GUIDE TO CHEROKEE SYLLABARY PRONUNCIATION:
(PHONIC) PRONUNCIATION:(THE ALPHABET READS STRAIGHT ACROSS, LEFT TO RIGHT
FROM ROW TO ROW . THERE ARE (13) ROWS TOTAL)
Row Number One:
"a" is said as ah
"e" is said as aye
"i" is said as ee
"o" is said as oh
"u" is said as ooh
"v" is said as uh
Row Number Two:"ga" is said as gah
"ka" is said as kah
"ge" is said as gay
"gi" is said as gee
"go" is said as goe
"gu" is said as goo
"gv" is said as guh
Row Number Three:
"ha" is said as hah
"he" is said as hay
"hi" is said as hee
"ho" is said as hoe
"hu" is said as hue
"hv" is said as huh
Row Number Four:"la" is said as law
"le" is said as lay
"li" is said as lee
"lo" is said as low
"lu" is said as loo
"lv" is said as luh
Row Number Five:
"ma" is said as mah
"me" is said as may
"mi" is said as mee
"mo" is said as moe
"mu" is said as moo
Row Number Six:
"na" is said as nah
"hna"is said as nanuh
"nah"is said as gnaw
"ne" is said as nay
"ni" is said as knee
"no" is said as noe
"nu" is said as new
"nv" is said as nuh
Row Number Seven:
"qua" is said as quah
"que" is said as quay
"qui" is said as quee
"quo" is said as quoo
"quu" is said as quooh
"quv" is said as quuh
Row Number Eight:
"sa" is said as sah
" s " is said as like a hiss of a snake...ssss
"se" is said as say
"si" is said as see
"so" is said as sew
"su" is said as sue
"sv" is said as suh
Row Number Nine:
"da" is said as dah
"ta" is said as tah
"de" is said as day
"te" is said as tay
"di" is said as dee
"ti" is said as tee
"do" is said as doe
"du" is said as due
"dv" is said as duh
Row Number Ten:
"dla" is said as dahlah
"tla" is said as claw
"tle" is said as clay
"tli" is said as clee
"tlo" is said as cloe
"tlu" is said as clue
"tlv" is said as cluh
Row Number Eleven:
"tsa" is said as jaw
"tse" is said as jay
"tsi" is said as jee
"tso" is said as joe
"tsu" is said as jew
"tsv" is said as juh
Row Number Twelve:
"wa" is said as wah
"we" is said as way
"wi" is said as wee
"wo" is said as woe
"wu" is said as woo
"wv" is said as wuh
Row Number Thirteen:
"ya" is said as yah
"ye" is said as yay
"yi" is said as yee
"yo" is said as yo
"yu" is said as you
"yv" is said as yuh
Cherokee (Tsa la gi) Words and Phrases:
You can use the Phonic Alphabet
to learn how to say these...
Hello: o-si-yo!
(There is no “goodbye” in our language) so we say “We will see each other again”
Speaking to just one person do-na-da-go-hv-i
Speaking to two or more people do-da-da-go-hv-i
Speaking to just one person do-na-da-go-hv-i
Speaking to two or more people do-da-da-go-hv-i
Are you well? do-hi-tsu
Yes: V-V
I: a-ya
You: ni hi ::ni-ti
I am Well: do-hi-quu
Good: o-s-da!
And You? ni-hi-na-hv
Thank-You: wa-do! (The sign with the hands is the same as modern sign language,
Lift your palm hand to your lips, and motion downward)
Lift your palm hand to your lips, and motion downward)
No: tla
Please: u-do-hi-yu-i
Good Morning: o-s-da su-na-le-I
Good Evening: o-s-da sv-hi-ye-I
Good Night: o-s-da sv-no-I
Cherokee: tsa-la-gi
My Name Is: da-qua-do-a
I am Cherokee: tsi tsa-la-gi
Are you Cherokee? hi tsa-la-gi?
Do you Speak Cherokee? tsa-la-gi-s hi-wo-ni?
Spiritual Words:
God: Yo-wa, Yihowa, Yahweh
Jesus: tsi-sa
Spirit: a-da-(nv)-do
Medicine: nv-wo-ti
Disciple: a-da-s-da-wa-di-to-hi
Heaven: ga-lv-la-di tso-sv
Eternity: I-go-hi-da
Eternal: i-go-hi-dv
Angel: a-ni-da-we-hi
Hell: tsv-s-gi-no
RELATIONS:
(My) Friend: o gi na li
Child: a-yo-tli
Teacher: di-de-yo-hv-s-gi
Man: a-s-ga-ya
Woman: a-ni-ge-ya
Son: (My) a-tsu tsa-a-que-tsi
Boy: a-tsu-tsa Boys: a-ni-tsu-tsa
Daughter: (His/Her) u-we-tsi- a-ge-hu-tsa
Girl: a-ge-yu-tsa Girls: a-ni-ge-yu-tsa
Aunt: e-lo-gi
Uncle: e-du-tsi
Sister: (Female) v-gi-lv
Sister: (My Sister) v-gi-do
Sisters: (They Are) di-(na)da-lv
Sisters: (We Are) tso-s-da-da-lv
Brother: (Male) di-na-da-nv-tli
Brother: (My) tso-s-da-da-nv-tli
Brother: (His) di-na-da-nv-tli
Brother: (Hers) u-do-I
Father: e-do-da
Father: (My) a-gi-do-da
Grandfather: e-du-da
Mother: e-tsi
Grandmother: e-li-si
Chief: u-gv-wi-yu-hi
Warrior: di-tli-hi
ASSORTED WORDS:
Tobacco: tso-la
Pipe: ga-nv-no-wa
Council: di-na-la-wi-gi
History: ka-no-he- s gi nv-wo-ti
Songs: di-ka-no-gi-s-di
Phoenix: qui-ni-(gi)-si
ANIMALS:
Eagle: u-wo-hi-li
Hawk: ta-wo-da
Buffalo: ya-(na) se
Bear: yo-na
Horse: so-qui-li
Turtle: dv-(ga)-si
Turkey: gv-ni
Fox: tsu-la
Deer: a-wi
Cat: we-si
Dog: gi-li
Snake: i-na-dv
MORE ASSORTED WORDS:
Earth: e-lo-hi
Stone: nv-ya
Plant: ga-go-ti
Flower: a-tsi-lv-s-gi
Coffee: ka-wi
Thanksgiving: a li he li s di - i-ga
Merry Christmas! da-ni-s-ta-yo-hi-hv!
Birthday: u-de-ti-yi-s-gv
Big: e-qua
Small: u-s-ti
THE FOUR DIRECTIONS:
East: ka-lv-gv
West: wu-de-li-gv
North: u-yv-tlv
South: u-ga-na-wv
THE FOUR SEASONS:
Spring: gi-la-go-ge
Summer: go-gi
Fall: u-la-go-hv-s-di
Winter: go-li
NUMBERS IN CHEROKEE (tsa-la-gi):
One: sa quu i
Two: ta li
Three: tso i
Four: nv gi
Five: hi s gi
Six: su da li
Seven: ga (li) quo gi
Eight: tsu ne la
Nine: so ne la
Ten: s go hi
Eleven: sa du i
Twelve: ta (li) du i
Thirteen: tso ga du i
Fourteen: ni ga du i
Fifthteen: 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 to nine.
For numbers one hundred to one hundred ninety nine, pronounce one hundred and add numbers one to ninety-nine.
Then do the same for two hundred to five hundred.)
COLORS IN THE CHEROKEE LANGUAGE:
Black: gv ni ge
White: u ne ga
Blue: sa go ni ge
Brown: u wo di ge
Green: i tse i yu s di
Grey: u s go lv - sa go ni ge
Orange: a da lo ni ge
Purple: gi ge s di
Red: gi ga ge
Silver: a de lv u ne gv
Yellow: da lo ni ge
Pink: gi ga ge-i- yu s di
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Days of the week:
Sunday: u na do da qua s gv i
Monday: u na do da quo nv i
Tuesday: ta li ne i ga
Wednesday: tso i ne i ga
Thursday: nv gi ne i ga
Friday: tsu (ni) gi lo s ti
Saturday: u na do da qui de na
<><><><><><><>
Months of the year:
January: u no lv ta ni
February: ka ka li
March: a nv yi
April: ka wo ni
May: a (ni) s gv ti
June: ti ha lu yi
July: gu ye quo ni
August: ga lo ni
September: du li s di
October: du ni nv di
November: nv da de wi
December: v s gi yi
My sister died and I have a tshirt of hers it says:
ReplyDeletetla ya quah na ta
tsa la gi
go we li
I think the first word is "no" I know the middle is "cherokee" and maybe the bottom is "papers"? Can someone please tell me what the shirt says? Also there's a rabbit on top and on bottom
I don't know Cherokee writing
Deletetla ya quah na ta= I am a Manda.
ReplyDeleteCherokee: tsa-la-gi
go we li = Whiskey
Supposed to have ancestor by name, I think, oh ma su ah, or close to that....what does it.mean...is it a name.....not sure of spelling but maybe I'm close.
ReplyDeleteDepending on community dialect...
ReplyDeletetla yawahnta = I don't know
tsalagi = Cherokee
goweli = book/paper