Original distribution of the Cherokee language
Cherokee (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩ;
Tsalagi) is an Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee people which uses a unique syllabary writing system. It is
the only Southern Iroquoian language that remains spoken. Cherokee is
polysynthetic, places an emphasis on syllables, and is very complex to learn for
English-speakers.
For years, many people wrote transliterated Cherokee on the Internet or used poorly
intercompatible fonts to type out the syllabary. However, since the fairly recent addition of the Cherokee syllables to
Unicode, the Cherokee language is experiencing a renaissance in its use on the Internet. As of
January 2007, however, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma still officially uses a non-unicode font for online documents, including
online editions of the Cherokee Phoenix.
The Cherokee language does not contain any "r" based sounds, and as such, the word "Cherokee" when spoken in the language is
expressed as Tsa-la-gi (pronounced Jah-la-gee, or Cha-la-gee) by native speakers, since these sounds most closely resemble the
English language. A Southern Cherokee group did speak a local dialect with a trill
consonant "r" sound, after early contact with Europeans of both French and Spanish ancestry in Georgia and Alabama during
the early 18th century (This "r" sound spoken in the dialect of the Elati, or Lower, Cherokee area – Georgia and Alabama – became
extinct in the 19th century around the time of the Trail of Tears, examples are Tsaragi
or Tse-La-gee). The ancient Ani-kutani (ᎠᏂᎫᏔᏂ) dialect and Oklahoma dialects do not contain
any 'r'-based sounds.
Phonology
Cherokee only has one labial consonant, /m/, which is relatively new to the language, unless one counts the Cherokee w a labial instead of a
velar.
Consonants
Vowels
Diphthongs
Cherokee has only one diphthong native to the language:
Another exception to the phonology above is the modern Oklahoma use of the loanword "automobile," with the /ɔ/ sound and /b/ sound of
English.
Tone
Cherokee has a robust tonal system in which tones may be combined in various ways, following subtle and complex tonal rules
that vary from community to community. While the tonal system is undergoing a gradual simplification in many areas (no doubt as
part of Cherokee's often falling victim to second-language status), the tonal system remains extremely important in meaning and
is still held strongly by many, especially older speakers. It should be noted that the syllabary does not normally display tone,
and that real meaning discrepancies are rare within the native-language Cherokee-speaking community. The same goes for
transliterated Cherokee ("osiyo," "dohitsu," etc.), which is rarely written with any tone markers, except in dictionaries. Native
speakers can tell the difference between tone-distinguished words by context.
Grammar
Cherokee, like many Native American languages, is polysynthetic, meaning that
many morphemes may be linked together to form a single word, which may be of great length.
Cherokee verbs, the most important word type, must contain as a minimum a pronominal prefix, a verb root, an aspect suffix, and a modal suffix. Consider the following verb:
Verb form ge:ga
| g- |
e: |
-g |
-a |
| PRONOMINAL PREFIX |
VERB ROOT "to go" |
ASPECT SUFFIX |
MODAL SUFFIX |
For example, the verb form ge:ga, "I am going," has each of these elements. The pronominal prefix is g-, which
indicates first person singular. The verb root is -e, "to go." The aspect suffix that this verb employs for the present-tense
stem is -g-. The present-tense modal suffix for regular verbs in Cherokee is -a.
Verbs can also have prepronominal prefixes, reflexive prefixes, and derivative suffixes. Given all possible combinations of
affixes, each regular verb can have 21,262 inflected forms.
Writing system
-
Cherokee is written in an 85-character syllabary invented by Sequoyah (also known as George Guess). Some symbols do resemble Latin
alphabet letters, but with completely different sound values; Sequoyah had seen English writing, but didn't know how to
read it.
Due to the polysynthetic nature of the Cherokee language, new and descriptive words in Cherokee are easily constructed to
reflect or express modern concepts. Some good examples are di-ti-yo-hi-hi (Cherokee:ᏗᏘᏲᎯᎯ) which means "he argues
repeatedly and on purpose with a purpose". This is the Cherokee word for attorney. Another example is
di-da-ni-yi-s-gi (Cherokee:ᏗᏓᏂᏱᏍᎩ) which means the final catcher or "he catches them finally and conclusively".
This is the Cherokee word for policeman.
Many words, however, have been adopted from the English language – for example, gasoline, which in Cherokee is
ga-so-li-ne (Cherokee:ᎦᏐᎵᏁ). Many other words were adopted from the languages of tribes who settled in Oklahoma in the
early 1900s. One interesting and humorous example is the name of Nowata, Oklahoma. The
word "nowata" is a Delaware word for "welcome" (more precisely the Delaware word is "nu-wi-ta" which can mean "welcome" or
"friend" in the Delaware language). The white settlers of the area used the name
"nowata" for the township, and local Cherokees, being unaware the word had its origins in the Delaware language, called the town
a-ma-di-ka-ni-gv-na-gv-na (Cherokee:ᎠᎹᏗᎧᏂᎬᎾᎬᎾ) which means "the water is all gone gone from here" -- i.e. "no water".
Other examples of adopted words are ka-wi (Cherokee:ᎧᏫ) for coffee and wa-tsi (Cherokee:ᏩᏥ) for
watch (which led to u-ta-na wa-tsi (Cherokee:ᎤᏔᎾ ᏩᏥ) or "big watch" for clock).
Computer representation
Cherokee is represented in Unicode, in the character range U+13A0 to U+13F4.
| |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
| 13A0 |
|
Ꭰ |
Ꭱ |
Ꭲ |
Ꭳ |
Ꭴ |
Ꭵ |
Ꭶ |
Ꭷ |
Ꭸ |
Ꭹ |
Ꭺ |
Ꭻ |
Ꭼ |
Ꭽ |
Ꭾ |
Ꭿ |
| 13B0 |
|
Ꮀ |
Ꮁ |
Ꮂ |
Ꮃ |
Ꮄ |
Ꮅ |
Ꮆ |
Ꮇ |
Ꮈ |
Ꮉ |
Ꮊ |
Ꮋ |
Ꮌ |
Ꮍ |
Ꮎ |
Ꮏ |
| 13C0 |
|
Ꮐ |
Ꮑ |
Ꮒ |
Ꮓ |
Ꮔ |
Ꮕ |
Ꮖ |
Ꮗ |
Ꮘ |
Ꮙ |
Ꮚ |
Ꮛ |
Ꮜ |
Ꮝ |
Ꮞ |
Ꮟ |
| 13D0 |
|
Ꮠ |
Ꮡ |
Ꮢ |
Ꮣ |
Ꮤ |
Ꮥ |
Ꮦ |
Ꮧ |
Ꮨ |
Ꮩ |
Ꮪ |
Ꮫ |
Ꮬ |
Ꮭ |
Ꮮ |
Ꮯ |
| 13E0 |
|
Ꮰ |
Ꮱ |
Ꮲ |
Ꮳ |
Ꮴ |
Ꮵ |
Ꮶ |
Ꮷ |
Ꮸ |
Ꮹ |
Ꮺ |
Ꮻ |
Ꮼ |
Ꮽ |
Ꮾ |
Ꮿ |
| 13F0 |
|
Ᏸ |
Ᏹ |
Ᏺ |
Ᏻ |
Ᏼ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A single Cherokee font is supplied with Mac OS X, version
10.3 (Panther) and later and Windows Vista. Cherokee is also supported by free fonts found
at languagegeek.com, and the shareware fonts Code2000 and Everson Mono.
Language drift
There are two main dialects of Cherokee spoken by modern speakers. The Giduwa dialect (Eastern Band) and the Otali Dialect
(also called the Overhill dialect) spoken in Oklahoma. The Otali dialect has drifted significantly from Sequoyah's Syllabary in
the past 150 years, and many contracted and borrowed words have been adopted into the language. These noun and verb roots in
Cherokee, however, can still be mapped to Sequoyah's Syllabary. In modern times, there are more than 85 syllables in use by
modern Cherokee speakers. Modern Cherokee speakers who speak Otali employ 122 distinct syllables in Oklahoma.
Drifted Otali Sequoyah Syllabary Mapping
| Otali Syllable |
Sequoyah Syllabary Index |
Sequoyah Syllabary Char |
Sequoyah Syllable |
| nah |
32 |
Ꮐ |
nah |
| hna |
31 |
Ꮏ |
hna |
| qua |
38 |
Ꮖ |
qua |
| que |
39 |
Ꮗ |
que |
| qui |
40 |
Ꮘ |
qui |
| quo |
41 |
Ꮙ |
quo |
| quu |
42 |
Ꮚ |
quu |
| quv |
43 |
Ꮛ |
quv |
| dla |
60 |
Ꮬ |
dla |
| tla |
61 |
Ꮭ |
tla |
| tle |
62 |
Ꮮ |
tle |
| tli |
63 |
Ꮯ |
tli |
| tlo |
64 |
Ꮰ |
tlo |
| tlu |
65 |
Ꮱ |
tlu |
| tlv |
66 |
Ꮲ |
tlv |
| tsa |
67 |
Ꮳ |
tsa |
| tse |
68 |
Ꮴ |
tse |
| tsi |
69 |
Ꮵ |
tsi |
| tso |
70 |
Ꮶ |
tso |
| tsu |
71 |
Ꮷ |
tsu |
| tsv |
72 |
Ꮸ |
tsv |
| hah |
79 |
Ꮿ |
ya |
| gwu |
11 |
Ꭻ |
gu |
| gwi |
40 |
Ꮘ |
qui |
| hla |
61 |
Ꮭ |
tla |
| hwa |
73 |
Ꮹ |
wa |
| gwa |
38 |
Ꮖ |
qua |
| hlv |
66 |
Ꮲ |
tlv |
| guh |
11 |
Ꭻ |
gu |
| gwe |
39 |
Ꮗ |
que |
| wah |
73 |
Ꮹ |
wa |
| hnv |
37 |
Ꮕ |
nv |
| teh |
54 |
Ꮦ |
te |
| qwa |
06 |
Ꭶ |
ga |
| yah |
79 |
Ꮿ |
ya |
| na |
30 |
Ꮎ |
na |
| ne |
33 |
Ꮑ |
ne |
| ni |
34 |
Ꮒ |
ni |
| no |
35 |
Ꮓ |
no |
| nu |
36 |
Ꮔ |
nu |
| nv |
37 |
Ꮕ |
nv |
| ga |
06 |
Ꭶ |
ga |
| ka |
07 |
Ꭷ |
ka |
| ge |
08 |
Ꭸ |
ge |
| gi |
09 |
Ꭹ |
gi |
| go |
10 |
Ꭺ |
go |
| gu |
11 |
Ꭻ |
gu |
| gv |
12 |
Ꭼ |
gv |
| ha |
13 |
Ꭽ |
ha |
| he |
14 |
Ꭾ |
he |
| hi |
15 |
Ꭿ |
hi |
| ho |
16 |
Ꮀ |
ho |
| hu |
17 |
Ꮁ |
hu |
| hv |
18 |
Ꮂ |
hv |
| ma |
25 |
Ꮉ |
ma |
| me |
26 |
Ꮊ |
me |
| mi |
27 |
Ꮋ |
mi |
| mo |
28 |
Ꮌ |
mo |
| mu |
29 |
Ꮍ |
mu |
| da |
51 |
Ꮣ |
da |
| ta |
52 |
Ꮤ |
ta |
| de |
53 |
Ꮥ |
de |
| te |
54 |
Ꮦ |
te |
| di |
55 |
Ꮧ |
di |
| ti |
56 |
Ꮨ |
ti |
| do |
57 |
Ꮩ |
do |
| du |
58 |
Ꮪ |
du |
| dv |
59 |
Ꮫ |
dv |
| la |
19 |
Ꮃ |
la |
| le |
20 |
Ꮄ |
le |
| li |
21 |
Ꮅ |
li |
| lo |
22 |
Ꮆ |
lo |
| lu |
23 |
Ꮇ |
lu |
| lv |
24 |
Ꮈ |
lv |
| sa |
44 |
Ꮜ |
sa |
| se |
46 |
Ꮞ |
se |
| si |
47 |
Ꮟ |
si |
| so |
48 |
Ꮠ |
so |
| su |
49 |
Ꮡ |
su |
| sv |
50 |
Ꮢ |
sv |
| wa |
73 |
Ꮹ |
wa |
| we |
74 |
Ꮺ |
we |
| wi |
75 |
Ꮻ |
wi |
| wo |
76 |
Ꮼ |
wo |
| wu |
77 |
Ꮽ |
wu |
| wv |
78 |
Ꮾ |
wv |
| ya |
79 |
Ꮿ |
ya |
| ye |
80 |
Ᏸ |
ye |
| yi |
81 |
Ᏹ |
yi |
| yo |
82 |
Ᏺ |
yo |
| yu |
83 |
Ᏻ |
yu |
| yv |
84 |
Ᏼ |
yv |
| to |
57 |
Ꮩ |
do |
| tu |
58 |
Ꮪ |
du |
| ko |
10 |
Ꭺ |
go |
| tv |
59 |
Ꮫ |
dv |
| qa |
73 |
Ꮹ |
wa |
| ke |
07 |
Ꭷ |
ka |
| kv |
12 |
Ꭼ |
gv |
| ah |
00 |
Ꭰ |
a |
| qo |
10 |
Ꭺ |
go |
| oh |
03 |
Ꭳ |
o |
| ju |
71 |
Ꮷ |
tsu |
| ji |
69 |
Ꮵ |
tsi |
| ja |
67 |
Ꮳ |
tsa |
| je |
68 |
Ꮴ |
tse |
| jo |
70 |
Ꮶ |
tso |
| jv |
72 |
Ꮸ |
tsv |
| a |
00 |
Ꭰ |
a |
| e |
01 |
Ꭱ |
e |
| i |
02 |
Ꭲ |
i |
| o |
03 |
Ꭳ |
o |
| u |
04 |
Ꭴ |
u |
| v |
05 |
Ꭵ |
v |
| s |
45 |
Ꮝ |
s |
| n |
30 |
Ꮎ |
na |
| l |
02 |
Ꭲ |
i |
| t |
52 |
Ꮤ |
ta |
| d |
55 |
Ꮧ |
di |
| y |
80 |
Ᏸ |
ye |
| k |
06 |
Ꭶ |
ga |
| g |
06 |
Ꭶ |
ga |
Cherokee language in popular culture
The theme song "I Will Find You" from the 1992 film The Last of the
Mohicans by the band Clannad features Máire Brennan
singing in Cherokee as well as Mohican.
See also
References
- Pulte, William, and Durbin Feeling. 2001. Cherokee. In: Garry, Jane, and Carl Rubino (eds.) Facts About the World's
Languages: An Encyclopedia of the World's Major Languages: Past and Present. New York: H. W. Wilson. (Viewed at the Rosetta Project)
- Scancarelli, Janine. "Cherokee Writing." The World's Writing Systems. 1998: Section 53. (Viewed at the Rosetta Project)
Notes
Further reading
- Bruchac, Joseph. Aniyunwiya/Real Human Beings: An Anthology of Contemporary Cherokee Prose. Greenfield Center, N.Y.:
Greenfield Review Press, 1995. ISBN 0912678925
External links
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