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’.
Sha’áłchíní | bá | 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:
Chidí | k’asdą́ą́’ | shił | ’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:
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:
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
...217;Azhą́ ts’aa’ nízhóní ndi ’áłts’íísí.
even.though basket 3-be.pretty.NI even.though 3-be.small.NIEven though the basket is pretty, it is small.
bookmark’Ałk’idą́ą́’ Diné bikéyah bikáa’gi łį́į́’ bichąą bíighahgo tł’oh deíl’áá ńt’éé’ jiní.
long.ago Navajo.land 3-upon-at horse 3-belly sufficient-GO Pl-3-extend.out.of.sight.SNP hearsay’Ałk’idą́ą́’ tł’oh naadą́ą́’ dant’į́įhgo łį́į́’ doodaii’ béégashii da há hadahwiił’éés ńt’éé’.
long.ago grass corn 3-ripen.I-GO horse or cow etc. 4-for 3-stomp.I past’Áko ’índa ’ákǫ́ǫ́ dah diiyá.
after.that to.there start 1.go.I’Áko ’índa yáníłti’ bidííniid.
after.that 2.talk.I 3-1.told.P’Áłchíní hastą́ą́ binidááhaidóó deigo hodees’áago t’áá ’ałtso da’ółta’go yá’át’ééh.
children six 3-year.P-from up areal-extend.NP all pl-3-study.NI-GO 3-good.N’Óshą́ą́’ laanaa’ dichin shi’niiłxį́.
1-eat.O wish hunger 1-3-kill.I-ne’
Át’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.
later 1-to again-2-come.FBeehaz’áanii bik’ehgo baa hwiiníst’įįd.
laws 3-according-to-GO 3-about 3-discuss.PBich’ijí nishłį́.
3-toward-side 1-be.NICh’į́į́góó ch’ééh tádííyá.
fail in.vain 1-go.Pdayííshóó’
pl-3DO-3dpl-brush/comb.it.Pdeishbéézh
pl-3DO-3dpl-boil.it.PDibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.
sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.PDichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.
hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P negDíí ’abíní dibé tóógóó neeshkał.
this morning sheep water-to 3-1-herd.ProgDíí chąą’ shą’ háádę́ę́’ niníyęęzh?
this manure-Q where-from 3-ooze.PDíí łééchąą’í dah doosłóós laanaa.
this dog 1-lead.O.ADV-laanaa optative particle for a positive wish, hope or desire.doołhį́į́’
3DO-2dpl-melt.it.Pdołhį́į́h
3DO-2dpl-melt.it.IHa’át’éegoshą’ t’áadoo díníyáa da?
why-Q neg 2-go.sg.P NEGHa’ąądi dibé bighan.
areal-other.side sheep 3-corralHaa’í lá neezgai?
where Q 3-hurt.Nhainiłchaad
3DO-3-card.it.(as.in.wool).IHastiin dóó ’at’ééd ha’át’íí ’áyiilaa?
man and girl what 3-3-make.PJáan Mary bił baghan.
John Mary 3-with 3-liveK’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.
now wash down water up 3-rise.ProgKinŁánídi ’ííníshta’ ńt’éé’ ’áádóó t’áá ’ániidígo ’áadi náánísdzáá ńtéé’ ’ééhosisya’ lá.
Flagstaff-in 1-study.P past and.then just recently there-at 1-return.P past 1-get.hazy.P discÓlta’di ndeii’néego ’ashkii ła’ kin bizánághahdę́ę́’ shich’į’ ch’élwodgo bił ’ahídégoh.
school-at 1pl-play.I-GO boy some building-3-around-from 1-to out-3-run.P-GO 3-with 3-1-collide.PShichá si’ą́ągo ’iiłhaazh.
1-huddle 3-put-SPN-GO 1-sleep.PShileechąą’í halǫ́ǫ́ ńt’éé’ są biisxé.
1-dog have past old.age 3-die.of.PShiye’ éí naaki béeso yideená chidí yésį́.
1-son TOP two money 3-exchange.for car 3-stand.SPNShí t’óó ’ááłk’iis yisháałgo shizhé’é tsékooh gódeg ha’asbą́ą́z.
1 merely SUP-alongside 1-go.Prog-GO 1-father canyon areal-up up-3-drive.PShį́į́dą́ą́’ sitsą́ hodíínii’go k’asdą́ą́’ dasétsą́.
summer-last 1-stomach areal-.hurt.P-GO nearly 1-die.Pshíníłbéézh
3DO-2-boil.it.PT’ah ’ałk’idídą́ą́’ ’éí Diné tát’áá góyaa kéédahat’íinii t’éiyá díí tábąąhgóó bidáda’ak’eh naaznil ńt’éé’.
still quite.long.ago the people water-near areal-down pl-3-reside.NI-NOM only this water-edge-toward farm 3-lie.about.SPN pastTó Haach’i’dę́ę́’ ’ííyisíí naashá.
Tohatchi-from truly 1-go.CITł’éédą́ą́’ t’áadoo hazhó’í ’ííłhaazh da léi’ bił nisin.
night.last NEG good 1.sleep.P NEG since sleepy 3-1.desire.NIyishtł’ó
3DO-1-weave.it.IYiską́ągo níléí hódahdi ’ółta’di ni’dí’néeshtįįł nissin.
tomorrow that up.at school-at 1-teach.F 1-want.CIYiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi háadish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?
tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CIWhen you go to Gallup tomorrow where do you want to eat?
bookmark- yiską́ągo tomorrowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- háá-P.ENCLITIC wherefind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -sh enclitic for content questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -di at
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yíshą́ eat itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes