Introduction to Conjunctions

This lexicon illustrates various conjunctions, words like dóó (and), doodaii (or), ndi (but), háálá (because), and others. Conjunctions combine two or more sentences or phrases 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, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish coordination from subordination.

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

Coordination is a kind of syntactic structure that allows two similar constituents to act as one. For example, Joe and Louise are conjoined in the sentence below:

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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 have only 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, the sentence does not make sense because the verb is intransitive. Coordination, used in (1), allows two or more phrases to act as one.

In Navajo, more than two phrases can be conjoined, but the verb will need to have a plural marker 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 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].

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

Subordination is a different way that two sentences can be combined into one. The enclitic -go attached to the first sentence subordinates it to 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

’Awééh kweʼé ninishteeh, adaʼoogeeh.

baby here 3-carry.AnO.I 3-fall.O

’Ánísts’ísí yę́ędą́ą́’ Kintahdi shi yaa hoo’a’ ’éí biniinaa díshní.

1-small.NI past town-at 1-possessive 3-of 3-space.P TOP because 3-1-say.NI

Back when I was young, I grew up in town which is why I don’t know.

’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

"Binák’eegóó baa da’ashch’osh lá," didíínííł.

3-eye-between-around 3-to pl-3-infest.P DISC 3-2-tell.F

-kéé’

-lááh

-yaa

bik’ídideesdis

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

bik’ídínídiz

3DO-2-wrap.it.around.it.P

Ch’é’étiingóó naanéhígíí shił bééhózin.

entrance-along 3-play.I-COMP 1-with 3-know.NI

Ch’éénísh’į́įgo náá’deeshtł’óół nissin.

out summer.GO 1-again.weave.F 1-desire
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I want to weave again when summer returns.

Chidí diił tsį́į́h.

car start going.I

Start the car.

Chidí naat’a’í nihił dah diit’a’.

airplane 1dpl-with up 3-fly.P

Da’ Ron saad nináánéíłkaah ya’?

Q Ron word 3-3-investigate.I Q

Dibéésh nee hólǫ́?

sheep-Q 2-with 4-exist.NI

Díí chąą’ shą’ háádę́ę́’ niníyęęzh?

this manure-Q where-from 3-ooze.P

Díí hastiin tł’ééjí hataałgo bee béého’doolzįįd.

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This man became famous as a Night Chant singer.

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ’akǫ́ǫ́ náájilwod.

Prairie Dog LOC-there It. 4-2-run.I
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The Prairie Dog went over there.

Doo ’atiin bąąhgóó ch’il ’ahwééh ’áłah ’ájíléeh da.

NEG road 3-beside-along plant coffee together 3-4-gather.SFO.I NEG

Doo deighánígóó łeeyi’ ’azhnígeed.

NEG far ground-inside 3-4-dig.P

Ha’át’íí́sh baa hane’?

What Q 3-for be.told.CI

haa nízahdę́ę́’ hoolzhiizh

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for how long

haołgéésh

3DO-2dpl-cut.it.out.I

Háadi niyaa hazlį́į́’?

where-at 2-under area-grow.P

Kii łį́į́’ yizloh léi’ yí’diiłííd.

Kii horse 3-3-rope.SP CONJ 3-3-brand.I
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Kii has roped the horse and is branding it.

Kwe’éshą’ haa nízah nináhálzhishgo nináháltį́į́h?

here-Q how 3-long.N-up.to time.move.R-GO rain.R
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How often does it rain here?

Mary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.

Mary 3-grandmother 3-for indef-between 3-talk.DI

Naakaii Bito’gi béégashii bee łá’í ’ídlínígíí bee ’anishtah.

mexican water-at cow 3-with one-unify.P-COMP 3-with 1-among.NI
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I’m a member of the Mexican Springs Cattle Association.

Náńsdzáago t’áá ’íídą́ą́’ ’ííníyą́ą’ dooleeł.

back-1-go.sg.P-GO just already INDEF-2-eat.P FUT
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When I get back, you will/should already have eaten.

Níwe, bíni'dii ’áyą́!

stop 3-let 3-3-eat.I
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Stop, let it eat!

néishjį́į́h

Iterative Mode: 1-become.black.R
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I will become black, get sunburned again and again

Sha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.

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

Shideezhí dóó sítsílí bidááh sézį́.

1-younger.sister and 1-younger.brother 2-in.front.of 1-stand.SPN
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I guard my younger sister and younger brother.

Shidibé ’ąą’ dinót’į́į́ł laanaa ch’ééh nisin.

1-sheep expanse 3-increase.O wish in.vain 1-want.CI

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

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

Shilééchąą’í b na’nishkaadgo jooł b ’abíńjíshhałgo yikéé’ náádiilwo’.

1-dog 3-with 1-herd.CI ball 3-for 3-1-bat.R-GO 3-after 3-run.R

Shimá nitsii’ yiilch’ííł áádóó bíni’ t’áá’ ákót’ée doo.

1-mom 2-hair 3-2-curl.I and.then let.be just it.is will.be.F
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Mom curl your hair and leave it that way.

T’áá ká ’ooshháásh.

neg 1-go.to.sleep.O

T’áá ká baa hóólne’

Neg 3-about 2-tell.O
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Don’t tell it.

Tooh ńlínigíí t’óó bááłk’iis yisháałgo shee ’i’íí’ą́.

river merely 3-alongside 1-walk.Prog 1-with evening time
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I spent the day walking alongside the river.

Ts’ídá ’iishxáashgo shiyáázh bił ná’ílwod.

about 1-to.sleep 1-son with 3-drove.in.again.R
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As I was about to take a nap, my son drove in again.

Tsékooh góyaa tł’óół bee ’adanásh’nah.

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

Tsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąs yę́ędą́ą́’ shi’dizhchį́.

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

yideeshjį́į́ł

Future Mode: 1-become.black.F

yiilzhóó’

3DO-1dpl-brush/comb.it.P

yiishjį́į́h

Usitative Mode: 1-become.black.U

Yiską́ągo díí doo ’íídííłtah da. (K’ad tsxíiłgo ’ííníłta’.)

tomorrow this NEG 3-2-read.F NEG (now quickly 3-2-read.I)

Yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhígóó deet’áazhgo haa’í lá ’adiidį́į́ł?

tomorrow Gallup-to 1dpl-go.du.F-GO where Q 1pdl-eat.F

yiyííłhį́į́’

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

Yílk’idę́ę́’ télii ła’ ’adah náádáałgo yiiltsą́.

hill-from donkey INDEF down 3-return.Prog 3-1du-see.P