Introduction to Navajo Postpositions

This is a lexicon of Navajo postpositions and postpositional enclitics.

Postpositions are pretty much the same as prepositions in English but a postposition appears after its noun phrase object rather than before it. Postpositions tend to be short words with meanings that indicate information about location, direction, or timing of an event described by the verb in the sentence, or about the kind of role played by the noun phrase in the event.

There is a relatively small number of postpositions, so by memorizing them, language learners can quickly improve their comprehension of Navajo.

This lexicon includes 14 postpositional enclitics and 75 postpositions based on Young & Morgan (1987:25-26).

In example (1), sha’áłchíní bá is a postpositional phrase, meaning ‘for my children’.

(1)
Sha’áłchíní b ch’iyáán ’íishłaa.
1-children 3-for food 3-1-cook.P
I cooked for my children.

The postposition is -á, and the pronoun prefix is b-. This is a third person prefix, which is why the gloss underneath bá has a 3 in it. The meaning of -á is ‘for’, and this is also indicated in the gloss. Also, the sh in the word sha’áłchíní, ‘my children’, is a first person pronoun prefix. This pronoun prefix also appears inside the verb ’íishłaa. Note that the gloss is 3-1-cook.P; this indicates that the word means ‘I cooked it’: 3-1 in the gloss indicates that the subject of the verb is first person (‘I’), and the object is third person (‘it’). For a guide to glossing, click here.

The first person prefix appears again on the postposition -ił (‘with’), in the example below:

(2)
Chidí k’asdą́ą́’ sh ’adah ch’éélwod.
car almost 1-with down off-3-go.P
The car almost ran off (the road) with me.

Postpositional Enclitics do not have pronoun prefixes, and instead attach directly onto another phrase. In the example below, the enclitic is -di (‘at’). It is attached directly to Na’nízhoozhí (‘Gallup, New Mexico’). There is no pronoun prefix:

(3)
Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.
formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I past
I used to live in Gallup.

In the example below, the enclitic -gi is attached to the postpositional phrase tsé biká (‘on the rock’). The pronoun prefix bi- is attached to the postposition -káá (‘on’), not to the enclitic:

(4)
Tsé bikáa’gi béésh dah si’ą́.
rock 3-on-at knife up 3-sit.SNP
The knife is on the rock.

Note that both -di and -gi are glossed as ‘at’. The enclitic -di is used for more general locations, and -gi is used for more specific ones.

The postpositional enclitics in this lexicon are, from the list in YMM (1992:938-09):

-dą́ą́’
past time
-dę́ę́’
from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off of
-di
at a general location
-dóó
from a specific location or point in space or time
-ę́ę-dą́ą́’ =yę́ędą́ą́’
back when
-gi
at a specific location
-góó
to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
-í-jígo
over in the direction of the place where
-jigo
toward, northward
-jí
designates ceremonies, religious and political institutions and lifeways
-jí
on the side of, in the direction of, in the manner of
-jí-k’ehgo
in the manner of
-jį́’
up to, as far as
-k’eh -jí
in the way(s) of

The pronoun prefixes, which can appear on postpositions, are shown below:

singular dual-plural
1st person shi- nihi-
2nd person ni- nihi-
3rd person yi-/bi-
4th person ho-
unspecified ’a
reciprocal ’ahi-
reflexive ’ádi-
area ha-; ho-; go-

In using these prefixes, the final vowel sometimes changes due to the sound that comes next (e.g. shi-ałchiní → sha’áłchíní; ni- ’asdzą́ą́ → ne’asdzą́ą́; bi- ’awéé’ → be’ewéé’ / be’awéé’).

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Aghaa’ hooghan góne’ shijool.

wool house inside 3-lie.NCM.SPN

’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.

candy 3-1-buy.CI-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister 3-1 split-GO.I 3-for 3-1 gave.I

’Áádóó háajigo dah diníyá?

and.then which.way-GO start.off 2-go.I

-ísh

-níká

bik’ízhdídis

3DO-4-wrap.it.around.it.I

Bįįh bináyaa niłchiin ’éí hataałii chodayooł’į́.

deer 3-eye beneath matter that medicineman 3-3-use.I
listenloadingplaying

The matter from under the eye fold of a deer is used by medicine men.

Ch’ééh jiyáán náshdį́į́h ’áádóó tó náshdlį́į́h.

watermelon again-1-eat.R then water again-1-drink.R

Chidí sits’ą́ą́’ hashtł’ish yiih yilwodgo t’áá ch’į́į́góó ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd.

car 1-away mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO just fail in.vain 3-1-act.P

daołhį́į́h

pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.(snow).I

Dá’ák’ehdi nídahodoohgoł.

corn.field-at pl-3-2-hoe.F

Dibé doo deeghánígóó ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąądgo hooghanjį’ náákah.

sheep neg long.distance-neg-GO following.behind 3-in.a.line.NP-GO home-up.to return.go.I
listenloadingplaying

The sheep were strung out a long ways, one behind the other, as they headed home.

didazhdiłjeeh

pl-3DO-4dpl-start.fire.I

Dííshą’ látsíní háádę́ę́’ naa ninídee’?

this-Q bracelet where-from 2-to 3-arrive.PlO.P

Díkwíí lá ninááhai?

how.many Q 2-winter

doo ’asht’é’égóó

Doo ńdeeshdááł da, háálá kwii doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.

NEG 1-return.F NEG because here NEG 1-with 3-good.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

I won’t come back because I don’t like it here.

díníilkaad

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

hadaniilchaad

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

hadeiilgéésh

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

hajiłgéésh

3DO-4-cut.it.out.I

hazhnííłchaad

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

Háadi niyaa hazlį́į́’?

where-at 2-under area-grow.P
listenloadingplaying

Where did you grow up?

Háíshą’ tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?

who-Q boat 3-3-make.P

Hwééldigóó nda’aznánę́ędą́ą́’ nihahastóí yę́ę ła’ béédaho’dooszįįd.

listenloadingplaying

jíí’aal

3DO-4-chew.it.P

Mary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

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

Mą’iitsoh shik’iilwodgo tsékooh góyaa bidááłgo’.

wolf 1-3-attack-COMP canyon areal-down 3-1-push.P
listenloadingplaying

When the wolf attacked me I pushed him down into the canyon.

Neezdáago ’índa yiyííłtsą́.

3-sit.P-Comp only.then 3-3-see.P

Nédáá dóó bikáá’adání bik’i ndinís’eez.

1-sit and table 3-on 1-place-1-foot.P
listenloadingplaying

I sat down and put my feet on the table.

Nibéézh bee hane’ doo ndi naalnish da.

2-cellphone NEG but 3-work.P NEG

nidííleeł

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

Niísh ’ałdó’ t’áá ’ákwíinínízin?

2-Q also just 2-think.so.NI

niłhį́į́h

3DO-2-melt.it.(snow).I

Níléígóó díní’į́į́’ shidíiniidgo ’áádóó ’áajigo déé’į́į́’.

over.there-toward 2-look.I 1-3-say.P-GO and.then that.way-toward 1-look.P
listenloadingplaying

I was told to look that way and then I looked that way.

néishjį́į́h

Iterative Mode: 1-become.black.R
listenloadingplaying

I will become black, get sunburned again and again

Shideezhí dóó sítsílí bidááh sézį́.

1-younger.sister and 1-younger.brother 2-in.front.of 1-stand.SPN
listenloadingplaying

I guard my younger sister and younger brother.

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
listenloadingplaying

My puppy went into the mud as he trotted along behind me.

t’áadoo

T’ááłáhádi kin binída’shiilzhiizh dóó hooghangóó dah ńdiikai.

once-at house 3-into-Pl-1dpl-dance.P home-toward start start-1dpl-go.pl.P

Tó lą’ígo nidlą́ ’áko bee nitah yá’áh’hoot’ééh dooleeł.

water many 3-2-drink.DI so 3-with 2-among pl-3-good.NI future

yiidą́ą́’

3DO-1dpl-eat.it.P

Yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi háadish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?

tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CI

yóó’

yíshóó’

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

Ániid iiyą́ą́ ’áko ndi t’ah dichin nisin.

Recently 1-eat.P even then still 3-hungry 1-want.NI

Ąąh háá’á wolyéii k’ad doo ’asht’é’égóó bik’ee ntsinisdzá.

debt 3-extend.NP 3-be.called.NI now extremely 3-on.account.of 1-???? YÁ
listenloadingplaying

I’m really fed up with bills now.

Łáháda ’ach’íí’ náshdį́į́h.

now.and.then rolled.intestine 1-eat.R

Łį́į́’ bik’i na’ashnííł.

horse 3-on 3-1-unsaddle.I

łahgo