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

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.

morning-past NEG 1-eat.P-NEG.GO because soon hunger 1-3-kill.P

’Ashkii tó nílinígíi yiih dzółhaał.

boy water 3-be.NI-ÍGÍÍ 3-in 3-fall.O

’Atsį’ t’éiyá nahidoonih lágo naalyéhé bá hooghangóó ’o’oolwod nít’éé’ da’deelkaal lá.

meat only 3-buy.F DISC-GO trading post-toward 3-drive.P past 3-close.P DISC

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ Naayéé’ Neizghání ha’a’aahjigo ’atsiniltł’ish bił dah yizdéél jiní.

long.ago Monster Slayer east-to lightning 3-with up 3-move.SFO.P 4-say

’Ałk’idídą́ą́’ kin ’áshłaa ńt’éé’ ’éí t’ahdii bii’ shighan.

quite.long.ago house 3-1-make.P past it still 3-in 1-home

’Áłah ’aleehdi hastiin léi’ t’óó yááłtih yiits’a’.

meeting-at man INDEF just 3-talk.Prog 3-be.heard.I

Hágoónee’, béeso shaa ní’aah.

well money 1-for 2-give.SRO.I
listenloadingplaying

Well, all right then, give me a dollar!

’Ííshją́ą́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.

don’t forget this stew stove 3-top up 1-put.P.OC
listenloadingplaying

Don’t forget that I put the stew on the stove.

-ááłk’iis

-dááh

listenloadingplaying

in front of, meeting, before, for

-ii’, yi’

inside of, within, at the interior of a solid object

-jí + -k’ehgo

-káá’

Bá’ólta’ísh Jáan ’éí doodaii’ Mary daats’í yich’į’ haadzíí’?

teacher-Q John TOP or Mary perhaps 3-to 3-talk.P

Beehaz’áanii bik’ehgo baa hwiiníst’įįd.

laws 3-according-to-GO 3-about 3-discuss.P
listenloadingplaying

He was tried according to the law.

Béégashii yáázh ła’ shibee’í’diidłííd bik’i niní’ą́.

calf one 1-cattle.brand 3-on 3-1-put.NP
listenloadingplaying

I put my cattlebrand on a calf.

Béésh náábał dóó haa nízahdi nighan?

windmill and how 3-long.N-at 2-home
listenloadingplaying

How far is your place from the windmill?

Casinogóó déyá haashą’ ’át’é.

casino-to 1-go.F of course

Ch’ééh jiyáán hooghangóó dah dii’ą́ągo shee nikihoníłtą́.

watermelon home-toward up 3-1-move.SRO.P 1-with area-start-rain.P

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.

formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I past
listenloadingplaying

I used to live in Gallup. I lived formerly in Gallup.                                                                                                                                                                        

Chidí daats’í bee hólǫ́ ’éí doodaii’ niísh chidí nee hólǫ́?

car maybe 3-with 4-exist.N TOP or 2-Q car 2-with 4-exist.NI

Da’ ’áájí ’ałdó’ ’áłah ’azlį́į́’?

Q that-side also meeting 1-happen.P

Díí tł’óół tsin bik’ídísdis.

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

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

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

Doo ’áádę́ę́’ naagháa da nít’éé’áłt’ąą nida’iilyéego ’índa níyá.

NEG there.from 3-go.about.I NEG past after.all pass.pay.I-go only.then 3-arrive.P

Doo kingóó diit’ash da.

NEG town-to 1dpl-go.du.Prog NEG

Doo yéé shaa yánłti’go ndiséts’ą́’į́.

NEG fear 1-to 2-talk.DI-GO 2-1-hear.P
listenloadingplaying

It’s a good thing I didn’t hear you talking about me.

Gohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ bgo daats’í nínízin?

coffee only TOP or milk perhaps 3-with 3-2-want.NI

Ha’át’íí biniiyé ’ákǫ́ǫ́ díníyá?

what 3-for.purpose there 2-start.go.P

Hatáaldi ’iikááh ’atah ’ajóle’.

ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.O
listenloadingplaying

One wants to take part in the sandpainting at the ceremony.

Háadi niyaa hazlį́į́’?

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

Where did you grow up?

Háádę́ę’shą’ díí ch’ah nizhóní léi’ naa yílts’id?

where-from-Q DEM hat 3-beautiful.NI INDEF 2-to 3-move.air.SRO.P

K’os jóhonaa’éí yich’ą́ą́h ’i’ííjool.

cloud sun 3-protect 3-drift.P
listenloadingplaying

A cloud moved in front of the sun.

Lą́ʼąą’, hágoóneeʼ nibééso łaʼ shaa níʼaah.

okay well 2-money some 1-for 3-2-give.SRO.I

Mary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.

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

Mary is translating for her grandmother.

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
listenloadingplaying

I’m a member of the Mexican Springs Cattle Association.

NTUdi yee’ da’íídóółtah yéeni’ háajį́’goshį́į́ da daįįnóołta’.

NTU-at really pl-2dpl-attend.school.R contrary.to.assumption somewhere such.as pl-2dpl-study.P

Shighandóó ndáá’góó ’ada’iisdee’go nihí ’éí t’áá yiike’.

1-home-from war.ceremony-to 3-go.away.P we.du.pl TOP just 1du-remain.behind.P

Shilééchąą’í yázhí táa’go tsásk’eh yiyaa ’ahííjéé’.

1-dog small three-comp bed 3-under 3-lie.pl.NP
listenloadingplaying

My three puppies are lying with part of their bodies extending under the bed.

Shiníbaal doo tó biníkáogeeh le’ ’át’éégóó ’íishłaa.

1-tent NEG water 3-through-3-flow.O proof.against-NEG 3-1-make.P

Shiye’ éí naaki béeso yideená chidí yésį́.

1-son TOP two money 3-exchange.for car 3-stand.SPN
listenloadingplaying

My son is standing, guarding the car for two dollars.

Sh naa’aash shį́į́! T’áá shǫǫdí shaná’níłtsóód!

1-with 3-go.dl.CI maybe please 1-to-back-3-2-feed.I

Shí hanii t’éiyá Naasht’ézhí bizaad sh bééhózin.

I contrary only English 3-language 1-with 3-know.P

T’áá ’ałkéé’ ’azee’ííł’íní bił yah ’adahaadzá.

just one-behind-another doctor 3-with into 1Dist-4-go.I

Táá’ daats’í shinááhaigo Hwéeldi hoolyéégóó sh dah ’adiiná níigo halne’ łeh shicheii.

three maybe 1-year.P-GO Fort.Sumner-at areal-be.called-toward 1-with start.off 3-migrate.P 3-say.NI-GO 4-tell. usually 1-grandfather
listenloadingplaying

As my grandfather tells it, he was about three years old when he started off with the family on the move to Fort Sumner.

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

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

Tsékooh góyaa tł’óół bee ’adanásh’nah.

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

I climb down into the canyon with a rope.

Tsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąs yę́ędą́ą́’ shi’dizhchį́.

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

Tł’ízí ’éí tsé si’ání yikáa’di naaghá.

goat TOP rock SRO 3-on-at 3-walk.CI

The goat walks upon the cliff.

Ła’ nááhai yę́ędą́ą́’ Tóta’di daashin niiłtsą́ą ni’.

one year prior Farmington-at wasn’t.it 2-1-see.P remember