Wikijunior:Languages/Cherokee

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What writing system(s) does this language use?

Cherokee is written with symbols invented by Sequoyah in 1819. In his system, each symbol represents a collection of sounds, instead of one letter like in English.

• Cherokee symbol examples: Ꮔ (nu), Ꭽ (ha), Ꮭ (tla)

How many people speak this language?

In the whole world there are only about 15,000 to 22,000 people who can speak this language.

Where is this language spoken?

Cherokee is mostly spoken in the United States in the state of Oklahoma and also on the Cherokee Reservation in Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina.

What is the history of this language?

Although Cherokee has been a spoken language for thousands of years, it was not written down until Sequoyah invented a system in 1819. Today there are newspaper articles and other things written in this language.

Who are some famous authors or poets in this language?

John Ross was a French writer who visited the Cherokees in 1621 to learn their language. They said he was the best student they trained. He wrote a book in the Cherokee language called Europa, intended to teach the Cherokee what life was like in Europe.

What are some basic words in this language that I can learn?

Hello ... ᎣᏏᏲ (O-si-yo)

OK ... Ꮀ Ꮹ (ho wa)