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
’Ashkii ’éí łį́į́’ bił naaldloosh łá’í nidi doo yiyiichįįh da.
boy TOP horse 3-with 3-ride.I one but 3-3-know.NP NEG’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ ’íítseedgo bee na’anishí hasht’enáshdlééh.
yesterday 1-pound.P-GO tool 3-1-put.back.I’Ayóo deesk’aazgo beeldléí ditánígíí biih násh’nah.
very cold-GO blanket 3-thick.NI-ÍGÍÍ 3-into 1-crawl.R’Ayóo łį́į́’ shił naalgeed diní, ’ííshją́ą́shį́į́ díí łį́į́chogii bikáá’ dah ńdaah.
very horse 1-with 3-buck.CI 3-2-say.NI lets.see this stallion 3-on up 2-sit.I’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’Áshįįh Bii’ Tóógóó náádísdzáago dziłghą́ą́’ hanáádeesh’nah.
Salt.Lake.City-toward again-1-go.F-GO mountain-back again-1-climb.R’Ííshją́ą́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.
don’t forget this stew stove 3-top up 1-put.P.OC’Ólta’góó deínóhkááh.
school-toward pl-2dpl-go.pl.PROG’Ólta’dóó ’azee’ ’al’íníjį’ t’áá ná’ahanaad.
school-from hospital-to just long.time.pass.I-’oh
-á
-góó
to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
bookmarkAshkii tsé yikáá’ haaswod.
boy rock 3-on 3-up-walk.CIBeehaz’áanii bik’ehgo baa hwiiníst’įįd.
laws 3-according-to-GO 3-about 3-discuss.PBéeso bá hooghan góne’ shił ha’ashch’ą́ą́l dóó ’azéé’ííł’íní bił yah ’ííyá.
money 3-for building inside 1-with 3-go.up.as.elevator.P and doctor 3-with into 1-GO.PI took an elevator in the bank building and went to see the doctor.
bookmark- dóó and, and thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- góne’ insidefind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -á for, for the benefit of
- -ił with
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ił with
- yah intofind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- déyá gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
Béégashii yáázh bichá ninish’aah.
calf 3-bunch 3-1-put.I.SROCh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad naalkaah doo shił bééhózin da. K’ad éí t’áá shxǫǫd shił báá hózin.
formerly Navajo language research NEG 1-with 3-of ho-know.CI NEG | now TOP luckily 1-with 3-about-ho-know.CIFrom the beginning, I didn’t know about Navajo linguistics. Now I’m finally able to understand it.
bookmark- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ formerly, originallyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ił with
- -ił with
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’ad nowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
Chidí naat’a’í ’íinilaaígíí háajį’ ninít’a’?
airplane 3-2-make.P-ÍGÍÍ where-up.to 3-fly.PChidí 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.PI did everything possible to get my car out of the mud.
bookmark- -ts’ą́ą́’ away from, separating from, derived from
- -iih into
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yilyeed go, runfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’áá ch’į́į́góó failurefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ch’ééh in vain, futilely, tryfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’asht’í actfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Dibéésh nee hólǫ́?
sheep-Q 2-with 4-exist.NIDíí yihahígíí biyi’, háísh tówónaanígóó ch’aa deeyá?
this year.IGII within who overseas.GOO travel 3-going.F-QDoo deighánígóó łeeyi’ ’azhnígeed.
NEG far ground-inside 3-4-dig.PHa’ąądi dibé bighan.
areal-other.side sheep 3-corralK’ad hooghangóó nááshdááł dooleeł.
now hogan-toward 1-go.Prog FUTMary yíká hoolne’.
Mary 3-for 3-call.PNa’níle’dii kingóó niséyá, naaltsoos t’áadoo niigį́į da.
dismay store-to 1-go.P mail NEG 3-pass-deliver.LPB.P NEGI went to the store, only to find the mail had not been delivered.
bookmark- na’ńle’dii unfortunatelyfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- da expresses negationfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
Na’nízhoozhígóósh díníyá?
Gallup-to-Q 2-go.SPNaʼahóóhai baa nídiikai ʼakó ʼakʼidahiʼniłí bee shíká ʼadíílwoł.
rodeo 3-about 1pl-do.pl.F so saddle.blanket 3-with 1-after 2-help.FNaʼazhǫǫshgóó dooʼáazhgo nihikééʼ ʼiih deeshwoł.
casino-GÓÓ 2du-go.F-GO 2pl-behind 3-into 1-run.FNédáá dóó bikáá’adání bik’i ndinís’eez.
1-sit and table 3-on 1-place-1-foot.PNichxǫ’ t’áadoo baa nánít’íní.
stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-ÍSháahsita’gi yihę́ęsgo tsin-ts’ósí bee yích’id.
1-point.between.shoulder.blades 3-itch.I-GO stick 3-with 3-1-scratch.PShi’éé’ kin bikáá’dóó hadah (or bidah, ’adah) ’ahé’ah.
1-clothes house 3-on-from areal-downward 3-1-toss.FFO.PShikee’ ’ániidígo biniinaa shikee’ bąąh tó’diisool.
1-shoe recently because 1-foot 3-on 3-blister.form.PShikéédę́ę́’ naa hodoolzhish.
1-behind-from 2-passing become.FShimá dóó shizhé’é bił dibé dóó tł’ízí ta’nda’díígish nt’éé’.
1-mom and 1-dad 3-with sheep and goats 3-pl.shear.I pastWe used to shear sheep and goats with my mom and dad in the past.
bookmark- dóó and, and thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -ił with
- dóó and, and thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- tá’dishgéésh shear itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon




