Itse Dugalu

       This is the Cherokee syllabary, our written language.  Each consonant is prounounced roughly the same as it's English counterpart.  The "v" is used as a vowel substituting the uh sound in but, however it is usually somewhat nasalized.  The ts when we speak it here locally is often the j sound and the tl is more of a cl sound.  AEIOU all take the roman pronunciations:

fAther, Egg (more like AYgg), pIzza, Orange, yoU

Did you know that Ssiquoya is the only person in the history of the world to create an entire written language on his own?  Although many children play around with symbols and create make believe languages and codes with their friends Ssiquoya created a syllabary which was first used by the Cherokees living in what is now called Arkansas.  The syllabary is still in common use by Cherokee speakers and it is helping to preserve the Cherokee language from extinction.  The Cherokee are not the only Natives to have their own written language.  The Osage and the Inuit have developed their own alphabets based loosely off the Roman Alphabet and the trend is spreading.  To see the Osage alphabet you can visit the site: http://www.osagetribe.com/language/info_sub_page.aspx?subpage_id=5

Sample vocabulary 

March (Anvyi)

1.    gadusi -- hill

2.    digadusi -- hills

3.    odalv -- mountain

4.    dodalv -- mountains

5.    ama ganugogv -- spring (water)

6.    vdali -- pond/ lake

7.    amequohi -- ocean/ sea

8.    uweyvi -- stream

9.    equoni -- river

10.  usdagalv -- cave

11. adohi -- woods

12. tlogesi -- field

13.  nvno -- road

14.  deganvnv -- roads

15.  utana nvnohi -- highway

16.  asvtlv -- bridge

17.  adanvnv -- store

18.  (ts)undelquasdi -- school

19.  adelvdidi -- bank (money)

20.  utana tsundelquasdi -- college

Make sure that when you pronounce multiple vowels in a row that you don't slur them together.  navi should be pronounced na.v.i.

       Galagina Boudinott was a great Cherokee linguist who started up the Cherokee Phoenix and translated from English and the Biblical languages into Cherokee and vice versa.  This part of our page is dedicated to him and his purpose that we share.

For information about other native languages please check out the following link: 

http://www.native-languages.org/