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:
The verb hataał, is intransitive, meaning that it can only have one argument:
Joe | hataał. |
Joe | 3-sing.CI |
Joe is singing. |
*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:
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:
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. |
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:
Kin | Łánídi | naashnish | háálá | ’áadi | shaghan. |
Flagstaff | 1-work.I | because | there | 1-live.NI | |
I work in Flagstaff because I live there. |
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.
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:
’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.II did not eat this morning, so I am hungry now.
bookmark- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morningfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -niinaa because of, on account offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- wónáásdóó soon, finallyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sisxé killfind in Navajo Verb Modes
’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.
lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CII am busy melting some lard.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- dishhį́įh melt itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashá go aboutfind in Navajo Verb Modes
’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’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-tsé
Bee nahaldzoohí yah ’adíítį́į́ł. Da’ yah 'ííńtą́?
broom in 3-2-bring.F.SSO Q in 3.2.bring.P.SSOBik’os gónaa ’ałch’į’ yiyiissił nahalin.
3-neck around toward.each.other 3-3-grab.I seem.to.appearDibé yah ánádanołkaad!
sheep inside semelit-pl-2pl-gather.RDíkwíí shą’ ninááhai?
how.many-Q 2-winter.NIDoo ’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.PDził bíchį́į́shk’ą́ą́h gódeg hoołtį́į́ł.
mountain 3-nose-against areal-up areal-rain.ProgGohwééh doo ndi łikan da.
coffee NEG but 3-taste-good.NI NEGhaa + 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”.
bookmarkhaa’í
Haashíyee’ ’ahíłká ’ańdiijah.
let’s.see really each.other-for together-1du-run.pl.FHaaʼísh niʼnis´bąąs?
where-Q 3-1-park.FHahgosh Daniel hidilníísh?
when-GO-Q Daniel 3-start.workhazhdoołtééł
3DO-4-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.Fcarry him/her up out of something, 4th person
bookmarkhazhnííłchaad
3DO-4-card.it.(as.in.wool).PHá’át’íísh hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?
what-Q man and girl 3-3-make.PHáadi lá lį́į́’ naakai?
where-at Q horse 3-walk.pl.IHáí 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 perhapsWhich team won? Denver Nuggets or Miami Heat.
bookmark- háí whofind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- doodago or
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- daats’í maybe, perhaps, possiblyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
Háísh tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?
who-Q boat 3-3-make.PKin Łánídiísh ’éí doodago Bee’eldííldahsinildi daats’í naniná?
Flagstaff-at-Q TOP or Albuquerque-at perhaps 2-go.around.CINa’nízhoozhígóó deeyá, ya’?
Gallup-toward 2-go.sg.F Qnanilé
3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Icarry a ropelike thing around, 2nd person singular
bookmarkNichidí háadishą’ nííníłbą́ą́z
2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.PNichxǫ’ báhádzid.
stop 3-P-be.dangerousnijiskáá’
3DO-4-investigate.it.Pnisiilyá
3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Pcarry a ropelike thing around, 1st person dual
bookmarkNisneez 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.NIniłbéézh
3DO-2-boil.it.INíwe, tʼáádoo łééchąąʼí nánítałʼí.
stop NEG dog 3-2-kicking.R.NEGShikéédę́ę́’ naa hodoolzhish.
1-behind-from 2-passing become.FShitah honeezgaigo, doo naashnish da dooleeł.
1-body 3-pain.P-GO NEG 1-work.I NEG 3-become.FShizhé’é bichíditsoh yaa naashnish
1-father 3-truck-large on.it 3-3-worked.P 1-father 3-truck-large on.it 3-3-workedShí ’éí t’áá naanishdóó kingóó déyá.
I TOP just work-from town-to 1-go.IAs for me, I went to the town from work.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- déyá gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -dóó from a specific location or point in space or timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- goal