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
’Aghaa’ hooghan góne’ shijool.
wool house inside 3-lie.NCM.SPNThere is wool inside the house.
bookmark’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.
candy 3-1-buy.CI-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister 3-1 split-GO.I 3-for 3-1 gave.I’Áádóó háajigo dah diníyá?
and.then which.way-GO start.off 2-go.I-níká
bik’ízhdídis
3DO-4-wrap.it.around.it.IBįįh bináyaa niłchiin ’éí hataałii chodayooł’į́.
deer 3-eye beneath matter that medicineman 3-3-use.ICh’ééh jiyáán náshdį́į́h ’áádóó tó náshdlį́į́h.
watermelon again-1-eat.R then water again-1-drink.RChidí sits’ą́ą́’ hashtł’ish yiih yilwodgo t’áá ch’į́į́góó ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd.
car 1-away mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO just fail in.vain 3-1-act.PI did everything possible to get my car out of the mud.
bookmark- -ts’ą́ą́’ away from, separating from, derived from
- location
- -iih into
- location
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ch’į́į́góó, ch’ínígóó everything possible without resultfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ch’ééh in vain, futilely, tryfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
daołhį́į́h
pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.(snow).IDá’ák’ehdi nídahodoohgoł.
corn.field-at pl-3-2-hoe.FDibé 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.Ididazhdiłjeeh
pl-3DO-4dpl-start.fire.IDííshą’ látsíní háádę́ę́’ naa ninídee’?
this-Q bracelet where-from 2-to 3-arrive.PlO.PDíkwíí lá ninááhai?
how.many Q 2-winterdoo ’asht’é’égóó
Doo ńdeeshdááł da, háálá kwii doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.
NEG 1-return.F NEG because here NEG 1-with 3-good.NI NEGdíníilkaad
3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Istart to herd them (animals), 1st person dual
bookmarkhadeiilgéésh
pl-3DO-1dpl-cut.it.out.Ihajiłgéésh
3DO-4-cut.it.out.Ihazhnííłchaad
3DO-4-card.it.(as.in.wool).PHáíshą’ tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?
who-Q boat 3-3-make.PHwééldigóó nda’aznánę́ędą́ą́’ nihahastóí yę́ę ła’ béédaho’dooszįįd.
jíí’aal
3DO-4-chew.it.PMary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?
Mary when-past-Q school-from 3-return.PMą’iitsoh shik’iilwodgo tsékooh góyaa bidááłgo’.
wolf 1-3-attack-COMP canyon areal-down 3-1-push.PNeezdáago ’índa yiyííłtsą́.
3-sit.P-Comp only.then 3-3-see.PNédáá dóó bikáá’adání bik’i ndinís’eez.
1-sit and table 3-on 1-place-1-foot.PNibéézh bee hane’ doo ndi naalnish da.
2-cellphone NEG but 3-work.P NEGnidííleeł
3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Fcarry a ropelike thing around, 2nd person singular
bookmarkNiísh ’ałdó’ t’áá ’ákwíinínízin?
2-Q also just 2-think.so.NIniłhį́į́h
3DO-2-melt.it.(snow).INíléígóó díní’į́į́’ shidíiniidgo ’áádóó ’áajigo déé’į́į́’.
over.there-toward 2-look.I 1-3-say.P-GO and.then that.way-toward 1-look.Pnéishjį́į́h
Iterative Mode: 1-become.black.RShideezhí dóó sítsílí bidááh sézį́.
1-younger.sister and 1-younger.brother 2-in.front.of 1-stand.SPNShilééchąą yázhí shikéé’ yildlosh ńt’éé’ hashtł’ish yiih yildloozh.
1-dog little 1-behind 3-walk.Prog past mud 3-into 3-walk.Pt’áadoo
T’ááłáhádi kin binída’shiilzhiizh dóó hooghangóó dah ńdiikai.
once-at house 3-into-Pl-1dpl-dance.P home-toward start start-1dpl-go.pl.PTó lą’ígo nidlą́ ’áko bee nitah yá’áh’hoot’ééh dooleeł.
water many 3-2-drink.DI so 3-with 2-among pl-3-good.NI futureyiidą́ą́’
3DO-1dpl-eat.it.PYiską́ągo 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
yóó’
away (disappearing, getting lost)
bookmarkyíshóó’
3DO-1-brush/comb.it.PÁniid iiyą́ą́ ’áko ndi t’ah dichin nisin.
Recently 1-eat.P even then still 3-hungry 1-want.NII recently ate even then I am still hungry.
bookmark- ’ániidígo recently, not long agofind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áko ndi even so, even thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -t’ah in a recess, pocket or enclosed space, undercover
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes