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
’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-jí
designates ceremonies, religious and political institutions and lifeways
bookmark-k’eh
-t’ááh
Bee ’atiní ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó bee ’azk’az.
freezer TOP extremely 3-with 3-cold.SPNCh’aa déyá 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.PChidí t’ą́ą́’ nináníłbą́ą́z.
car just 3-1-reparked.Rdaohtł’ó
pl-3DO-2dpl-weave.it.Ideidíníłkaad
pl-3DO-3dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Istart to herd them (animals), 3rd person plural
bookmarkDibé yah ánádanołkaad!
sheep inside semelit-pl-2pl-gather.RDichin nínízin ya’?
hungry 2-want.NI Qdidiilyįh
3DO-1dpl-melt.it.FDíídó’ doo ákót’ée daásh łí?
this-DÓ’ neg indef-how-3-be.NI neg-ÍSH ŁÍMaybe this is not right?
bookmarkDlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.
prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.Pdoo ’asht’é’égóó
doołhį́į́’
3DO-2dpl-melt.it.Pdíníłkaad
3DO-2-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Istart to herd them (animals), 2nd person singular
bookmarkGólízhii dégo dasidoo’į́įgo da’oołzhish nỉ.
skunk up-GO pl-3-look.I-GO pl-3-dpl-dance.Ihadazhneeshchaad
pl-3DO-4dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).Pcard it (as in wool), 4th person plural
bookmarkhainiłchaad
3DO-3-card.it.(as.in.wool).IHalah doo bííghah jiztį́į da.
opposite.sibling NEG 3-beside 4-lay.O NEGHáadi lá dibé nidahaniih?
where-at Q sheep pl-3-pass-sell.CIHái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa?
who DA Q boat 3-4-make.PK’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.
now wash down water up 3-rise.ProgK’os jóhonaa’éí yich’ą́ą́h ’i’ííjool.
cloud sun 3-protect 3-drift.PMary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?
Mary when-past-Q school-from 3-return.PMary yíká hoolne’.
Mary 3-for 3-call.PNa’ashǫ́’ii doo baa nijit’į́į́ da.
snake NEG 3-with 4-bother.O NEGnaashłé
3DO-1-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Icarry a ropelike thing around, 1st person singular
bookmarknanilé
3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Icarry a ropelike thing around, 2nd person singular
bookmarkNanise’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 futureNichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?
2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.PSha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.
1-children Shiprock-to 3-with 1-drive.ProgShicheii hastą́diin nááhai yilááhdę́ę́’ ’aníłdįįd.
1-grandfather sixty years 3-beyond-from 3-3-survive.PShidá’í tsékooh góyaa bił ’adáá’áázh.
1-uncle canyon areal-down 3-with 1.go.dual.PShilééchąą’í sitsijį’ yilwoł.
1-dog 1-ahead-to 3-run.IShizhé’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.CIShí hanii t’éiyá Naasht’ézhí bizaad shił bééhózin.
I contrary only English 3-language 1-with 3-know.PShínaaí shich’ą́ą́h naaghá.
1-older.brother 1-protect 3-go.CITsé ’ayóí ’áníłtso léi’ tsékooh góyaa hadah ch’ééłmááz.
rock remarkably large INDEF canyon areal-down areal-edge out-3-1-roll.PTsékooh góyaa tł’óół bee ’adanásh’nah.
canyon areal-down 3-with 1-climb.down.RTsxį́įłgo tł'aakał ła’ ’ájóle’.
hurry-GO skirt some 3-4-make.OTł’éédą́ą́ łééchąą’í léi’ nihił ’yaííyá’ii’ neeztį́.
last.night dog strange 1dpl-with 3-come.inside.P-and lie.down.SNPLast night, a (strange) dogs came walking in on us and lay down.
bookmark- tł’éédą́ą́’ last nightfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ił with
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishááł walkfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ii’ and, and thereuponfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Si-Perfective Neuter (SPN)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sétį́ lie downfind in Navajo Verb Modes