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

’Azhą́ ts’aa’ nízhóní ndi ’áłts’íísí.

even.though basket 3-be.pretty.NI even.though 3-be.small.NI

’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
listenloadingplaying

They say that long ago the grass in the Navajo country was as high as a horse’s belly.

-jí

designates ceremonies, religious and political institutions and lifeways

-k’eh

-t’ááh

Bee ’atiní ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó bee ’azk’az.

freezer TOP extremely 3-with 3-cold.SPN

Ch’aa dé ńt’éé shichídí bikee’ dilkǫǫh.

travel 1-go past 1-vehicle 3-tires worn.

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

Chidí t’ą́ą́’ nináníłbą́ą́z.

car just 3-1-reparked.R
listenloadingplaying

I backed in the car again.

daohtł’ó

pl-3DO-2dpl-weave.it.I

deidíníłkaad

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

Dibé yah ánádanołkaad!

sheep inside semelit-pl-2pl-gather.R

Dichin nínízin ya’?

hungry 2-want.NI Q

didiilyįh

3DO-1dpl-melt.it.F

Díídó’ doo ákót’ée daásh łí?

this-DÓ’ neg indef-how-3-be.NI neg-ÍSH ŁÍ

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.

prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.P

doo ’asht’é’égóó

doołhį́į́’

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.P

díníłkaad

3DO-2-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

Gólízhii dégo dasidoo’į́įgo da’oołzhish nỉ.

skunk up-GO pl-3-look.I-GO pl-3-dpl-dance.I
listenloadingplaying

Skunk said, all of you,look up and dance.

hadazhneeshchaad

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

hainiłchaad

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

Halah doo bííghah jiztį́į da.

opposite.sibling NEG 3-beside 4-lay.O NEG
listenloadingplaying

Do not lay beside your brother or sister.

Háadi lá dibé nidahaniih?

where-at Q sheep pl-3-pass-sell.CI

Hái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa?

who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P

K’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.

now wash down water up 3-rise.Prog
listenloadingplaying

The water’s rising now down in the wash.

K’os jóhonaa’éí yich’ą́ą́h ’i’ííjool.

cloud sun 3-protect 3-drift.P
listenloadingplaying

A cloud moved in front of the sun.

Mary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

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

Mary yíká hoolne’.

Mary 3-for 3-call.P
listenloadingplaying

S/he called for Mary.

Na’ashǫ́’ii doo baa nijit’į́į́ da.

snake NEG 3-with 4-bother.O NEG
listenloadingplaying

Do not bother snakes. (YM 1987: 130)

naashłé

3DO-1-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

nanilé

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

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

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.P

Sha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.

1-children Shiprock-to 3-with 1-drive.Prog

Shicheii hastą́diin nááhai yilááhdę́ę́’ ’aníłdįįd.

1-grandfather sixty years 3-beyond-from 3-3-survive.P

Shidá’í tsékooh góyaa b ’adáá’áázh.

1-uncle canyon areal-down 3-with 1.go.dual.P
listenloadingplaying

I went down in the canyon with my uncle.

Shilééchąą’í sitsijį’ yilwoł.

1-dog 1-ahead-to 3-run.I

Shizhé’é bitsą́ądi haashį́į́ yidzaago tł’óó’góó yik’ee naalyiish.

1-father 3-stomach-at something 3-happen.P-GO outside-toward 3-on.account.of 2-bend/stoop.CI
listenloadingplaying

My father is going around outside stooped (and holding his stomach) because something happened to it.

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

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

Shínaaí shich’ą́ą́h naaghá.

1-older.brother 1-protect 3-go.CI
listenloadingplaying

My older brother protects me.

T’áá ká k’éé’jółchxǫǫh

Neg 4-erase.O
listenloadingplaying

Don’t let one erase it.

Tsé ’ayóí ’áníłtso léi’ tsékooh góyaa hadah ch’ééłmááz.

rock remarkably large INDEF canyon areal-down areal-edge out-3-1-roll.P
listenloadingplaying

I rolled a big rock over the edge and into the canyon.

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.

Tsxį́įłgo tł'aakał ła’ ’ájóle’.

hurry-GO skirt some 3-4-make.O
listenloadingplaying

One wishes to quickly make a skirt.

Tł’éédą́ą́ łééchąą’í léi’ nihił ’yaííyá’ii’ neeztį́.

last.night dog strange 1dpl-with 3-come.inside.P-and lie.down.SNP

wónáásdóó

yishdlą́ą́’

3DO-1-drink.it.P

Łééchąą’í ’ałch’į’ yiil’aad.

dog RECIP-toward 3-1du-sic.P
listenloadingplaying

We sicced the dogs on each other.

Łį́į́’ bá ni’níłjoolgo ’índa kintahgóó diikah.

horse 3-for 2.feed.NCM.P only.then town-GO 3pl.go.F
listenloadingplaying

I will feed the horse only then we will go to town.