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’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.

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

’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.

2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO

-k’i

-niiyé

Át’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.

later 1-to again-2-come.F

Baa tįįh náádiikah.

3-for achieve 1dpl-walk.pl.I

Bich’ijí nishłį́.

3-toward-side 1-be.NI

Bilá ’ooskidgóó yoonaał le’.

3-at 3-time.P-GOO 2-arrive.P hope
listenloadingplaying

Don’t arrive late.

Ch’iyáán ’áshłaadóó tsííd bik’i hooziid.

food 3-1-cook.P-from embers 3-onto area-1-cover.P
listenloadingplaying

I cooked the food afterwards, I covered the ambers.

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad t’éiyá bee yádeilti’ nít’ę́ę́’.

formerly Navajo language only 3-with pl-3-speak.I past

Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghankáá’góó ch’ínísaal ’éí doodaii’ dziłghą́ą́’góó daats’í?

airplane house-over-along over-3-fly.P TOP or mountain-attached-along perhaps

Da’ dichinísh nínízin?

Q hunger-Q 2-feel.NI

Da’ Ron saad nináánéíłkaah ya’?

Q Ron word 3-3-investigate.I Q
listenloadingplaying

Ron’s investigating words again?

Da’adánídi ’áts’ą́ą́’ deeshghał.

restaurant-at ribs 3-1-eat.F

Dá’ák’ehdi nídahodoohgoł.

cornfield-at pl-3-2-hoe.F

deigo

Dibé yázhí ła’ yóó’ ’ííyáá ńt’ę́ę́’ tsiyi’di bik’íníyá.

lamb one away 3-go.P past forest-at 3-find.it.P

Díí ’ashkii Bilagáana bizaad shá bíbiyiił’aah.

this boy English 3-language 3-2-teach.I
listenloadingplaying

Teach this boy English for me.

Díí kwe’é biká’ígíí ’índa bik’i’diitą́.

this here 3-on.NOM until.then 3-1.understand.P
listenloadingplaying

All this writing I now understand it.

haa nóolin

what does it look like

hadoołtééł

3DO-2dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hajíígeed

3DO-4-dig.it.out.P

Hastiin éí tsídii ła’ ’adah ’ayídzí’ą́.

man TOP bird INDEF down 3-3-knock.off.SRO.P

Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.

man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEG

Hádą́ą́’ Jáan bighan ’áyiilaa?

When-past John 3-hogan 3-3-make.P

Háí lá sis ligái ííł’įįh?

who-Q belt silver 3-make.U

jitł’ó

3DO-4-weave.it.I

Mary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

Mary when-past-Q school-from 3-return.P

Náás heesháałgo chidí bine’ ’ííyá.

forward 1-step.Prog-GO car 3-behind 1-go.P

Ni’éé’ náníłkad.

2-clothes 3-2-sew.I

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

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

Nichxǫ' doo ájíníi da.

stop NEG 4-say.thus.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t say it!

Nihimásání ha’át’íí lá yinízin?

1dpl-grandmother what LÁ 3-3-want.NI

nitł’ó

3DO-2-weave.it.I

Sha’ałchíní ayóó niłch’í naalkídi deineł’į́ ’áko ndi shí éí shináá bąą adin.

1-children very air 3-move.I 3-3.look.I however I 1-eyes 3-on doesn’t exist.

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

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

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

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

Shitsili tsin ła’ nieidiitą́ii’ łeechą́ą́’ii’ łéi néídiiłhaal.

1-little.brother stick 3-3-pick.up.P-and dog INDEF 3-3-hit.P

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

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

My father’s farm is three times as big as my grandfather’s.

Shí t’óó ’ááłk’iis yisháałgo shizhé’é tsékooh gódeg ha’asbą́ą́z.

1 merely SUP-alongside 1-go.Prog-GO 1-father canyon areal-up up-3-drive.P
listenloadingplaying

My father drove (a wagon) up out of the canyon with me walking alongside.

Shį́į́dą́ą́’ łį́į́’ yázhí shee hazlį́į́’.

summer-past pony 1-with 3-become.P
listenloadingplaying

I got a pony last summer, I acquired a pony last summer.

Sitsóí éí ’ashiiké nidaanéego ’atah nijóne’ laanaa nízin.

my.grandson TOP boy pl-3pl-play.I-GO join 4-play.O hope 3-3.want.CI
listenloadingplaying

My grandson is wishing to participate in the boys game.

T’áadoo hosh biih dadoołtaałí.

neg cactus 3-in pl-2dpl-step.O-Í

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 gééd

T’áá hooshch’į’ déshnish.

suddenly 1-start.work.P

Táá’ daats’í shinááhaigo Hwéeldi hoolyéégóó sh dah ’adiiná níigo halne’ łeh shicheii.

three maybe 1-year.P-GO Fort.Sumner-at areal-be.called-toward 1-with start.off 3-migrate.P 3-say.NI-GO 4-tell. usually 1-grandfather

Tʼáadoo tʼóó yílnishí.

NEG just 2-work.Prog-í

Yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi, háádish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?

tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CI

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

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