Introduction to Navajo Questions

Any competent speaker of any language will be able to form questions. This resource is a combined grammar and lexicon of Navajo questions. We provide a description of three kinds of questions along with glossed examples and audio recordings of them. We think this resource will be useful to students and teachers of this language, and to professional linguists within and outside Navajo communities.

We distinguish three distinct kinds of questions: Yes/no questions, Content Questions, and Alternative Questions. We treat Tag Questions as a subtype of Yes/no questions. For this project we draw on previous work by Fernald & Perkins (manuscript), Young & Morgan (1987), Young, Morgan & Midgette (1992), and others cited in References [link].

The three kinds of questions are exemplified below:
(1)
Da’ Na’nízhoozhígóó díníyá?
Q Gallup-to 2-go.F
Are you going to Gallup?
(A yes/no question)
(2)
Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?
Mary what 3-3-buy.P
What did Mary buy?
(A content question)
(3)
’Atsį́’ísh ’éí doodaii’ łóó’ísh nínízin?
meat-Q TOP or fish-Q 3-2-want.NI
Do you want meat or fish?
(An alternative question)

Example (1) is a yes/no question, which has ‛yes’ or ‛no’ as an answer. Questions like this are used to ask whether a particular statement is true or not. In this example, the statement being asked about is Na’nízhoozhígóó díníyá, which means ‛You are going to Gallup’.

Content questions, like example (2), do not have simply ‛yes’ or ‛no’ as an answer. Rather than supplying a statement and asking whether it is true or not, they have the effect of providing a statement with some missing information, and they ask what that information is. In (2), the idea is that Mary bought something, and the question asks what that something is.

Alternative questions present the addressee with a choice between two or more options. Note that the English gloss in example (3) can be understood as either a yes/no question (if the intonation is rising on fish) or an alternative question (if the intonation is falling on fish). In Navajo, the sentence is an alternative question for which the appropriate answer will indicate which one of the choices is desired.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’óó ’ahodiyeeshdláałgo biniinaa ’ólta’di doo hah níyáa da.

morning-past with pretend-1-move.Prog-GO 3-because school-at NEG quickly 1-go.P NEG

’Aseezį́ binaaltsoos biníkádinishchid.

gossip 3-paper 3-through-1-stick.finger.P
listenloadingplaying

I stuck my finger (hand) through the newspaper.

"Binák’eegóó baa da’ashch’osh lá," didíínííł.

3-eye-between-around 3-to pl-3-infest.P DISC 3-2-tell.F

-ta’

bik’ídadisoodiz

pl-3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.P

Bíni’dii ’awáalyaa sitį́.

3-let-stay jail 3-lay.SPN
listenloadingplaying

Let him stay in jail!

Chidí bitiin ’ałts’ą́ą́hjí ’ańt’i’.

listenloadingplaying

There’s a fence on both sides of the highway.

Da’adánídi ’áts’ą́ą́’ deeshghał.

restaurant-at ribs 3-1-eat.F

dajitł’ó

pl-3DO-4dpl-weave.it.I

Damóogo ’áłah ’aleeh ’áko ’áadi nihaadíínááł.

Sunday 3-gather 3-be so there-at 1-Pl-to-2-arrive.F

daoo’aal

pl-3DO-2dpl-chew.it.P

daołbéézh

pl-3DO-2dpl-boil.it.I

deiidą́

pl-3DO-1dpl-eat.it.I

deiilzhóóh

pl-3DO-1dpl-brush/comb.it.I

Dibé 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.I
listenloadingplaying

The sheep were strung out a long ways, one behind the other, as they headed home.

Dichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.

hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P neg
listenloadingplaying

On account of famine conditions have become hopeless.

didadiiljéé’

pl-3DO-1dpl-start.fire.P

Dii éé’ shił nizhónígo nahideeshniih nisin nt’éé’ ’áko ndi ayóo ilį́į́ lá.

this clothing 1-with 3-like-GO 3-1-buy.F 1-think.Cl Past even then very 3-expensive Disc

diilbish

3DO-1dpl-boil.it.F

Díí tł’éé’ ’iidííłhosh.

this night 2-sleep.F

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.

prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.P

Doo ’áłah dadiidleeł da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.F NEG

Ha’át’éegosh náníldzid?

why-Q 2-fear.I
listenloadingplaying

Why are you afraid?

Ha’át’íí lá hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?

what Q man and girl 3-3-make.P
listenloadingplaying

What did the man and the girl make?

hadadínóołchał

pl-3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

hadazhniłchaad

pl-3DO-4dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).I

Joe dóó Louise hataał.

Joe and Louise 3-sing.CI

K’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.

now wash down water up 3-rise.Prog

Mary łį́į́’ b yá’át’ééh.

Mary horse 3-with 3-good.NI

Na’nízhoozhídę́ę́’ shíká b ’oolwoł.

Gallup-from 1-for 3-with 3-drive.I

Nádí daats’í ’éí doodaii’ nideezhí daats’í bááh ’íidoolííł?

older.sister perhaps or younger.sister perhaps bread 3-make.F
listenloadingplaying

Is your older sister or your younger sister going to make bread? / Maybe your older sister or your younger sister is going to make bread.

Náhookǫsdę́ę’go níłch’igo ’ayóo deesk’aaz.

north.from-GO breeze-GO very cold.SPN

ndi

but

Neeznáadigóó ’oolkiłgo ’áłah ’aleeh daaní.

ten.at-toward time-GO meeting pl-4-say.NI

Nidahastą́ągo k’izh’dóle’ígi ’áhoot’é.

rain.P 4-plant.O.NOM areal-be.N

Nisneez sélį́į’go shicheii nahałáhági ’át’éego nahashłáa doo nisin.

1-tall.NI 1-become.P-GO 1-grandfather 3-perform.ceremony.CI-similar.to 1-perform.ceremony.CI future 3-want.NI
listenloadingplaying

When I get big I want to conduct ceremonies just like my grandfather.

Níká ’adeeshwoł biniiyé níyá.

2-for 1-run.F 3-purpose.of 1-came.P

Níwe, k’ídíítih!

stop 3-2-break.SSO.I
listenloadingplaying

Stop, you're going to break it!

Shichidí t’ahdii yá’át’ééh, ’át’ah ’índa ła’ ninááhideeshnih.

1-car still 3-good.N later one again-3-1-buy.F

Shiníbaal doo tó biníkáogeeh le’ ’át’éégóó ’íishłaa.

1-tent NEG water 3-through-3-flow.O proof.against-NEG 3-1-make.P

Shiye’ bicheii yi’ká ’análwo’dooleeł biniiyé ba’niłtį́į́́ nt’éé’ sits’ą́ą́’ yił nikidíńiit’ą́ą́zh. (YM 1987:632)

1-son 3-grand.father for 3-1-help.F for 3-loan for 1-away with 2-dpl.walk.P
listenloadingplaying

I loaned my son to his grandfather to help him and he just kept him.

Shizhé’é ’azee’ál’į́į́ góne’ b yah ’i’ííbą́ą́z.

1-father hospital into 3-with in 3-push.wheel.P

T’áá ch’ééh ’ásht’į́įgo bįįh biyaaghah ’eelwod.

just in.vain 1-act.NI-GO deer 3-around.corner 3- run.away.P
listenloadingplaying

I was still trying (to get a bead) when the deer went around a corner and disappeared.

T’áá ká ’ooshháásh lágo.

neg 1-go.to.sleep.O LÁGO

T’áá ká chidí ba’óó’ááł lágo.

NEG car 3-3-borrow.O LÁGO

T'áá kwe’é shiba’ sínídáa doleeł.

just right.here 1-waiting.for 2-sit.SPN FUT
listenloadingplaying

You are to sit right here and wait for me.

Tooh ńlínigíí t’óó bááłk’iis yisháałgo shee ’i’íí’ą́.

river merely 3-alongside 1-walk.Prog 1-with evening time
listenloadingplaying

I spent the day walking alongside the river.

Tó 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 future

Tsékooh góyaa tł’óół bee ’adanásh’nah.

canyon areal-down 3-with 1-climb.down.R

Yiską́ągoósh ’adeestsił nínízingo bee na’anishí hasht’enilééh?

tomorrow-Q 1-make.F 2-want.NI-GO tool 3-2-prepare.I