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
’Ahwééh yishdlį́į́h ’áádóó naanishgóó yishááh.
coffee 3-1-drink.U and.then work-toward 3-1-go.U’Ałchíní ’ólta’di t’áá ’áhą́dígo ’ahąąh naazį́.
boy school-at just together-GO abreast pl-3-stand.SPN’Ólta’di ’áłchíní binaashii sédáago ’ííníshta’.
school-at children 3-across.from 1-sit.SNP 3-read.NI-chą́’
-ii’, yi’
inside of, within, at the interior of a solid object
bookmarkCh’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-pastCh’iyáán ’ádaasdįįdgo kingóó ła’ hááshááł.
food pl-3-run.out.P-GO store-to some area-1-go.get.ProgThe shelves are empty, and I am going to the grocery store.
bookmark- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ádįįh dwindle, become extinctfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- hááshááł go along after itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.
formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I pastDamóo yę́ędą́ą́’ Yootóógóó niséyá.
Sunday past Santa.Fe-to 1-go.PDibé dził binaashii nanishkaad.
sheep hill 3-across.from 3-1-herd.CIDiné bikéyah bikáa’gi ndahonidzood yę́ędą́ą́’ Naatsis’áán hoolyéégóó niha’áłchíní bił ’adahineet’į́į́’.
Navajo 3-land 3-on-at pl-areal-3-flee.pl.P past Navajo.Mountain areal-be.called.NI-to 1pl-children 3-with pl-1dpl-sneak.off.PDíí chizh shá ’ałk’íniishóósh.
this firewood 1-for 3-2-split.IDííshą’ látsíní háádę́ę́’ naa ninídee’?
this-Q bracelet where-from 2-to 3-arrive.PlO.PDoo ’atiin bąąhgóó ch’il ’ahwééh ’áłah ’ájíléeh da.
NEG road 3-beside-along plant coffee together 3-4-gather.SFO.I NEGDon’t gather tea along the roadside.
bookmark- Indirect command with negationfind in Navajo Imperatives
- 4th person admonition, negative, Imperfectivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ąąh on, beside
- location
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Doo t’áá k’ad níká ’eeshwod da.
do.not.want.to for.you.pos 2-1-help.P NEGDził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.
Mountain 3-close.to-at deer 3-3-hunting.CIDził bíchį́į́shk’ą́ą́h gódeg hoołtį́į́ł.
mountain 3-nose-against areal-up areal-rain.ProgDííshjį́įdi, tsididįįjį’ nihinaanish dahólǫ́ǫgo biniinaa ’ádaa ńdeii’nah.
these-days-at overwhelmed 2pl-work pl-there-exist.NI-GO 3-because RFLX pl-1dpl-forget.RHa’a’aahjíísh ’éí doodago ’e’e’aahjíísh nighan?
east-from-Q 2-home TOP or west-from-Q 2-homeHa’át’éegishą’ nich’ah nííní’ą́?
where-at-Q 2-hat 3-2-set.down.SRO.PHa’át’íí lá nizhé’é yaa naaghá?
what Q 2-father 3-about 3-do.CIHastiin Nééz doo ’asht’é’égóó nihibéégashii yá doolnih.
Mr. Long extremely 1pl-cow 3-for 3-annoy.ProgHatáálgóó déyáago shikélchí t’óó tsxį́į́łgo bił ’ada’shéshiizhgo ńdaséłkad.
ceremony-1-go-Fut-GO 1-moccasin merelyhurry.GO 3-with 3-1-pierce-GO 3-1-sew-PHáadish nichidí nííníłbą́ą́z?
where-at-Q 2-car 3-2-.park.PHáágóóshą díníyá?
where-to.Q 2-go.FHádą́ą́’sh Dibé Nitsaadę́ę́’ néínídzá?
when-past-Q Colorado 3-return.PHoghaandi nánisdzáago tʼáá shǫǫ ’ííyą́ą́ʼ.
home-at again-1-came.back.P T’ÁÁ SHǪǪ 1-eat.PHáádę́ę’shą’ díí ch’ah nizhóní léi’ naa yílts’id?
where-from-Q DEM hat 3-beautiful.NI INDEF 2-to 3-move.air.SRO.PJooł ’ahííłhan ’áádóó ’atiin dóó ’anít’i’ báhátis ’eelts’id.
ball 3-1-throw.P and.then road and fence 3-over 3-move.SRO.PI threw the ball and then it went over the road and the fence.
bookmarkMósí yázhí bimá yits’ą́ą́’ yóó’ííyá.
kitten 2-mother 3-from away-3-go.PNaaltsoos ’ásaayázhí bikáá’ dah síłtsóós.
paper bowl 3-on up 3-FFO.CINaʼahóóhai baa nídiikai ʼakó ʼakʼidahiʼniłí bee shíká ʼadíílwoł.
rodeo 3-about 1pl-do.pl.F so saddle.blanket 3-with 1-after 2-help.FNimásání kohgo dibé yá niná’áłjoł łeh.
2-grandmother this.time sheep 3-for 3-3-feed.NCM.R usuallyNił bééhózinísh ’éí doodaii’ nicheii daats’í bił bééhózin?
2-with 3-know.CI-Q TOP or 2-grandfather perhaps 3-with 3-know.CIDo you know or does your grandfather know?
bookmark- -ił with
- accompaniment
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- doodaii’ particle orfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- daats’í particle for perhapsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Shilééchąą’í bikéé’ yishááł.
my.dog 3-following 1-go.ProgShizhé’é ńléí dá’ák’ehdi naayiishgo yish’į́.
1-father there cornfield-at 3-stoop.Prg-GO 3-1-see.PrgShí ’éí doo shił bééhozin da nít’éé’.
1-possessive TOP NEG 3-3-knowledge.CI NEG pastShínaaí shich’ą́ą́h naaghá.
1-older.brother 1-protect 3-go.CIShoo, nahachagii t’óó ’ahayóí nihaa nínáá lá; ’áko shį́į́ baa ’ákodanosin dooleeł.
hey.look grasshopper merely many 1pl-to 3-migrate.P mirative then maybe 3-of 2pl-be.aware.NI FUTT’ah ’ałk’idídą́ą́’ ’éí Diné tát’áá góyaa kéédahat’íinii t’éiyá díí tábąąhgóó bidáda’ak’eh naaznil ńt’éé’.
still quite.long.ago the people water-near areal-down pl-3-reside.NI-NOM only this water-edge-toward farm 3-lie.about.SPN pastTsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąs yę́ędą́ą́’ shi’dizhchį́.
wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I past 1-pass-born.PI was born during the time when wagons were used
bookmarkTsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ádíílííł nimásání nihaa yighááh!
quickly tortilla 3-2-make.F 2.poss-mat.grandma-NOM 1.pl-to 3-come.FTł’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
Yiską́ągo 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




