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

’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.

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

’Akóyaa ’adah, t’áá baa ’áhólchįįh.

there-down down, just 3-to 2-aware.NI

’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.

2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO

’Asdzą́ą́ ’éí ’ashkii ha’át’íí yeiní’ą́?

woman TOP boy what 3-to-3-3-move.SRO.P
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What did the woman give the boy?

’Ííshją́ą́ ’at’ééd yázhí hooghandę́ę́’ ch’idoogááł.

certainly girl little house-from out-3-walk.F

-yaaghah

around the corner from, disappearing behind, around the point from, on the other side

Baa tįįh náádiikah.

3-for achieve 1dpl-walk.pl.I

bik’ídazhdeezdiz

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

Britain bikéyahą́ą t’áá ’ałtso ’ahíi’nilgo kéyah United States wolyéhígíí bilááh ’áníłtsxo ńt’éé’.

Britain 3-land just all 3-combine.P-GO land United States 3-call.NI-COMP 3-beyond 3-size.NI past

Chidí bąąh dah sitání bąąh dah shishtįįh ńt’éé’ adaagizí doo ’éí da lá.

car license plate 3-1-put. I SSO past Sup-with screw neg that neg Disc.

Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghan yikáá’góó ch’ét’a’ doodaii’ dził bąąhgóósh ch’ét’a’?

airplane-Q hogan 3-over-along 3-fly.P or mountain 3-side-along-Q 3-fly.P

dadíníilkaad

pl-3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

dayoodlą́ą́’

pl-3DO-3dpl-drink.it.P

didadołjeeh

pl-3DO-2dpl-start.fire.I

didoołjéé’

3DO-2dpl-start.fire.P

Díí tsídii bit’oh yisdádeeshjoł, ’áko shį́į́ kónááhoot’éhé tsídii ła’ náábít’oh dooleeł.

this bird 3-nest 3-1-save.F-NCM then maybe next.year bird some again-3-nest future
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I’ll save this bird nest (from destruction) and it will probably serve another bird next year.

Díí tł’óół tsin bik’ídísdis.

this rope stick 3-on-3-1-wrap.I

dooshą’ --- lá

doołbish

3DO-2dpl-boil.it.F

Ha’át’éegoshą’ t’áadoo díníyáa da?

why-Q neg 2-go.sg.P NEG

ha’át’éédę́ę́’

hadanoołchaad

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

hadoołbįįd

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

hanííníłchaad

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

Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.

man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEG

Hádą́ą́’sh Mary ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

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

Hágo daaníigo ’áko ’índa ’ákǫ́ǫ́ níyá.

come.here 3.say.P-GO after.that towards 1.arrive.P
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They said come over here, after that I went there.

laanaa

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optative particle expressing a positive wish, hope or desire

Mosi ałtsi’si ndi nidaaz.

cat small but 3-heavy.NI

The cat is small but it is heavy.

Nichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.

stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEG
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Stop, don’t do bad stuff!

nideiskáá’

pl-3DO-3dpl-investigate.it.P

Nighéí na’ashch’ąą’ígíí níil’į́.

over.there painting-ÍGÍÍ 3-2-du.look.I
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We (us two) are looking at that painting.

Nizhónígo saad ha’oodzíí’ ’áníléehgo bik’e’íłchí.

nicely word HO-speak.P 3-2-make.I-GO 3-2-write.I

N bééhózinísh ’éí doodaii’ nicheii daats’í b bééhózin?

2-with 3-know.CI-Q TOP or 2-grandfather perhaps 3-with 3-know.CI

Níká ’adeeshwoł biniiyé níyá.

2-for 1-run.F 3-purpose.of 1-came.P

Níwe, doo aghaa’ bee nijinée da!

stop NEG wool 3-with 3-4-play.I NEG
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Stop, one does not play with wool!

Ńdíshchíí’ yáázhí bąąh hasis’na’go shił yaa ’ádzaa.

pine.tree little 3-on 1-climb.P-GO 1-with down 3-act.P

Shi’éé’ kin bikáá’dóó hadah (or bidah, ’adah) ’ahé’ah.

1-clothes house 3-on-from areal-downward 3-1-toss.FFO.P

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

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

Shimá bighangóó náshdáahgo łééchąą’í baná’ástso’.

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

Shiyáázh nih ’oołbąs dooleeł.

1-son 1pl-with 3-drive.Prog will.be

Sitsiitł’óól tsásk’eh bikáá’ dah yishłééh.

Navajo.hair.tie bed 3-on up 3-1-put.SFO.U

Sitsóóké da’ółta’go t’óó bik’iisdził.

1-grandchildren pl-school-GO just 3-1-support.Prog

T’áá ká baa hóólne’

Neg 3-about 2-tell.O
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Don’t tell it.

T’áá ká dibe łá yóó’ ’ayónííł

Neg sheep some 3-lose.O
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Don’t let s/he lose any sheep.

Tł’éédą́ą́, yá’át’ééhgo iiłhaaz. Night.last good.GO 1-sleep.P

Night.last good.GO 1-sleep.P

yidooyį́į́ł

3DO-3-eat.it.F

Yiłką́ą́dą́ą́’ n’diish’na áádóó ’olta’goo dah diiyá. (YM 1987:764)

Dawn.last 1-got.up and school.GOO off.to 1-walk.P
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At dawn, I got up and took off for school.

yóó’

yíłhį́į́’

3DO-1-melt.it.(snow).P