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

’Ashkii yázhí bee’eldǫǫh yik’ee ’ádadeeznih.

boy little gun 3-on.account.of REFL-3-hurt.P
listenloadingplaying

The little boy hurt himself with the gun.

bik’ídédiz

3DO-1-wrap.it.around.it.P

Bįįh b da’doołdǫǫh.

deer 3-with pl-2dpl-shoot.I

listenloadingplayingSpeaker: Ron GenelistenloadingplayingSpeaker: Irene Silentman

You all shoot the deer!

Ch’ééh jiyáán hastiin baa nahashniihgo ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd ’ahbínídą́ą́’.

watermelon man 3-from 3-1-buy.CI-GO tried in.vain 1-act.P morning-past

Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghan yikáá’góó ch’éta’ ’éí doodago daats’í dził yąąhgóó ch’ét’a’?

airplane-Q house 3-over-along 3-fly.P TOP or perhaps mountain 3-over-along 3-fly.P

Chidí nidabinóołtłáád.

car pl-3-2dpl-stop.O

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

car 1-from mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO failure in.vain 1-act.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

dajiyą́

pl-3DO-4dpl-eat.it.I

dajííłhį́į́’

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.(snow).P

dazhdíníłkaad

pl-3DO-4dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

deigo

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.

Dichinísh doodaii’ dibáá’ísh jinízin?

hunger-Q or thirst-Q 3-4-want.NI

didoołhįh

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.F

didínéeshkał

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

diilyį́į́’

3DO-1dpl-melt.it.P

dishhį́į́h

3DO-1-melt.it.I

Díí ’ashkii Bilagáana bizaad shá bíbiyiił’aah.

this boy English 3-language 3-2-teach.I
listenloadingplaying

Teach this boy English for me.

Doo ’áłah deiidleeh da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.I NEG

Doo dibé ch’íi’niił da.

NEG sheep pl-3-2-du-take.out.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

We (us two) are not taking out the sheep. (YM 1987: 293)

Doo kingóó diit’ash da.

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

Ha’át’éegishą’ nich’ah nííní’ą́?

where-at-Q 2-hat 3-2-set.down.SRO.P
listenloadingplaying

Where did you leave your hat? Where did you set your hat down?

Ha’át’íí lá neidiyoołnih lá?

what DISC 3-3-buy.F DISC

Ha’át’íí shį́į́ biniinaa łééch’ąą’í nidahał’in.

what perhaps 3-because dog pl-3-bark.I

Haa níníłnééz?

what 2-tall.relatively.NI
listenloadingplaying

How tall are you?

hadadínóołchał

pl-3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

Hahgo hooghan ’ánílééh?

when hogan 3-2-make.I
listenloadingplaying

When are you building a hogan?

Hahgosh Daniel hidilníísh?

when-GO-Q Daniel 3-start.work
listenloadingplaying

When does Daniel go to work?

K’ad niba’ sédáa dooleeł.

now 2-wait 1-sit.SPN FUT

Kinaaldáágóó jidóya’ t’óó ’ílį́.

puberty.ceremony-to 4-go.O hope just think
listenloadingplaying

I wish I could go to the puberty ceremony, just thinking.

KinŁánídi ’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 disc
listenloadingplaying

I was young I went to school in Flagstaff but I returned there recently to find that I’m so hazy about things that I barely recognize the place.

le’ ’át’éégóó

listenloadingplaying

used with the optative mode to produce a meaning roughly equivalent to “proof against”

Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?

Mary what 3-3-buy.P

Náshdóí yę́ę noonéełgo wónáásdóó k’adę́ę ’ádįįh jiní.

wildcat former 3-die.off.Prog-GO soon nearly 3-extinct.I 4-say.NI
listenloadingplaying

Wildcats are dying off and it is said that soon they’ll become extinct.

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

Shichidí t’ahdii yá’át’ééh, ’át’ah ’índa ła’ ninááhideeshnih.

1-car still 3-good.N later one again-3-1-buy.F

Shí Kinłánígóó shił ayóó ánízaad ’ako ndi sitsoi éí bił ayídi.

I Denver to 1-with 3-far.NI but 1-grandsongranddaughter 3-with nearby

T’áadoo hosh biih dadoołtaałí.

neg cactus 3-in pl-2dpl-step.O-Í

T’áá ch’ééh ’ásht’į́įgo bįįh biyaaghah ’eelwod.

just in.vain 1-act.NI-GO deer 3-around.corner 3- run.away.P
listenloadingplaying

I was still trying (to get a bead) when the deer went around a corner and disappeared.

T’áá ká k’éé’óshchxǫǫh

Neg 1-erase.O
listenloadingplaying

See that I don’t erase it.

T’áá ní’áłtsé hooghandi nánísdzá.

thus you first home-at 1-arrived.Rev. P
listenloadingplaying

I got home before you did.

T’ááłáhádi neeznádiin dóó ba’aan táá’

one hundred and 3-beyond three

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.

Tʼáadoo baa nitsinikeesí, tʼóó ’íízoh.

NEG 3-about 2-think.I just 2-write.Prog

wooshóó’

3DO-2dpl-brush/comb.it.P

yishtł’ó

3DO-1-weave.it.I

ʼAtʼééd doo bzhǫ́ǫ da dooleeł.

girl NEG 3-with 3-happy.NI NEG 3-become.F