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].
Da’ | Na’nízhoozhígóó | díníyá? |
Q | Gallup-to | 2-go.F |
Are you going to Gallup? |
Mary | ha’át’íí | nayiisnii’? |
Mary | what | 3-3-buy.P |
What did Mary buy? |
’Atsį́’ísh | ’éí | doodaii’ | łóó’ísh | nínízin? |
meat-Q | TOP | or | fish-Q | 3-2-want.NI |
Do you want meat or fish? |
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].
Ła’ ha’nitáhígíí ’éí biihidzóhí 50 entries
Díí tł’éé’ ’índa hazhó’óó ’iideeshwosh.
this night only.then uninterrupted 1-sleep.F’Ahwééh bee yishdlį́hígíí bikáá’ ’adání bikáá’ dah yish’ááh.
coffee 3-with 3-1-drink.P-NOM table 3-on up 3-1-put.SRO.Ubee ’ééhóziní
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishdlą́ drink itfind in Navajo Verb Modeslook up conjugationhide conjugation ▾
- Usitative (U)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- instrumental
- -káá’ on, on top offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
’Ajóółháásh laanaa.
4-sleep.O wish’Asdzą́ą́ Báhoozhóní yinishyé.
woman happy 1-called.NI’Ashkii chizh dáádílkał yiníkáiyiníłhan.
boy firewood door 3-through-3-3-throw.P’Awéé’ dah biséłdá.
baby up 3-1-CAUS-hold.AnO.SPN’Áko ’índa yáníłti’ bidííniid.
after.that 2.talk.I 3-1.told.PChidíísh bee hólǫ́ ’éí doodago ni daats’í ła’ nee hólǫ́?
car-Q 3-with 4-exist.N TOP or 2 maybe one 2-with 4-exist.NIDa’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?
Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.Pdadidíníilkał
pl-3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Fdashoołbéézh
pl-3DO-2dpl-boil.it.PDibé 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.Ididínéeshkał
3DO-1-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Fdidíníilkał
3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).FDíí chizh shá ’ałk’íniishóósh.
this firewood 1-for 3-2-split.IDíí yihahígíí biyi’, háísh tówónaanígóó ch’aa deeyá?
this year.IGII within who overseas.GOO travel 3-going.F-QDoo ’ííłta’go biniinaa t’áá ’ałtsojį’ t’áá shídin hazlį́į́’.
neg 1-go.to.school.P-GO 3-because every-up.to just 1-without 1-become.PDoo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.
NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEGdíníshkaad
3DO-1-start.to.herd.them.(animals).IGohwééh haa néeląą’ nee hólǫ́?
coffee how 3-much.N 2-with 4-exist.NIHaash nízah kodóó nighanjį’?
how-Q 3-long.N here-from 2-home-tohadasiigeed
pl-3DO-1dpl-dig.it.out.Phadínóołchał
3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).FHastiin Nééz doo ’asht’é’égóó nihibéégashii yá doolnih.
Mr. Long extremely 1pl-cow 3-for 3-annoy.ProgHáágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?
where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI JohnHáágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?
where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI JohnHái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa lá?
who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P DISCHái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa?
who DA Q boat 3-4-make.PHáidíígíí lá neidiyoołnih?
which.one-ÍGÍÍ DISC 3-3-buy.Fhááłgizh
3DO-1-cut.it.out.PJáan, nanilnishísh?
John 2-work.I-QK’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.
now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.Inidajizlá
pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Pnidasoołkáá’
pl-3DO-2dpl-investigate.it.Pnisíníłkáá’
3DO-2-investigate.it.Pńt’éé’
Saad naashkaahgo baa naashá.
word 3-1-research.CI-GO 3-to 1-go.ProgShá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’.
sun proportionate 1-swim.CISháahsita’gi yihę́ęsgo tsin-ts’ósí bee yích’id.
1-point.between.shoulder.blades 3-itch.I-GO stick 3-with 3-1-scratch.PShidá’í látsíní ’áyiilaa’ii’ yaa bił hoozhǫǫhgo bima yaa yinítą́.
1-uncle bracelet 3-make.P-and 3-3-happy.I 3-mother 3-3-give.Pbee ’ééhóziní
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashłééh makefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ii’ and, and thereuponfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- benefactive
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- cognitive experiencer
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Shilį́į́’ tł’aaká’ii dóó shilį́į́’ biyéél bił tsodizin ’íishłaa.
1-appaloosa and 1-horse 3-saddle 3-with prayer 3-1-make.PShizhé’é mósí néidiiłts’in ńt’éé’ biyaa haalwodgo ná’ádoolts’in.
1-father cat 3-3-act.with.fist.P past 3-under 3-go.P-GO REFL-3-act.with.fist.PShizhé’éésh łį́į́’ yiyííshǫǫdę́ę ’ayóó ’eelwod?
1-father horse-Q 3-3-tame.P-COMP.past really 3-run.away.PSiláo yik’ee noochééł.
police account 3-flee.ProgSitsóí ’ólta’góó dah diigháahgo ła’ béeso baa yish’ááh.
1-grandchild school-toward up 3-start.to.go.I-GO some money 3-to 3-1-give.SRO.Ubee ’ééhóziní
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- dishááh start to gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Usitative (U)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yish’aah move it, handle it (SRO)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon