1st Person Singular Subject:

2nd Person Singular Object –

gvy – before vowels / gv – before consonants —

gvgow(a)(h)tiha — I see you

3rd Person Singular Animate Object –

tsiy – (jiy – ) before vowels / tsi – (ji – ) before consonants —

tsigow(a)(h)tiha — I see him/her

3rd Person Singular Inanimate Object –

g – before vowels / tsi – (ji – ) before consonants —

tsigow(a)(h)tiha (jigow(a)(h)tiha) — I see it. ** ‘i’ is inserted before consonants and the ‘g’ changes to ‘ts’ ( ‘j’ )**

2nd Person Dual Object –

sdvy – before vowels / sdv – before consonants —

sdvgow(a)(h)tiha — I see you (two people).

2nd Person Plural Object –

itsvy – ( ijvy – ) before vowels / itsv – ( ijv -) before consonants —

itsvgow(a)(h)tiha (ijvgow(a)(h)tiha) — I see you (more than two people)

3rd Person Plural Animate Object –

gatsiy – (gajiy – ) before vowels / gatsi – ( gaji – ) before consonants —

gatsigow(a)(h)tiha (gajigow(a)(h)tiha) — I see them (animate plural)

3rd Person Plural Inanimate Object –

deg – before vowels / detsi – (deji – ) before consonants —

detsigow(a)(h)tiha (dejigow(a)(h)tiha) — I see them (inanimate plural)

1st Person Dual Inclusive Subject:

3rd Person Singular Animate Object –

en – before vowels / eni – before consonants —

enigow(a)(h)tiha — You and I see him/her

3rd Person Singular Inanimate Object –

in – before vowels / ini – before consonants —

inigow(a)(h)tiha — You and I see it.

3rd Person Plural Animate Object –

gen – before vowels / geni – before consonants —

genigow(a)(h)tiha — You and I see them (animate)

3rd Person Plural Inanimate Object –

den – before vowels / deni – before consonants —

denigow(a)(h)tiha – You and I see them (inanimate)

1st Person Dual Exclusive Subject:

2nd Person Singular Object –

sdvy – before vowels / sdv – before consonants —

sdvya’lv’iha – he/she and I are tying you up. *y is inserted between the vowel of the prefix and the vowel initiated verb*

3rd Person Singular Animate Object –

osd – before vowels / osdi – before consonants —

osda’lv’oiha – he/she and I are tying him/her up.

3rd Person Singular Inanimate Object –

osd – before vowels / osdi – before consonants —

osda(h)lv’iha – he/she and I are tying it up.

2nd Person Dual Object –

sdvy – before vowels / sdv – before consonants —

sdvyvniha – he/she and I are hitting you (two)

2nd Person Plural Object –

its – ( ij – ) before vowels / itsi – ( iji – ) before consonants —

itsvyvniha – he/she and I are hitting you (more than two)

3rd Person Plural Animate Object –

gosd – before vowels / gosdi – before consonants —

gosdigow(a)(h)tiha – he/she and I see them

3rd Person Plural Inanimate Object –

dosd – before vowels / dosdi – before consonants —

dosdigow(a)(h)tiha he/she and I see them

1st Person Plural Inclusive Subject:

3rd Person Singular Animate Object –

ed – before vowels / edi – before consonants —

edigow(a)(h)tiha – you and I see him/her

3rd Person Singular Inanimate Object –

id – before vowels / idi – before consonants —

idigow(h)(a)tiha – you and I see it

3rd Person Plural Animate Object –

ged – before vowels / gedi – before consonants –

gedvniha – you and I are hitting them

3rd Person Plural Inanimate Object –

ded – before vowels / dedi – before consonants –

dedvniha – you are I are hitting them

1st Person Plural Exclusive:

2nd Person Singular Object –

itsvy – (ijvy – ) before vowels / itsv – (ijv – ) before consonants —

itsvgow(a)htiha (ijvgowhtiha) – he and I see you.

3rd Person Singular Animate Object –

ots – (oj – ) before vowels / otsi – (oji – ) before consonants —

otsigow(a)(h)tiha (ojigowhtiha) – they and I see him.

3rd Person Singular Inanimate Object –

ots – (oj – ) before vowels / otsi – (oji – ) before consonants —

otsigow(a)(h)tiha (ojigowhtiha) – they and I see it.

3rd Person Plural Animate Object –

gots – (goj – ) before vowels / gotsi – (goji – ) before consonants —

gotsaʔlvʔiha (gojaʔlvʔiha) – they and I are tying them up.

3rd Person Plural Inanimate Object –

dots – (doj – ) before vowels / dotsi – (doji – ) before consonants —

dotsv(h)niha (dojvhniha) – they and I are hitting them.

#Cherokeelanguage

2nd Person Dual Subject:

1st Person Singular Object –

sgin – before vowels / sgini – before consonants —

sginigow(a)(h)tiha — you (dual people) see me. Can be seen written sginigowhtiha or sginigowa(h)tiha

3rd Person Singular Animate Object –

esd – before vowels / esdi – before consonants —

esdalvʔiha — you (dual) are tying him up.

3rd Person Singular Inanimate Object –

sd – before vowels / sdi – before consonants —

sdvniha — you (dual) are hitting it

1st Person Dual Exclusive Object –

sgin – before vowels / sgini – before consonants —

sginigow(a)(h)tiha — you see me and him

1st Person Plural Exclusive Object –

isgiy – before vowels / isgiyi – before consonants —

isgiyvniha — you (dual people) are hitting me and them

3rd Person Plural Animate Object –

gesd – before vowels / gesdi – before consonants —

gesdvniha – you (dual) are hitting them (animate)

3rd Person Plural Inanimate Object –

desd – before vowels / desdi – before consonants —

desda(h)lvʔiha — you (dual) are tying them (inanimate) up.

2nd Person Plural Subject:

1st Person Singular Object –

isgiy – before vowels / isgi – before consonants — isgigow(a)(h)tiha — you (plural) see me. Can be seen written isgigowhtiha or isgigowatiha.

3rd Person Singular Animate Object –

ets – (ej – ) before vowels / etsi – (eji – ) before consonants — etsvniha — you (plural) are hitting him. Can be seen written ejvniha.

3rd Person Singular Inanimate Object –

its – (ij – ) before vowels / itsi – (iji – ) before consonants — itsigow(a)(h)tiha — you (plural) see it. Can be seen written ijigowhtiha, itsigowhtiha, itsigowatiha, or ijigowatiha.

1st Person Dual Exclusive Object –

isgiy – before vowels / isgi – before consonants — isgigow(a)(h)tiha — you (plural) see me and him. Can be seen written isgigowhtiha or isgigowatiha.

1st Person Plural Exclusive Object –

isgiy – before vowels / isgi – before consonants — isgigow(a)(h)tiha — you (plural) see me and them. Can be seen written isgigowhtiha or isgigowatiha.

3rd Person Plural Animate Object –

gets – (gej – ) before vowels / getsi – (geji – ) before consonants — getsvniha – you (plural) are hitting them (animate). Can be seen written gejvniha.

3rd Person Plural Inanimate Object –

dets – (dej – ) before vowels / detsi – (deji – ) before consonants — detsvniha — you (plural) are hitting them (inanimate). Can be seen written dejvniha.

Michelle Bridges

I was taught the language through family members, some whom still lived on the reservation. It wasn't until I was an adult and my children were being taught the language that I learned the syllabary and how to write in Tsalagi. I was sadden to see there were no storybooks for kids at the bookstore or library in Tsalagi as in other languages. I wrote some of my own for my children to use. When my first grandchild was born, I still could find nothing. Michael Joyner had published a few, but were expensive. So, I published my first book Funny Farm. I have since took to social media with #cherokeewordoftheday on Mondays and Wednesday. I am currently working on worksheets and more books that will be available to purchase. I hope to inspire others to do the same.

1 Article