Cherokee Phrases 1

[1999Josh]

Phrases 1

Hello - ᎣᏏᏲ / ᏏᏲ (oh-si-yo) / (si-yo)

How are you? - ᏙᎯᏧ? (do-hi-tsu)

Good/fine - ᎣᏍᏓ / ᏙᎯᏗ (oh-si-da)/(oh-si-di)

Please - ᎰᏩᏧ (ho-wa-tsu)

Thank you - ᏩᏙ (wo-do)

Your welcome - ᎬᎵᎡᎵᎦ (gv-liel-li-ga)

What's your name? - ᎦᏙ ᏕᏣᏙᎠ (ga-do de-tsa-do-a)

My name is ... - ... ᏓᏆᏙ (da-kwa-do)
*K almost like a G

Where are you from? - ᎭᏢ ᏖᎬᎢ? (ha-tlv te-gvi)

I am from... - ... ᏗᎨᎬ (di-ge-gv)

<h1>Bonus Word</h1>

Cherokee Nation - ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ (tsa-la-gi-hi a-ye-li)

<h1>Reading Practice</h1>

Read this conversation between a girl named ᎯᎠᎴᎠ (hi-a-le-ah), which means "beautiful meadow" in Cherokee, and ᎼᎮ (Mo-he), which means "elk" in Cherokee.

ᎯᎠᎴᎠ: ᎣᏏᏲ

ᎼᎮ: ᏏᏲ , ᏙᎯᏧ?

ᎯᎠᎴᎠ: ᎣᏍᏓ ᏩᏙ

ᎼᎮ: ᎼᎮ ᏓᏆᏙ, ᎦᏙ ᏕᏣᏙᎠ?

ᎯᎠᎴᎠ: ᎯᎠᎴᎠ ᏓᏆᏙ. ᎭᏢ ᏖᎬᎢ?

ᎼᎮ: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ᏗᎨᎬ

Or....

ᎯᎠᎴᎠ: oh-si-yo

ᎼᎮ: si-yo | do-hi-tsu

ᎯᎠᎴᎠ: oh-si-da | wo-do

ᎼᎮ: da-kwa-do ga-do | detsa-do-a

ᎯᎠᎴᎠ: da-kwa-do | ha-tlv te-gvi

ᎼᎮ: tsa-la-gi-hi a-ye-li | di-ge-gv

[tu.8zPhLD72zzoZN]

ᏩᏙ

[1999Josh]

ᎬᎵᎡᎵᎦ!

[Snommelp]

I think maybe the eastern and western bands have diverged a little bit, because I think in North Carolina they just say ᏏᏲ (si-yo) for hello. That, or I'm remembering wrongly. That's a distinct possibility.

[1999Josh]

Yes, there are two ways to say hello. I should probably add that.

[MartenSanden]

Thank you, this is very intriguing! I've been curious about the Native American languages for a long time. What is the notation? Is there a page of general information about Cherokee that you could recommend?

[1999Josh]

This website will give you the sound structure of some words, however, not the spelling of each word. But as long as you can construct a word with the syllables, then I think you would be able to spell each word out –> http://mypeoplepc.com/members/cherlyn/onefeather/id7.html