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I knew that I had seen this before, on one of my family sites.... Cowden Connections which  follows my ancestors on my father's mother's side of the family....

I found it as an entry in 2005

A Few Words in Cherokee/Tsalagi

Last updated 04-14-02

Quotes from Jennifer Paxton:

From my books, I have chosen to list some words, both that have been requested a lot, and then some that I think may be interesting or useful.

Before you write me, and ask for a word, please check here. I cannot help with genealogy requests. Also, I can't really help with phrases or strange combinations of words. If you have a question of that sort, please go to The Cherokee Nation site, and write to someone in their language or education department. They will be much better equipped for those requests then I am.

Pronounciation Vowel Sounds

a: as in father or short as in rival

e: as in hate or short as in met

i: as in pig or short as in pit

o: as in note approaching aw in law

u: as (oo) in fool or short as in pull

v: as (u) in but, nasalized

Consonant Sounds

g: nearly as in English, approaching k

d: nearly as in English, approaching t

h, k, l, m, n, q, s, t, w, and y as in English

Note that do, du and dv are sounded as to, tu and tv in some words, in fact to, tu and tv could have had their own symbols according to some. Since they don't, the symbols used are still do, du and dv.

Other things to note

Sometimes vowels are unvoiced, when this is the case, I have used parenthesis around the appropriate syllable (a common transcription). Note that the consonant of that syllable is still pronounced, with the preceeding syllable.

EXAMPLE: mock is a-ye-(li)-di and pronounced a-yel-di

However, if I put two vowels in parenthesis, it represents alternate forms.

EXAMPLE: crow is ko-g(i)(a) which means that ko-gi or ko-ga are both correct.

Also,

A ? represents a glottal stop, like the sound between the syllables of Uh-Oh.

A : after a vowel means that this vowel is doubled, taking twice as long to say.

An ' after a syllable shows an accent on that syllable.

An ' after the consonant of a syllable shows that a vowel has been left out.

The syllables with "ts" can be pronounced with a "j" sound.

Jennifer listed the words alphabetically, so literally there are pages and paes that cover what is probaby just her partial list from a - z.

Animals (and some related words)

alligator (also means iron pot) ... tsu-la-s-gi

animal ... ga-na-tla-i

ant ... do-sv-da-li

antelope ... a-wi-yu-sti

antlers ... a-wi-tsu-yo-ni

armadillo ... u-ya-s-ga-li

badger ... i-no-li

bait, fish ... a-su-di ga-(to)-di

bareback (literally without saddle) ... ni-ga-ya-hu-lv-na

bat ... tla-me'-ha

bay, horse ... u-wo-di-ge so-qui-li

beast (lit. 4 legged) ... nv-gi di-ga-nv-sa-di

beaver, beavers ... do'-ya

bear, bears ... yo-n(v)(a)

bed bug ... ga-lu-i-s-di

bee ... wa-du-li:-si

beef ... wa-ka ha-wi-ya

beef, fattened ... wa-ka ga-li-(tsa)-ta-nv

bird, birds ... tsi'-s'qua

blackbird ... tsi-s-qua-li-s-da

blackfox ... gv-ni-ge-tsu-li

blacksnake (climber) ... ga-le-gi

bluebird ... tsa-quo'-la-de

bluejay ... tla-i?-ga

boar ... si-qua tsu-ka-nv-s-de-na

bobcat, bobcats ... gv-he

buffalo, buffaloes ... ya'-n'-s-si' or yansa

bull ... tsu-ka-nv-s-de-na

bullfrog ... kan'-nu-na

butterfly ... ka-ma-ma

buzzard ... su-li:

Adjectives and some Adverbs

above ... ga-lv-la-di-dla

absolute ... u-to-hi-yu-hi-ya

abundant ... gv-wa-lo-sv-s-di

accurate ... ka-li- di-do-(la)-gi

active ... gv-hna-ga-l-s-di

alive ... gv-hna or gv-hno-da

afloat ... u-hyo-lu-ha

afraid ... a-s-ga-ha

alert ... gv-ni-ga-(li)-s-di

all ... ni-ga-dv

alone ... u-wa-sa

amazed ... a-s-gwa-ni-ga-sa

angry ... u-hna-lv-ha

another ... so?-i

anxious ... u-we-li-hi?-a

approximately ... d-lv

at home ... di-da-ne-lv?i OR u-wo-h-la

bad ... u-yo?-i

backwards ... a-si-ni

bashful ... u-de-ho-sa-ti

beautiful ... u-wo-du-hi

behind ... o-hni-di-dla

big ... e-qua

bold ... ni-ga-na-ye-s-gv-na

bright ... tsu-lv-sa-da

broken ... u-yo-tsv-hi

Adverbs

down ... e-la-di

downstream ... ge?i

honestly ... du-yu-(yo)-dv

quickly ... u-si-nu-li

quite ... na-v-ni-ge-s-do-di

slowly ... u-s-ga-no-la

sometime ... yv-da-ha

somewhat ... na-s-gi-ya-dv-na

somewhere ... na-hna-hi-lv-tlv

soon ... nu-li-s-dv

sooner ... tle-ga-ge-s-di

still ... to-i

up ... ga-lv-la-ti-tli

Verbs

Simple Verbs...

accomplish, succeed ... a-s-qua-di-s-di

anticipate ... u-du-gi e-li-s-di

apologize ... go-hi-yu-to-di o-li-da-s-ta-nv

approve ... go-hi-yu-to-di

approved ... go-hi-yu-ta-no-nv

arise, from sitting ... di-le-di

arise, from bed ... a-di-di

ascend ... a-l-sa-la-di?a or ka-na-lu-s-ga

ate ... `a-`ga

bite ... u-yu-si-di

change ... ga-ne-tli-yv-s-di

changed ... ga-ne-tli-yv-da

changing ... ga-ne-tli-yv-s-gv

come ... nv-la

cover ... gu-h-lv-s-ga<

Not as simple...

what are they doing? ... ga-do-a-na-du-ne

I believe ... a-quo-`hi-yu

I believed ... a-quo-hi-`yu-nv

I will believe ... da-`go-hi-yu-`ni

I'm going ... `ge-`ga

I was going ... `ge-gv-`i

I will be going ... `ge-ges-`ti

I hear ... ga-`tv-gi

I heard ... ak-dv-`ga-nv

I will hear ... ga-`ga-dv-`ga-ni

I hit it ... `gv-`ni-`ga

I will hit it ... dv-`gv-ni-`la

I see ... `tsi-go-`ti

I saw ... a-gi-go-`hv

I will see him or her ... da-`tsi-go-`i

I am speaking ... Tsi-wo-ni-hu.

I'm talking ... tsi-`wo-ni

I talked ... gi-`wo-ni-`sv

I will talk ... da-tsi-`wo-ni-`si

I'm thankful ... ga li `e li `ga

I was thankful ... a qua li `he li tsv

I'll be thankful ... ga li `e li `ges `ti

Nouns

abode ... ga-ne-lv

act ... i-ya-dv-ne-di

actor or actress ... a-dv-ne-li-s-gi

addict ... u-ga-na-si-s-gi

address ... na-na ge-sv wa-se-s-di

advantage ... a-tla-nv-da-di-s-gv

adventure ... a-ne-(lv)-to-di

agent ... a-tsi-nv-si-da-s-di

agriculture ... di-ga-lo-go-di

air ... u-no-le

airplane ... tsi-yu ga-no-hi-li-to-hi

alarm ... a-da-s-ga-s-da-ne-di<

alcohol ... a-ma a-su-yv-di wi-s-gi

algebra ... di-se-s-di u-gv-wa-li

alias ... nu-da-le du-to-i

ally ... a-li-(go)-di

ancestor ... tsu-ni-ga-yv-li-i-yu-(li)-s-ta-nv

angel ... a-ni-da-we-hi

apostle ... a-da-s-da-wa-di-to-hi

apparel ... di-nu-wo-s-di

appetite ... o-yo-si-s-gv

apple ... sv-(ga)-ta

apples ... hi-lv-s-gi sv-(ga)-ta

apricot lit. yellow that hangs ... ka-wo-ni

argument ... di-go-si-so-di

arguments ... da-no-di-di

arithmetic ... di-se-s-di

Arkansas ... yo-wa-ne-gv

Days, Months and Time words...

Days of the Week ... joh-sgoh

Sunday ... Do-da-gwa-sgv

Monday ... Do-da-wo-hnv

Tuesday ... Ta-li-ne-i-ga

Wednesday ... No-i-ne-i-ga

Thursday ... Nv-gi-ne-i-ga

Friday ... Ju-na-gi-lo-sdi

Saturday ... Do-da-gwi-de-na

January ... Month of the Cold Moon ... du-no-lv-ta-ni

February ... Month of the Bony Moon ... ka-ga-li

March ... Month of the Windy Moon ... a-nu-yi

April ... Month of the Flower Moon ... ka-wa-ni

May ... Month of the Planting Moon ... a-na-a-gv-ti

June ... Month of the Green Corn Moon ... de-ha-lu-yi

July ... Month of the Ripe Corn Moon ... gu-ye-quo-ni

August ... Month of the End of the Fruit Moon ... ga-lo-ni-i

September ... Month of the Nut Moon ... du-li-i-s-di

October ... Month of the Harvest Moon ... du-ni-nv-di

November ... Month of the Trading Moon ... nu-da-de-qua

December ... Month of the Snow Moon ... v-s-gi-ga

Numbers ... di-se-s-di

one ... sa-`qu-u-i

two ... `ta-`li

three ... `tso-`i

four ... `nv-`gi

five ... `hi-s-`gi

six ... su-da-`li

seven ... ga-li-`quo-`gi

eight ... (t)su-`ne-la

nine ... `so-`ne-`la

ten ... s-go-`hi

eleven ... sa-du-i

twelve ... ta-(li)-di-i

thirteen ... tso-ga-du-i

fourteen ... ni-ga-du-i

fifteen ... s-gi-ga-du-i

sixteen ... da-la-du

seventeen- ... ga-(li)-qua-du

eighteen ... ne-la-du

nineteen ... so-ne-la-du

twenty ... ta-(li)-s-go-hi

twenty-one ... ta-(li)-s-go-sa-quu-i

leave off the last syllable of the word twenty and add numbers one to nine

thirty ... tso-s-go-hi

forty ... nv-(gi)-s-go-hi

fifty ... hi-(gi)-s-go-hi

sixty ... su-da-(li)-s-go-hi

seventy ... ga-(li)-qua-s-go-hi

eighty ... ne-(li)-s-go-hi

ninety ... so-ne-(li)-s-go-hi

one hundred ... s-go-hi-(tsu)-qui

for numbers thirty to ninety-nine leave off the last syllable (hi) and add numbers one through nine.

Colors...

black ... gv-na-ge-i

blue ... sa-go-ni-ge-i

brown ... u-wo-di-ge

green ... i-tse-i-yu-s-di

gray ... u-s-go-lv sa-go-ni-ge

gold ... da-lo-ni-ge-i

orange ... a-sa-lo-ni-ge

pink ... gi-ga-ge-i-yu-s-di

purple ... gi-ge-s-di

red ... gi-ga-ge

silver ... a-de-lv u-ne-gv

white ... u-ne-ga

yellow ... da-lo-ni-ge

Her Miscellaneous Items cover

Place Names...

Tahlequah ... the name tahlequah supposedly comes from a meeting that was going to be held by three chiefs. only two showed up so they waited and waited and then finally said ta-li-qua (two is enough;ta-li meaning two in cherokee)

Tennessee ...

People and kin words...

Warrior ... a-ya-wis-gi or di-tli-hi

Spirit warrior ... a-da-nv-do di-tli-hi

Basic Greetings, and useful phrases...

Hello ... O-si-yo

How are you? ... (t)do-`hi-tsu

I am fine ... (t)`o-si-gwu

Names...

Alexandria ... e-li-ga-se-na-da ... pronounced ... a-leeg-s-an-da

Amber ... a-(mi)-que ... pronounced ... a'm kway

Amery ... e-me-wi ... pronounced ... a-may-we

Etc   etc etc.....

Making myself stop........

So I am saying o-s-da sv-no-i    (Good night) ... and may the   ga-lu-hlo (Lord) bless you with a good nights sleep ...

Site created by

Jennifer Paxton

I know that Lisa, moderator of the family site has been to Pow Wow and maybe I can find her description of what transpired.....