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].

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.U

’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.P

-de

-íniiká

Chidíísh 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.NI

Da’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?

Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.P

dadidíníilkał

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

dashoołbéézh

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

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

didínéeshkał

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

didíníilkał

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

Díí chizh shá ’ałk’íniishóósh.

this firewood 1-for 3-2-split.I

Díí yihahígíí biyi’, háísh tówónaanígóó ch’aa deeyá?

this year.IGII within who overseas.GOO travel 3-going.F-Q

Doo ’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.P

Doo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.

NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEG

díníshkaad

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

Gohwééh haa néeląą’ nee hólǫ́?

coffee how 3-much.N 2-with 4-exist.NI

Haash nízah kodóó nighanjį’?

how-Q 3-long.N here-from 2-home-to

hadasiigeed

pl-3DO-1dpl-dig.it.out.P

hadínóołchał

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

Hastiin Nééz doo ’asht’é’égóó nihibéégashii yá doolnih.

Mr. Long extremely 1pl-cow 3-for 3-annoy.Prog

Háágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?

where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI John

Háágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?

where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI John

Hái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa lá?

who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P DISC

Hái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa?

who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P

Háidíígíí lá neidiyoołnih?

which.one-ÍGÍÍ DISC 3-3-buy.F

hááłgizh

3DO-1-cut.it.out.P

Jáan, nanilnishísh?

John 2-work.I-Q

K’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.

now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.I

nidajizlá

pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.P

nidasoołkáá’

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

nisíníłkáá’

3DO-2-investigate.it.P

ńt’éé’

Saad naashkaahgo baa naash.

word 3-1-research.CI-GO 3-to 1-go.Prog

Shá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’.

sun proportionate 1-swim.CI

Sháahsita’gi yihę́ęsgo tsin-ts’ósí bee yích’id.

1-point.between.shoulder.blades 3-itch.I-GO stick 3-with 3-1-scratch.P

Shidá’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.P

Shilį́į́’ tł’aaká’ii dóó shilį́į́’ biyéél bił tsodizin ’íishłaa.

1-appaloosa and 1-horse 3-saddle 3-with prayer 3-1-make.P

Shizhé’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.P

Shizhé’éésh łį́į́’ yiyííshǫǫdę́ę ’ayóó ’eelwod?

1-father horse-Q 3-3-tame.P-COMP.past really 3-run.away.P

Siláo yik’ee noochééł.

police account 3-flee.Prog

Sitsóí ’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.U

T’ah ’ałk’idídą́ą́’ ’éí Diné tát’áá góyaa kéédahat’íinii t’éiyá díí tábąąhgóó bidáda’ak’eh naaznil ńt’éé’.

still quite.long.ago the people water-near areal-down pl-3-reside.NI-NOM only this water-edge-toward farm 3-lie.PlO.SPN past

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

yiłhį́į́h

3DO-3-melt.it.(snow).I