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

ʼAdaʼniigeh, nihíká ʼadoohjah.

3pl-marry.F 1dpl-after 2dpl-run.pl.F
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We are having a wedding, we need everyone’s help.

’Atsį’ísh ’éí doodaii’ łóó’ísh nínízin?

meat-Q or fish-Q 3-2-want.NI

’Azhé’é ’éí chízh nííni’yį́ ’áádóó hastiin bíká ’adoolwoł.

INDEF.father TOP wood 3-3.haul.complete.LPB.P AND man 3-after 3-run.F

The father is chopping wood and the other man is helping him.

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ch’iyáán ’ ádayiilaa léi’ ła’ ’ánáádeiilyaa.

long.ago food pl-3-3-make.P Indef. some again-pl-3-1dpl-make.P

-nánii

Át’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.

later 1-to again-2-come.F

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

Ch’ééh déyá léi’ t’óó hanáshyį́į́h.

try 1.go.P since just 1.rest.I
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I was still resting since I was tired.

Ch’ééh jiyáání hooghangóó dah dii’ą́ągo shee nahóółtą́.

watermelon home-toward up 3-1-move.SRO.P 1-with area-rain.P
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When I set out for home with the melon it rained on me.

Chidí nidabinołtłáád.

car pl-3-2dpl-stop.I
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You all stop the car!

dayííshóó’

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

deidiłhį́į́h

pl-3DO-3dpl-melt.it.I

Diiłts’į́į́h nidishní! LOOK up mode for first verb

3-2-start.? 1-say.I

I said start it!

dizhdiłjeeh

3DO-4-start.fire.I

Díkwíí lá ninááhai?

how.many Q 2-winter

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ba’áán góne’ yahadeeshnii’go dlǫ́’áyázhí shishhash.

prairie.dog 3-hole into down1-3.to.reach.out.hand prairie.dog-little 1-bite.P

doohsį́į́ł

3DO-2dpl-eat.it.F

Díí tł’óół yílééł.

this rope 3-2-carry.SFO.Prog

Ha’at’iish náádaadi’ní?

what-Q again-pl-3-say.I

Ha’át’íí shį́į́ biniinaa łééch’ąą’í nidahał’in.

what perhaps 3-because dog pl-3-bark.I

Ha’át’íí lá nizhé’é yaa naaghá?

what Q 2-father 3-about 3-do.CI

hadeiilgéésh

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

haníłchaad

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

háá-P.ENCLITIC

where. The expressions formed with ’háá-’ have a postpositional enclitic following them which indicates information about direction, location, or path.

hádą́ą́’

Hónáhoot’éhí ’índa ch’aa deeshááł nissin.

next.year until travel will.go.F 1-desire.

I’m thinking about traveling until next year.

Jake ’ólta’ b bóhoneedzą́.

Jake education 3-with 3-possible.NI

Joe dóó Louise dóó Kii dahataał.

Joe and Louise and Kii pl-3-sing.CI

K’adę́ę ’ałné’e’áahgo díchin bik’ee shitah ’anahodí’niitłi’.

now noon hunger 3-account 1-among 1-shake.R
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When it is nearly noon, I get shaky from hunger.

Mósí yázhí chizhtah yiyah yílwod.

kitten woodpile.among 3-under 3-run.P

Na’nííshee’ dóó k’ad éí dah ’iishtł’ó.

3-1-warp.P and now TOP up 3-1-tie.DI
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I prepared the warp and now I’m putting it up.

Naaltsoos yiníshta’go shíni’ shaa ’áyiilaa.

book 3-1-read.I-GO 1-mind 1-for 3-3-make.P
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The book I was reading established my thoughts.

Nanise’ígíí ch’iiyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah ya’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.

plant-ÍGÍÍ food pl-2-eat.I so 3-with 2pl-body 3-among pl-3-good.NI future

Nichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.

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

Nizhe’é ha’át’íísh yaa naaghá?

2-father what-Q 3-about 3-do.CI

Níwe, doo hastóí baa níjít’į́į da!

stop NEG men 3-with 3-4-bother.I NEG
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Stop, one does not bother men!

Nídíshchííʼ ayóó ádaníłnéez dooleeł.

pinetree very pl-3-dpl-tall.NI 3-become.F
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The pine tree will grow very tall.

Sháahsita’gi yihę́ęsgo tsin-ts’ósí bee yích’id.

1-point.between.shoulder.blades 3-itch.I-GO stick 3-with 3-1-scratch.P
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When I got an itch between my shoulder blades, I scratched it with a stick.

Shighan bich’ą́ą́h łeeshch’ih désas.

1-hogan 3-protect ashes 3-1-strew.P
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I strewed ashes to protect my hogan.

Shilééchąą yázhí shikéé’ yildlosh ńt’éé’ hashtł’ish yiih yildloozh.

1-dog little 1-behind 3-walk.Prog past mud 3-into 3-walk.P

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.

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh lágo.

neg 2-oversleep.O LÁGO

Ts’éénídzííd, t’ah ’íinda ’iidííłhosh.

2-wake.up.I future only.then 2-sleep.F
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Wake up, you can sleep later.

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.

Tsinaabąąs t’éiyá bee ch’aa nida’asdee’ ha’níigo dahane’.

wagon only 3-it travel pl-3-go.P 3-say-GO.NI pl-3-tell.P
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We heard people traveled by wagon long ago.

Tł’éédą́ą́’ ’iiłhaazh.

night-past 1-sleep.P

woohdlą́ą́’

3DO-2dpl-drink.it.P

yah

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in, inside (a spacious chamber, as a room, burrow, cavern, building, mouth)

Yooch’ííd wolyéii doo bił bééhózin da.

lie 3-be.called.NI NEG 3-with 3-about.be.known.CI NEG
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He is incapable of lying, he does not know what it means to lie.