• a, as is a in father
• e, as a in hate
• i, as in i in pique
• o, as in note
• u as oo in fool
• v, as u in gun, nasalaized (unh)
• Letters in parentheses are sometimes not spoke in everyday language
• ' indicates accent on that syllable, following a consonant means the vowel has been left out
• ? indicates pause after that syllable

Dictionary - B

baby, babies; also, small, a baby animal, or 'of that kind'	u:-s-di, tsu:-n'-s-di
bait	ga?-di
ball, balls	s-qua-tle:-s-di, di-s-qua-tle:-s-di
ball-field	u-no-s-dv-ni'-s-di-(yi), s-qua-tle:-s-di
basket, baskets	ta-lu'-tsi, di-ta-lu'-tsi
bat (as in vampire)	tla-me'-ha, or tla-ma-ha
a bead, pendant	a-yah'-l'-di
bear, bears	yo-n(v)(a)
beautiful, pretty	u-wo-du'
beaver, beavers	do-ya
become, happen	ni-ga-li:-s-ti-(ya)(ha)
bed, beds	ga-ni'-tlv, de-ga-ni'-tlv
bell	u-ha-lv:-n(i)(a)
belt, belts	a-da'-tlo:-s-di, di-da'-tlo:-si-di
bench	*see table
best, of the best kind, excellent	wo:-sv, singular; wi-do:-sv, plural
big	e-qua(quv)
big, big around	e-qua(quv)
bird, birds	u'-ta-na'
Birds, (Clan) member of	A-tsi-s-qua
Birds, (Clan) members of	A-ni-tsi-s-qua
black	A-gv'-ni-ge
blackberry, blackberries	ka-nu'-ga-tli'
Blacks, Negroes	A-ni-gv'-ni-ga
blind, he/she is blind	di-tsi-ke:-wa, I am blind;di-ke:-wi
blood	gi-ga'
blossom, flower	a-tsi-lv'-s-gi
blouse, blouses or shirt, shirts	a'-hno-wo, di'-hna-wo
blue	sa-ko'-ni-ge
Blue Clan	A-ni-sa'-ha-ni
blue jay	tla-i?-ga
boat	tsi-yu
bobcat, bobcats	gv-he
body (my)	tsi-ye-lv-i
bone, bones, bony	ko:-l(i)(a)
bottle, bottles, Bartlesville	gu:-gu
boy, boys	a-tsu'-ts(a)(i), a-ni-tsu'-ts(a)(i); older boy, teenaged to young manhood, singular and plural, a-(h)wi:-n(a), a-ni-(h)wi:-n(a)
branch	u-wa'-n'-ga-tlv
bread	ga-du
break (off)	tsi-s-qua-la, I (just) broke it, snapped it off, gv-no-sa'-s-di
broom	gv-no-sa'-s-di
brother (my)	a-gi-do'-i, sibling of the opposite sex (brother spoken by a female); tso'-s-da-da-hnv-tli, fellow-brother (brother spoken by a male)
buffalo, buffaloes	ya'-n'-s-si'
burst out (of blood and air)	ga-ta-s-gi-(a)
bush, bushes	u-da-ya-tlv, u-n'-da-ya-tlv
but, and, or	a-le
butter	go:-tlv-hnv
button, buttons	ga?-di, di-ga?-di
buy, I am buying (now)	a-ki-wa'-s'ga, tsi-hwa'-s-ga
buzzard	su-li

 Dictionary - C

cake, cookie, coffee-cake	u-ga-na:-s-d(a), u-ni-ga-na:-s-d'
camp, stay overnight	a-sv:-s-di
camp, noun or verb	Ge?i o-gi-l'-tso-da, We are camping over there. (They have a tent)
candy, sugar	ka-l(i)-se:-ts(i)
cardinal (the bird)	to-tsu'-hwa
carpenter,carpenters	di-ne'-s-ge:-s-gi, di-na-ne's-ge:-s-gi
cat, cats	we-s(a)(i)
cattle, cow, cows	wa-ga
cedar tree, cedar trees	a'tsi'-n(a), a-ni-tsi-n(a)
cemetery	tsu-n'da-ni-soh-di-i
cent, one cent, two cents	i-da-n'-te-di, sa?-wu i-da-n'-te-di, ta?-li i-da-n'-te-di
certainly, truly	do:-yo
Cherokees, the Cherokee Tribe	A-ni-tsa-la-gi'
cherry, cherries	gi-ta'-ya
chicken, chickens	tsi-ta:-ga
child, children	a-(h)yo:-tli, di-ni-yo'-tli
childish, immature, uncompleted, scanty	ga-yo'-tli
Christmas	da-ni'-s-ta-yo'-hi-hv' (when they shoot off firecrackers)
church	tsu-ni-la-wi-s-di
church service	da-ni-la'-wi-ga
Deer Clan	A-ni?-a-hwi'
close,near	na?-v?-i
clothing	di'-hna-wo
cloud, cloudy	u:-lo'gi-l(a)(i); clouds, tsu-lo-gi-l(a)(i)
coffeecake, cookie, cake	u-ga-na:-s-d(a), u-ni-ga-na:-s-d(a) as an adjective: delicious
cookie, cake, coffeecake	u-ga-na:-s-d(a), u-ni-ga-na:-s-d(a) as an adjective: delicious
cold	u-hyv'-dla (dlv), u-yv-tla
coldness, cold, North, Republican	u-hyv'-dla (dlv)
color, colored (artificially)	a-su-wi-t(v)
corn	se'-lu
cornbread	se-lu ga-du
cotton cloth	u-tsi-lv
cough	a-g'-si-hwa-s-go, I have a cough
cousin (my), cousins (my)	gu'-s-di, a-qua'-hni, a-quv'-hni. The usual word for 'my cousin' used by Cherokee speakers is gu'-s-di--o'-s-da-da-dv'-hni
cow, cattle	wa-ga
cream	u-da-tlv:-d(a)(i)
cross over	de-tsi-n'-di'-s-ga, I am crossing over; de-hi-n'-di'-s-ga
crow	ko:-g(a)(i)
cup, cups	a-ku-gi'-s-di, di-ku-gi'-s-di
cut	tsi-ye'-hlo-ha
cut, cuts	tsa-da'-hye-tla-lv-i, de-tsa-da-hye-tla-lv-i

 

 Dictionary - D

dance (noun)	a-na-l'-s-gi-a, or a-l'-s-gi-a
dance hall	u-na-l'-s-gi-s-di (where they dance)
where we all dance	i-ga-l'-s-gi-s-di
dance (verb)	ga-li-s-gi-a (I am dancing)
dancing ground	u-na-l'-s-gi-s-di-i
day	*i-ga'
deaf	di-gi-li?-e:-na
I am deaf	V'-s-gi-yi
deer	a'-hwi'
Deer Clan	A-ni?-a-hwi'
be delighted, glad, happy, grateful, rejoice	ga-li-e:-li-ga, (h)a-li-he'-li-ga
Democrat, South, warm, warmth	u-ga'-no-wa' (wi)
different	(n)u-da-le-(hn(v:-d)(a)
dirt	ga-dv
dirty	ga-da-ha
do; I am doing; you are doing	ga-dv'-ne-a, ha-dv'-ne?-a
dog	gi-tli
dollar	u-hno:-s-da
donkey	di-ga-li-nv'-hi-dv
dove	wo:-ya
dress (verb)	de-ga-ni-wo?-a, I am dressing (I am putting on several garments)
dress, dresses or skirt, skirts	a'-sa-no, di'-sa-no
drink (verb)	ga-di-ta:-s-ga, I am drinking; ha-di-ta:-s-ga, you are drinking
drum, drums	a-hu'-li
dry	u-ka-yo:-d (of a nut), ripe
duck	ka-wo:-n(i)

 Language Lesson

Hello [o-si-yo]

How are you [dto-hi-tsu]

I am well dto-hi-gwo]

good/fine [o-s-da]

it's all right [o-s-da-dv]

yes [v v]

no/not so [tla, v tla, tla hv]

thank you [wa-do]

goodbye [do-na-da-go-hv-i]

goodbye to all [ do-da-da-go-hv-i]

and you? [ni-hi-na]

and [a-le]

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