Introduction to Conjunctions

This Saad Dílzin lexicon illustrates various conjunctions, words like dóó (and), doodaii (or), ndi (but), háálá (because), and others. The term we use for a word that holds constituents together is conjunction (zaatą’ii). Conjunctions combine two or more sentences, phrases, or words into a single sentence or phrase. Each conjunction has its own meaning.

This lexicon is mainly focused on coordination, but it includes other expressions that can connect two sentences (like yę́ędą́ą́’). It is sometimes difficult to distinguish conjunctions from adverbs.

Sometimes adverbs appear with conjunctions, and they influence or modify the meaning of the conjunction.

Joe and Louise are conjoined in the sentence below to make a single phrase:

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(1)
Joe dóó Louise hataał.
Joe and Louise 3-sing.CI
Joe and Louise are singing.

The verb hataał, is intransitive, meaning that it can only have one argument:

(2)
Joe hataał.
Joe 3-sing.CI
Joe is singing.
(3)
*Joe Louise hataał.
Joe Louise 3-sing.CI
Joe Louise is singing.

Example (3) is only grammatical if Joe Louise is the name of a particular person. If we take the two names to refer to two different people then we have to connect them with the conjunction dóó (and). This is what happens in (1). When dóó is in the middle you know there are two people.

In Navajo, more than two phrases can be conjoined, but the verb will have the plural marker da in it when three or more actors are involved in the event being described:

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(4)
Joe dóó Louise dóó Kii dahataał.
Joe and Louise and Kii pl-3-sing.CI
Joe, Louise, and Kii are singing.

The examples, (1) and (4), above include conjunctions of noun phrases. Other phrases can be conjoined in the same way. Here are examples with postpositional enclitic phrases:

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(5)
Tsé’áándę́ę́’ dóó tsédáajį’ ninish’na’.
cave-from and cliff-to 1-crawl.P
I crawled out of the cave and to the edge of the cliff.

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(6)
Na’ná’á biyaa góne’ dóó báhátis ’adiłt’oh.
bridge 3-under below and 3-across 3-3-shoot.P
S/he shot them (e.g., arrows) over the bridge and under it.

Sentences can also be coordinated, and several different conjunctions can be used:

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(7)
Kin Łánídi naashnish háálá ’áadi shaghan.
Flagstaff 1-work.I because there 1-live.NI
I work in Flagstaff because I live there.

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(8)
Kin bighą́ą́’dę́ę́’ hadah ’adzííłhaal ndi t’áadoo ’ádadénih da.
house 3-to-from down 1-tumble.P but NEG RFLX-1-hurt.P NEG
I tumbled off the housetop but I didn’t get hurt.

The table below shows the expressions in this lexicon, except that the complementizer -go is listed in the Adverbs lexicon [link]. This list appears in Young & Morgan (1987:23-24).

Navajo English Is the expression a coordinating conjunction? categories that can be conjoined
dóó ‘and’/‘and then’ yes clause, NP, PP, EP
’áádóó ‘and then’ yes clause
’áko ‘so, so that, so then’ yes clause
’áko ’índa ‘when, then’ yes clause
’áko ndi ‘even so, even then’ yes clause
’áko shį́į́ ‘then maybe/ then probably’ yes clause
’áko shį́į́ ’índa ‘then only’ yes clause
doodago ‘or’ yes clause, NP, PP, EP?
doodaii’ ‘or’ yes clause, NP, PP, EP?
-go no clause, NP
háálá ‘for, because’ yes clause
-ii’ ‘and, and thereupon’ yes clause
’índa ‘and only then’ no clause
léi’ ‘because’, ‘inasmuch as’ or ‘in view of the fact that’ yes clause
ndi ‘but’ yes clause
’azhą́…ndi ‘even though, despite the fact that, notwithstanding’ yes (or else ’azhą́ is an adverb and ndi is a conjunction) clause
ńt’éé’ past maybe clause
yę́ędą́ą́’ past no clause
NP
noun phrase
PP
postpositional phrase
EP
postpositional enclitic phrase

With coordination, two phrases have the same status. With subordination, one clause modifies the other. In this way, they are different. When there are two clauses and -go appears in the first, the two become one sentence. Then the first clause modifies the second.

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(9)
Shilééchąą’í bił na’nishkaadgo jooł bá ’abíńjíshhałgo yikéé’ náádiilwo’.
1-dog 3-with 1-herd.CI ball 3-for 3-1-bat.R-GO 3-after 3-run.R
When I’m out herding with my dog I bat fly balls for him and he chases them.

The first clause modifies the second by describing its reference time. A range of interpretations for -go is possible. In the following example, the -go clause is understood as describing the cause for the main clause:

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(10)
’Ádihodideesht’ih sha’shin nisingo t’áadoo ’atah haasdzíi’ da.
Joe dóó Louise dóó Kii dahataał.
I didn’t say anything because I thought I might get myself into trouble.

Examples of clauses subordinated using -go can be found in the Adverbs lexicon [link].

Some observations

Our understanding is that -go is a complementizer, sometimes called subordinating conjunction in traditional grammar (we follow Schauber 1975 [link] in concluding this).

When clauses are coordinated, a conjunction appears in place of -go. Ńt’éé’ can also take the place of -go. We take it that it can be either a conjunction or a complementizer. (Occasionally, it can appear along with -go, suggesting that it could be an adverb as well!)

Some of the expressions in this lexicon can only appear when -go appears on the first clause. These expressions are likely to be adverbs.

Concerning ’azhą́…ndi, we have already concluded that ndi is a conjunction. We could analyze ’azhą́ as an adverb, or we could consider ’azhą́…ndi to be a two-part conjunction, similar to either…or.

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.

morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG 3-because soon hunger 1-3-kill.I

’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.

lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CI

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ dahane’ yę́ę bíneeshdlį́įgo yíłta’.

long.ago pl-story past 3-1-admire.I-GO 3-1-read.P

’Ałts’ísígo nihich’į́’ hadeesdzih.

3-small.NI-GO 2du-to 1-speak.F

’áko ndi

CONJ
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even so, even then

’Ákǫ́ǫ́ shił díí’ash.

there 1-with 2sg-go.du.F

’Áshįįh Bii’ Tóógóó náádísdzáago dziłghą́ą́’ hanáádeesh’nah.

Salt.Lake.City-toward again-1-go.F-GO mountain-back again-1-climb.R

’Átséétł’éédą́ą́’ lą’í nahoołtą́.

before-last.night many around-3-rain.P
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It rained hard the night before.

-tsé

Bee nahaldzoohí yah ’adíítį́į́ł. Da’ yah 'ííńtą́?

broom in 3-2-bring.F.SSO Q in 3.2.bring.P.SSO

Bik’os gónaa ’ałch’į’ yiyiissił nahalin.

3-neck around toward.each.other 3-3-grab.I seem.to.appear

bik’ídédiz

3DO-1-wrap.it.around.it.P

Dah díníilghaazhísh ’íilnilaa?

fry.bread-Q 3-2-make.P

Dibé yah ánádanołkaad!

sheep inside semelit-pl-2pl-gather.R

Díkwíí shą’ ninááhai?

how.many-Q 2-winter.NI

Doo ’ííłta’go biniinaa t’áá ’ałtsojį’ t’áá shídin hazlį́į́’.

neg 1-go.to.school.P-GO 3-because every-up.to just 1-without 1-become.P
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I got left out on everything because I did not go to school.

Dził bíchį́į́shk’ą́ą́h gódeg hoołtį́į́ł.

mountain 3-nose-against areal-up areal-rain.Prog
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It’s raining up on the point of the mountain.

Gohwééh doo ndi łikan da.

coffee NEG but 3-taste-good.NI NEG

haa + Neuter V

how / what V. The ’h’-expressions formed with ’haa’ plus a neuter verb are used to pose questions about “physical characteristics, quantity, and degree”.

haa’í

Haashíyee’ ’ahíłká ’ańdiijah.

let’s.see really each.other-for together-1du-run.pl.F
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Let’s cooperate with one another and see what happens.

Haaʼísh niʼnis´bąąs?

where-Q 3-1-park.F

hadíníilchał

3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

Hahgosh Daniel hidilníísh?

when-GO-Q Daniel 3-start.work
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When does Daniel go to work?

hanii

hazhdoołtééł

3DO-4-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hazhnííłchaad

3DO-4-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

Há’át’íísh hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?

what-Q man and girl 3-3-make.P

Háadi lá lį́į́’ naakai?

where-at Q horse 3-walk.pl.I

Háí dahoneesná, Kinłánídę́ę́’ ’Óola yee ’ádadójíhígíí doodago Gah Bikee’ Taah Yí’áhídę́ę́’ Hado yee ’ádadójíhígíí daats’í?

who pl-3-win.P Denver-from nugget 3-with RFLX-pl-4-call.NI-nom or Florida-from heat 3-with RFLX-pl-4-call.NI-nom perhaps

Háísh tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?

who-Q boat 3-3-make.P

Kin Łánídiísh ’éí doodago Bee’eldííldahsinildi daats’í naniná?

Flagstaff-at-Q TOP or Albuquerque-at perhaps 2-go.around.CI

Na’nízhoozhígóó deeyá, ya’?

Gallup-toward 2-go.sg.F Q

nanilé

3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

Nichidí háadishą’ nííníłbą́ą́z

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

Nichxǫ’ báhádzid.

stop 3-P-be.dangerous
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Stop, it is a bad thing!

nijiskáá’

3DO-4-investigate.it.P

nisiilyá

3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.P

Nisneez sélį́į’go shicheii nahałáhági ’át’éego nahashłáa doo nisin.

1-tall.NI 1-become.P-GO 1-grandfather 3-perform.ceremony.CI-similar.to 1-perform.ceremony.CI future 3-want.NI
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When I get big I want to conduct ceremonies just like my grandfather.

niłbéézh

3DO-2-boil.it.I

Níwe, tʼáádoo łééchąąʼí nánítałʼí.

stop NEG dog 3-2-kicking.R.NEG

Shikéédę́ę́’ naa hodoolzhish.

1-behind-from 2-passing become.F

Shitah honeezgaigo, doo naashnish da dooleeł.

1-body 3-pain.P-GO NEG 1-work.I NEG 3-become.F
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I am sick; I will not work today.

Shizhé’é bichíditsoh yaa naashnish

1-father 3-truck-large on.it 3-3-worked.P 1-father 3-truck-large on.it 3-3-worked

Shí ’éí t’áá naanishdóó kingóó déyá.

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

Shį́įhgo, doo haigo sin hadidii’áał da.

summer-GO, NEG winter-GO song start-2.sing.F NEG

T’áá ch’ééh ’ásht’į́įgo bįįh biyaaghah ’eelwod.

just in.vain 1-act.NI-GO deer 3-around.corner 3- run.away.P
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I was still trying (to get a bead) when the deer went around a corner and disappeared.

T’áá ká k’éé’óshchxǫǫh

Neg 1-erase.O
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See that I don’t erase it.

Tsékooh góyaa tł’óół bee ’adanásh’nah.

canyon areal-down 3-with 1-climb.down.R

wohsą́

3DO-2dpl-eat.it.I