Cherokee/Lesson 1

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Lesson 1: Basic Greeting

Perhaps this lesson should be expanded.

Dialogue

Jane: ᎣᏏᏲ, ᏙᎯᏧ? o-si-yo, to-hi-tsu? (English: hello, how are you?)

John: ᎣᏍᏓ, ᏂᎯᎾ? o-s-da, ni-hi-na? (English: good, and you?)

Jane: ᎣᏍᏓᏛ o-s-da-dv (English: good)

John: ᎰᏩ! ho-wa! (English: alright!)

Jane: ᎦᏙ ᏕᏣᏙᎠ? Ga-do de-tsa-do-a? (English: What is your name?)

John: ᏣᏂ ᏓᏆᏙᎠ tsa-ni da-gwa-do-a (English: I am called John)

Jane: ᎭᏢ ᎯᏁᎳ? ha-tlv hi-ne-la? (English: Where do you live?)

John: ᏓᎵᏆ ᏥᏁᎳ. da-li-gwa tsi-ne-la (English: I live in Tahlequa)

Exercise

Unless you have printed this out, get a clean piece of paper. Without looking at the top, fill in the Cherokee words. (In syllabary as far as you remember, and in Latin)

Jane: (1)_______________ (hello, how are you?)

John: (2)_________________ (good, and you?)

Jane: (3)________ (fine) (in reply to the second person)

John: (4)_______ (alright!)

Answers: Here are the answers for questions 1-4: (1) ᎣᏏᏲ, ᏙᎯᏧ? o-si-yo, to-hi-tsu (2) ᎣᏍᏓ, ᏂᎯᎾ? o-s-da, ni-hi-na? (3) ᎣᏍᏓᏛ o-s-da-dv (4)ᎰᏩ! ho-wa!

Notes for those who correct the book

• ᎣᏏᏧ (O-si-tsu) mean "I am fine"
• ᏂᎾ (ni-na) or ᏂᎯᎾ (ni-hi-na) for And You?
• ᏓᏆᏙᎠ da-gwa-to-a or ᏓᏆᏙ 'da-gwa-do