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).

Postpositions appear with pronoun prefixes attached to them.

(1)
Sha’áłchíní b ch’iyáán ’íishłaa.
1-children 3-for food 3-1-cook.P
I cooked for my children.

In example (1), sha’áłchíní bá is a postpositional phrase, meaning ’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. 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 -ká (’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 a language

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.

Ła’ ha’nitáhígíí ’éí biihidzóhí 50 entries

’Aadę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł.

there-from 3s-rain.Prog

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.

morning-Past in.vain 2-wait ready REFL-1-keep.CI

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin díínii’.

morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.P

’Ashkiísh ’at’ééd yiyiiłtsą́?

boy-Q girl 3-3-see.P

’Ałah ’aleehgóó deesháál nínízinísh doodago béésh nitsíkeesí daats’í bee nidoonááł ’éí doodago t’áá hooghanídi daats’í KTNN yídíiłts’iił?

meeting-to 1-go-F 3-2 want.NI-Q or computer possibly 2-watch.F or just home-at possibly KTNN 3-2-listen.F

’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.

candy 3-1-buy.P-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister RECP-equal-GO 3-for RECP-for 3-lie.aligned.PlO.NP

’Áádóó ch’íníyá nít’ę́ę́’ shik’ijiijéé’.

and.then out-1-go.P past 1-on-4-attack.pl.P

-dááh

-jí

Asdzą́ą́ yázhí bichidí doondó’ naalnish da.

woman little 3-car not.even but 3-work.P NEG

Bini’ íídeeshtah doodago ’éiyá yóó’ ’adeeshwoł.

let will-1-school or only away 1-off-run.P

Dah díníilghaazhísh ’íilnilaa?

fry.bread-Q 3-2-make.P

daohshóóh

pl-3DO-2dpl-brush/comb.it.I

daołhį́į́h

pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.(snow).I

didíníilkał

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

diidį́į́ł

3DO-1dpl-eat.it.F

Doozhǫǫgo da’ííłta’ígíí t’éiyá yá’át’éehgo naanish bá dahólǫ́.

satisfactory pl-3-study.P-NOM only 3-good.N-GO work 3-for pl-3-exist.NI

dínółkaad

3DO-2dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

dííłbish

3DO-2-boil.it.F

Ha’át’éegishą’ nich’ah nííní’ą́?

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

Haa néelą́ą́’ nidá’ák’eh?

how 3-much.N 2-cornfield

Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.

man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEG

Háádę́ę́’shą’ tó ndahohheeh?

where-from-Q water pl-3-2-haul.LPB.I

hádą́ą́’

Hodíina’go bááh dootł’izhí deeshį́į́ł dóó ’ahwéé b ła’ deeshdlį́į́ł.

after.a.while-GO bread blue 3-1-eat.F and coffee 3-with some 3-1-drink.F

háínígeed

3DO-2-dig.it.out.P

na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’

1-swim.I

naohłé

3DO-2dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

neidooleeł

3DO-3-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.P

Nichidí lá háadi nííníłbą́ą́z?

2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.P

Nichidísh háadi nííníłbą́ą́z?

2-car-Q where-at 3-2-park.P

Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ doo daats’í nidlóoh da?

2-cold.I-Q or neg perhaps 2-cold.I neg

Nizhé’é ha’át’íísh nayiisnii’?

2-father what-Q 3-3-buy.P

Níléidi t’áá bahat’aadí shábitł’óól noolzhee’.

There-at just clear-NOM sun.3.rays 3-rays.I

Sha’áłchíní béeso ’ashladiin baa nínil ńt’éé’ t’ááła’ajį́ ’ałtso yibadooskai.

1-children money 50 3-for 2-put.PlO.P past at-once all 3-3-exhaust.P

Shighan bich’ą́ą́h łeeshch’ih désas.

1-hogan 3-protect ashes 3-1-strew.P

Shighan bíighahgi yas biyi’dę́ę́’ tsé hahíí’ą́.

3-house 3-inside of snow 3-inside-from rock 3-stick.out.NP

Shighanídóó ’e’e’aah bich’ijígo shádí bighan.

1-home-from west 3-in.the.direction.of older.sister 3-dwell.N

Shilééchąą’í bikéé’ yishááł.

my.dog 3-following 1-go.Prog

Shizhé’é bidá’ák’eh ’éí shicheii bidá’ák’eh táadi yilááh ’ánáníłtso.

1-father 3-field TOP 1-grandfather 3-field three-at 3-big 3-again-big.NI

Shį́įgo ’ahbínígo ’ashdladi dóó ’ałníi’go k’adę́ę ha’a’aah łeh.

summer-GO morning-GO five-at and half-GO almost 3-sunrise.I usually
’íísíníłts’ą́ą́’loadingplaying

Tó bee naat’ahí yę́ę bitł’áahdi yiichxii’ lá.

water canteen past 3-under-at 3-rust.P DISC

Tóbąąhgóó yishtł’ééł.

river-toward 1-run.Prog

Tł’óodiísh t’ah ’áłchíní nidaané?

outside-Q still children pl-3-play.I

Tł’óół tsin bigaan binah dah sélá.

rope stick arm 2-against up 3-1-hung.P

yiidlą́ą́’

3DO-1dpl-drink.it.P

yishą́

3DO-1-eat.it.I

yishdlą́ą́’

3DO-1-drink.it.P

Ła’ damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dah ’iyétł’ónée, k’ad ’ałníí’góó ’eeshtł’óół.

one Sunday past up 3-1-set.P-past now middle-toward 1-weave.Prog