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

Abínídą́ą́’ kintahgóó dah didoohkah.

morning-past town-GÓÓ up start-3pl.go.F

’Aoo’, ’ashdladigóó ’oolkiłgo ’áádę́ę́’ sh ná’ílwod.

yes five-at-toward clock-GO there-from 1-with 3-return.P

’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

Hágoónee’, béeso shaa ní’aah.

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

Well, all right then, give me a dollar!

-jí + -k’ehgo

-k’ą́ą́h

-na’

beside, at one’s side, in place of, waiting for

-nánii

listenloadingplaying

on a slope, on the edge

Át’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.

later 1-to again-2-come.F

Bikáá’ na’anishí ’éí doo bikáá’ dah ’asdáa da.

table TOP NEG 3-on up 3i-sit.P NEG

You do not sit on the table.

Ch’ah ’éí doodaii’ nák’ee sinilí łizhinígíí daats’í nee hólǫ́’?

hat or sunglasses perhaps 2-with 4-exist.NI
listenloadingplaying

Do you have a hat or sunglasses? / Maybe you have a hat or sunglasses.

Chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?

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

Does s/he have a car or do you have a car?

Da’ ’áájí ’ałdó’ ’áłah ’azlį́į́’?

Q that-side also meeting 1-happen.P

Da’ chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?

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

Damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dziłghą́ą́’dę́ę́’ shádí dóó ba’áłchíní bił ’adaashkai.

sunday past-time mountain top.of-from 1-elder.sister and 3-children 3-with downward-1-go.Pl.P
listenloadingplaying

Last Sunday I accompanied my older sister and her family down from the mountaintop.

Deenásts’aa’ sh naaldloosh ńt’éé’ shimá siiłtsą́, yiniinaa násineestsxas.

ram 1-with 3-trot.CI past 1-mother 1-3-see.P 3-because 1-3-whip.P
listenloadingplaying

I was riding around on a ram when my mother saw me and she gave me a whipping because of it.

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.

Dibé tóógóó dínóshkaad.

sheep water-toward 3-1-start.herd.O

Diné nihaikaíígíí nihizaad nideilkaahgo ayóó bił danilį́ ’áko ndi doo ’akót’ée da.

people 1dpl-3-come.pl.P-COMP 1dpl-language pl-3-1-investigate.I-GO very 3-with pl-3-be.NI even so NEG thus-3-be.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

The people who came to visit us believe that we are doing a great job investigating our language, but that is not the case.

Díí dziłígíí shádi’ááh bich’ijígo ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąąd.

this mountain-Comp southward 3-toward-GO one-behind-another 3Pl-scatter.NP
listenloadingplaying

These mountains are strung out, one behind the other toward the south.

Díí éé’ shił nizhónígo nahideeshniih nisin nt’éé’ ’áko ndi ayóo ilį́į́ .

this clothing 1-with 3-like-GO 3-1-buy.F 1-think.Cl Past even then very 3-expensive Disc

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

Doozhǫǫgo da’ííłta’ígíí t’éiyá yá’át’éehgo naanish bá dahólǫ́.

satisfactory pl-3-study.P-NOM only 3-good.N-GO work 3-for pl-3-exist.NI
listenloadingplaying

Only the people with a decent education have good jobs.

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

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

Ha’át’éego lá ’íiyisíí ’atiinjį’ ’ańdeeshdááł lá?

how Q main road-up.to 1-back-on-go.F DISC
listenloadingplaying

How can I get back onto the main road?

Haash nízah kodóó nighanjį’?

how-Q 3-long.N here-from 2-home-to

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

Na’nízhoozhígóó chídí doo n dah didoolwoł da.

Gallup-to car NEG 2-with up start-3.drive.F NEG

Naaki yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhígóó shił ’adeeswod.

two yesterday Gallup-to 1-with 1-drive.F

Naakidi tsin sitą́ądi daats’í kinaaldá b ’ahééniijéé’.

two mile 3-run.pl.P-at maybe purberty.ceremony 3-with RECIP-1dpl-run.pl.P
listenloadingplaying

We (pl.) ran about two miles with the girl who was running in the puberty ceremony.

Naalyéhé bá hooghandi t’ah doo dá’deelkaałdą́ą́’ nisingo na’ńle’dii tsį́į́ł shiisxį́ (siisxį́).

trading.post-at just NEG 3-PASS-close.I-past 1-think.N-GO dismay speed 1-3-kill.P

Nanise’ígíí ch’iyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah yá’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.

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

Ndáa’di shizhé’é diné ła’ y ’ahi’niigą́ą’go bita’ niséyá.

summer.ceremony-at 1-father man one 3-fight.P-GO 3-between 3-1-go.siP
listenloadingplaying

When a man started fighting them with my father at the War Dance, I got in between.

Nidáa’di ’áká’ ’ajólyééd.

enemy.way.ceremony-at 4-for 4-run.O
listenloadingplaying

One wishes to help at the enemy way ceremony.

Nídeezidgo ’índa hoł ní’deeswod.

month-GO only.then 4-with 2-drive.back.F

Sam ’ádił yálti’.

Sam reflx-with 3-talk.DI
listenloadingplaying

Sam talks to himself.

Sha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.

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

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
listenloadingplaying

When I got an itch between my shoulder blades, I scratched it with a stick.

Shicheii t’áá ’íiyisíí hastihgo biniinaa kónááhoot’éhí doo na’ádódlíi da.

1-grandfather very 3-old.N-GO because next.year NEG 3-expect.live.NP NEG 
listenloadingplaying

Since my grandfather is very old he doesn’t expect to be alive next year at this time.

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

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

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

Shizhé’é bichíditsoh yaa naashnish.

1-father 3-truck-large on.it 3-3-worked.P 1-father 3-truck-large on.it 3-3-worked

Shizhé’é bidá’ák’eh ’éí shicheii bidá’ák’eh táadi yilááh ’ánáníłtso.

1-father 3-field TOP 1-grandfather 3-field three-at 3-big 3-again-big.NI
listenloadingplaying

My father’s farm is three times as big as my grandfather’s.

Shí 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.P
listenloadingplaying

My father drove (a wagon) up out of the canyon with me walking alongside.

Shínaaí shikétł’á ’iiyilgo łį́į́’ bikáá’ hasis’na’.

1-older.brother 1-foot-bottom 3-3-boost.P-GO horse 3-top up-1-crawl.P
listenloadingplaying

My older brother boosted me and I got up on the horse’s back.

T’áá ká tó tsíídkáá’ dididííkááł.

NEG water charcoal-on start-3-2-put.OC.F

Tsé bikáa’gi béésh dah si’ą́.

rock 3-on-at knife up 3-sit.SNP

Tsé dzídzahashníiłgo baa naashá, daniidoiigo táchééh góne’ yah ’adoo’nił biniiye.

rock into.fire-3-1-put.P-GO 1-go.I 3-become.hot.P-GO sweathouse into in 3-PASS.put.PlO.F 3-because
listenloadingplaying

I’m busy putting stones into the fire, to be taken into the sweathouse when they get hot.

Tł’éédą́á’ dibé ch’íníjéé’ yiists’ą́ą́’ ’áádóó t’óó ńléí tsé deez’áhí bizánághah góne’ ’ahosoolts’ą́ą́’.

last.night sheep out-3-run-Pl.P 3-sound.P and then merely there rock point 3-around areal-in out-are
listenloadingplaying

Last night the sheep got out of the corral and the sound they made disappeared around the point of the ridge.