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

’Ashkii nishłínę́ędą́ą́’ łah yoostsah bik’íníyá.

boy 1-be.NI-past once ring 3-1-find.P

’Ayóo łį́į́’ sh 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

’Azhą́ hasistih ndi t’ah honishyóí.

even.though 1-be.old-P even.though still 1-be.energetic.NI

’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 níléíjigo daaníigo t’óó ’áajigo shił dah ’adiilwod.

and.then over.there-toward pl-3-say.I-GO just that.way-toward 1-with start.off 3-drive.P
listenloadingplaying

And then they said to go that way, so I just drove that way.

’ááłk’iis

listenloadingplaying

’áko shį́į́ ’índa

CONJ

’Áłchíní bi’éé’ náádaségis.

children 3-clothes 3-1-wash.R
listenloadingplaying

I will wash the children’s clothes again.

’Ííshją́ą́ ’at’ééd yázhí hooghandę́ę́’ ch’idoogááł.

certainly girl little house-from out-3-walk.F

-ąąh

-ił

-ts’ą́ą́’, -ts’á

At’ééd na’abąąs yíhooł’ą́ą’go bimá yił ’oołbąs.

girl driving 3-3-learn.P-GO 3-mother 3-with 3-drive.Prog

Baa dahwiinít’ínígíí sh bééhodoozįįł nissin.

agenda 1-with 3-about-ho-find.out.F 3-1-want.NI

bik’ídédiz

3DO-1-wrap.it.around.it.P

Ch’ah ’éí doodaii’ nák’ee sinilí łizhinígíí daats’í nee hólǫ́’?

hat or sunglasses perhaps 2-with 4-exist.NI
listenloadingplaying

Do you have a hat or sunglasses? / Maybe you have a hat or sunglasses.

Ch’é’étiingóó naanéhígíí shił bééhózin.

entrance-along 3-play.I-COMP 1-with 3-know.NI

Ch’éénísh’į́įgo náá’deeshtł’óół nissin.

out summer.GO 1-again.weave.F 1-desire
listenloadingplaying

I want to weave again when summer returns.

Ch’íníyáá nít’ę́ę́’ t’áá hooshch’į’ łééchąą’í shich’į’ ch’élwod.

out-1-go.P past suddenly 1-to dog out-3-come.P

Ch’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.CI

Chidí bąąh dah sitání bąąh dah shishtįįh ńt’éé’ adaagizí doo ’éí da lá.

car license plate 3-1-put. I SSO past Sup-with screw neg that neg Disc.

Chidí binaashnish yę́ę ’áádóó t’óó ni’ kwíishłaa.

vehicle 3-1-work.CI past and.then just stop 1-stop.P
listenloadingplaying

I was working on the vehicle and then I just let it be.

Chidí kǫ́ǫ́ ndaajeehígíí t’áá ’ániidígo dahodeezlįįd.

car here 3-run.pl.I-COMP just recently pl-3-become.P
listenloadingplaying

These cars that run around here just recently came into existence, cars are a recent invention.

Da’ dibé nee hólǫ́?

Q sheep 2-with 3-exist.NI
listenloadingplaying

Do you have sheep?

Dibé doo deeghánígóó ’ałkéé’ ’idíítąądgo hooghanjį’ náákah.

sheep long.way RECP-follow 3-spread.out.NP home-up.to 3-walk.pl.Prog
listenloadingplaying

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

Dibé ła’ yóó’ ’íínilgo k’adę́ę ’e’e’aahgo ch’ééh naanááshwoł.

sheep some away 3-1-lose.P-GO almost evening in.vain 3-after 1-run.around.P

dołhį́į́h

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.I

Dził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.

Mountain 3-close.to-at deer 3-3-hunting.CI
listenloadingplaying

He’s deer hunting over near the mountain.

Gah bikéé’ yishwoł.

rabbit 3-following 1-run.Prog

haa néelt’e’

listenloadingplaying

how much, how many, what quantity. [count]

hadeneeshchaad

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

hadíníilchał

3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

Haidą́ą́’ shich’ą́ą́h ’ííchííl na’nishkaadgo.

winter-past 1-protect 3-snow.P 3-1-herd.CI-GO

hainiłchaad

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

Hííłch’į’go ’índa ta’iideeshnih.

evening.GO until 1-mix.dough.F
listenloadingplaying

I will mix the dough towards evening.

Hoozdo hoolyéedi deesdoi sha’shin. ’Áyaańda (’áyąą) diné bi’éétsoh t’áá gééd ndaakai.

Phoenix areal-called-at hot possibly no.wonder person 3-coat without pl-3-go.pl.P
listenloadingplaying

I guess it’s warm in Phoenix. No wonder people go around without coats.

jiigish

3DO-4-make.one.cut.in.it.I

Na’nízhoozhídę́ę́’ shíká b ’oolwoł.

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

Na’nízhoozhígóó deeyá, ya’?

Gallup-toward 2-go.sg.F Q

na’ńle’dii

Naakaii Bito’gi béégashii bee łá’í ’ídlínígíí bee ’anishtah.

mexican water-at cow 3-with one-unify.P-COMP 3-with 1-among.NI
listenloadingplaying

I’m a member of the Mexican Springs Cattle Association.

Nizhé’é ha’át’íísh nayiisnii’?

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

What did your father buy?

Shi’dizhchį́į́ yęędą́ą́’ ’éí tsinaabąąs dahólǫ́ nt’éé.

1-pass-born.P past TOP wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I pl-be.NI past
listenloadingplaying

Wagons were around during the time I was born.

Shoo, nahachagii t’óó ’ahayóí nihaanáá 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 future

T’áá ’íídą́ą́’ ła’ nímasii bik’ééłgizh.

already some potato 3-1-peel.P

T’áá hooshch’į’ déshnish.

suddenly 1-start.work.P

Tó bidinínáágóó ni’ bikáá’ hasé’éél.

water 3-opposite-toward land 3-on 1-float.P

yiigish

3DO-1dpl-make.one.cut.in.it.I

yiłbéézh

3DO-3-boil.it.I