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Consonant Sounds
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h, k, l, m, n,
q,
s, t, w, and y as in English.
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g nearly as in English, but approaching
k.
Syllables beginning with g except (ga) can have the consonance of
k.
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(go), (du), and (dv) are sometimes sounded to, tu, and
tv.
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Syllables starting with tl [except (tla)] sometimes vary to
dl.
Words for this section have been taken from the text " Beginning Cherokee"
by Ruth Bradley Holmes and Betty Sharp Smith. Words have also been selected
from the text " Cherokee Words" by Mary Ulmer Chiltoskey. These books are
still in print and can be ordered at your local bookstore. Beginning Cherokee
has an accompanying 2 tape cassette package to give pronounciation and
vocabulary words as they are covered in the text.
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January Month of the Cold Moon
du no lv ta ni
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February Month of the Bony Moon
ka ga li
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March Month of the Windy Moon
a nu yi
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April Month of the Flower Moon
ka wa ni
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May Month of the Planting
Moon
a na a gv ti
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June Month of the Green Corn Moon
de ha lu yi
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July Month of the Ripe Corn Moon
gu ye quo ni
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August Month of the end of the Fruit Moon
ga lo ni i
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September Month of the Nut Moon
du li i s di
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October Month of the Harvest Moon
du ni nv di
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November Month of the Trading Moon
nu da de qua
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December Month of the Snow Moon
v s gi ga
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CHEROKEE......... CHA LA GI
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hello............ o si yo
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good/fine........ o s da, o s di
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small............ u s di
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thank you........ wa do
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no/not........... kla, kla ha
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goodbye.......... do na da' go hv i (speaking to 1 person)
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do' da da go' hv i (speaking to a group)
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yes/ok........... v v (heard pronounced as huh huh and yee yee)
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man.............. a s ga ya
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woman............ i ge, i ge ya
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mother........... e tsi
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father........... e do da
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grandmother...... e li si
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grandfather...... e do di
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boy.............. tsu tsa
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group of boys.... a ni tsu tsa
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girl............. a ge yu tsa
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coffee........... go we
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good morning..... o s da su na le i
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good evening..... o s da su he ye e
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good night....... o s da su no e
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enough........... e li qu
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welcome.......... tsi lu gi
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how are you...... do hi tsu
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I am well........ do hi quu
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and you.......... ne he na ha
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grease........... go i
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this............. hi a
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he knows......... go ga
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wolf............. wa ya
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bear............. ho nv
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wildcat.......... ka he
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bird............. tsi s qua
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crow............. go gv (pronounced ko guh)
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I want a turkey..... gv na a wa do li
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what are they doing.... ga do a na du ne
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first............... e gv yi i
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second........... ta li ne
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5................ hi s gi
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bread............ ga du
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like/similar..... gi ni tlo yi
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feather.......... u gi da li
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beads ........... a de la di ya tso di
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string of beads.. a de la di ya tlo di
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maple............ tlv hwa li ga (pronounced by some as DLA WALS
CA)note: the h in front of we, wa etc. denotes a nasal inflection for the syllable as if taking a heavy breath.
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cold............. u hyv dla
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what is your name.... ga do de tsa do a (the do near the end has
a very crisp nasal sound and merges with the a at the end)
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