questions as a subtype of Yes/no questions. For this project we draw on previous work by Fernald & Perkins (manuscript), Young & Morgan (1987), Young, Morgan & Midgette (1992), and others cited in References [link].

The three kinds of questions are exemplified below:
(1)
Da’ Na’nízhoozhígóó díníyá?
Q Gallup-to 2-go.F
Are you going to Gallup?
(A yes/no question)
(2)
Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?
Mary what 3-3-buy.P
What did Mary buy?
(A content question)
(3)
’Atsį́’ísh ’éí doodaii’ łóó’ísh nínízin?
meat-Q TOP or fish-Q 3-2-want.NI
Do you want meat or fish?
(An alternative question)

Example (1) is a yes/no question, which has ‛yes’ or ‛no’ as an answer. Questions like this are used to ask whether a particular statement is true or not. In this example, the statement being asked about is Na’nízhoozhígóó díníyá, which means ‛You are going to Gallup’

Content questions, like example (2), do not have simply ‛yes’ or ‛no’ as an answer. Rather than supplying a statement and asking whether it is true or not, they have the effect of providing a statement with some missing information, and they ask what that information is. In (2), the idea is that Mary bought something, and the question asks what that something is.

Alternative questions present the addressee with a choice between two or more options. Note that the English gloss in example (3) can be understood as either a yes/no question (if the intonation is rising on fish) or an alternative question (if the intonation is falling on fish). In Navajo, the sentence is an alternative question for which the appropriate answer will indicate which one of the choices is desired.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Abe’ yistiní hazhóó’ógo ni’ ninishtłeeh ńt’éé’ nááłhęęsh.

ice.cream carefully stop 3-1-stop.carry.I past 3-fall.P
listenloadingplaying

I was carefully putting down a scoop of ice cream when it fell.

’Ach’íí’ ła’ deeshį́į́ł.

rolled.intestine some 1-eat.F
listenloadingplaying

I will eat rolled intestines now and then.

’Ayóigo deesk’aaz --- ’áyąą (’áyaańda) dah dinítsiz.

terribly cold no.wonder up 2-shiver.NI
listenloadingplaying

It’s terribly cold - - no wonder you’re shivering.

’áko shį́į́

CONJ

’Áłah ’aleehgo ch’iyáán ’ádadiilnííł ’áko shį́į́ ’índa diné ndahidookah.

meeting-Comp food 3-1-Pl-make.F CONJ people 3-Pl.will-arrive.F

-de

-níká

bik’ízhdeezdiz

3DO-4-wrap.it.around.it.P

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’ééh jiyáán náshdį́į́h ’áádóó tó náshdlį́į́h.

watermelon again-1-eat.R then water again-1-drink.R

Ch’iyáán bá hooghandi béeso bideená naashnish.

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

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.

formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I past
listenloadingplaying

I used to live in Gallup. I lived formerly in Gallup.                                                                                                                                                              

dadidoołhįh

pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.F

dayííshóó’

pl-3DO-3dpl-brush/comb.it.P

Dichin nínízin ya’?

hungry 2-want.NI Q

Díkwíí shą’ ninááhai?

how.many Q 2-winter.NI
listenloadingplaying

How old are you?

Doo t’áá k’ad bá’ólta’í sélį́į’ da.

NEG just now teacher 1-be.SPN NEG
listenloadingplaying

I don’t want to become a teacher.

Doo yéé niiłtsán.

NEG fear .P. 2-1-see-NOM
listenloadingplaying

It’s a good thing I didn’t see you!

dooshą’ dó’ léi’ --- lá

dóó

CONJ

Gah bik’ee’ taah yí’áhígóó ’eesbąs.

rabbit foot water 3-into1-drive.Prog

ha’át’ééjí

which way

Ha’át’íí neidiyoołnih nínízin?

who 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NI

hadadoołbįįd

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

hadeiilgizh

pl-3DO-1dpl-cut.it.out.P

hanołchaad

3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).I

Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.

man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEG

háadi

listenloadingplaying

where at

Háadish nichidí nííníłbą́ą́z?

where-at-Q 2-car 3-2-.park.P

Hágoónee’, t’áá ’ákódí shahane’.

well that’s.all 1-story
listenloadingplaying

Well, that’s all I have to say.

jidíníłkaad

3DO-4-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

Kwe’éshą’ haa nízah nináhálzhishgo nináháltį́į́h?

here-Q how 3-long.N-up.to time.move.R-GO rain.R
listenloadingplaying

How often does it rain here?

Kwii nináá’nísh’aah.

here again-1-park.R
listenloadingplaying

Here is where I am parking again.

Mary yíká hoolne’.

Mary 3-for 3-call.P

Neeznáadigóó ’oolkiłgo ’áłah ’aleeh daaní.

ten.at-toward time-GO meeting pl-4-say.NI

nideiilyé

pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

Nizhe’é haash wolyé?

2-father what-Q 3-call.NI

What is your father’s name?

niłhį́į́h

3DO-2-melt.it.(snow).I

néishjį́į́h

R mode-1-become black, get sunburned.R

Shichá si’ą́ągo ’iiłhaazh.

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

Shicheii haastihgo łáháda ninálnish.

1-grandfather 3-become.old.P-GO seldom 3-work.R

Shichidí t’ahdii yá’át’ééh, ’át’ah ’índa ła’ ninááhideeshnih.

1-car still 3-good.N later one again-3-1-buy.F
listenloadingplaying

My car is stíll good so I won’t buy another one until later.

Shínaaí shíká ’adoolwoł nisin ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą t’áadoo níyáa da.

1-older.brother 1-for 3-run.F 1-want.NI but after.all NEG 3-come.sg.P NEG

T’ah ’ałk’idídą́ą́’ ’éí Diné tát’áá góyaa kéédahat’íinii t’éiyá díí tábąąhgóó bidáda’ak’eh naaznil ńt’éé’.

still quite.long.ago the people water-near areal-down pl-3-reside.NI-NOM only this water-edge-toward farm 3-lie.PlO.SPN past

yiigish

3DO-2-make.one.cut.in.it.I

yiishjį́į́h

1-become black, get sunburned.U

yiitł’ó

3DO-1dpl-weave.it.I

yishdlą́ą́’

3DO-1-drink.it.P

yishóóh

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

Yiską́ągo níléí hódahdi ’ołta’di ni’dí’néeshtįįł nissin.

tomorrow that up.at school-at 1-teach.F 1-want.CI