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== Vocabulary == [[File:Cherokee stop sign.png|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Cherokee stop sign, [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma]], with {{lang|chr|α α΄α«ααα}} "{{lang|chr-Latn|alehwisdiha}}" (also spelled "{{lang|chr-Latn|halehwisda}}") meaning 'stop']] [[File:Cwy no parking.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Cherokee traffic sign in [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma]], reading {{lang|chr|α α α α±α©}} "{{lang|chr-Latn|tla adi yigi}}", meaning 'no parking' from "{{lang|chr-Latn|tla}}" meaning 'no']] === Numbers === Cherokee uses [[Arabic numerals]] (0β9). The Cherokee council voted not to adopt Sequoyah's numbering system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://intertribal.net/NAT/Cherokee/WebPgCC1/Numerals.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102075444/http://intertribal.net/NAT/Cherokee/WebPgCC1/Numerals.htm |archive-date=November 2, 2011 |publisher=Inter tribal |title=Sequoyah's Numerals }}</ref> Sequoyah created individual symbols for 1β20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 as well as a symbol for three zeros for numbers in the thousands, and a symbol for six zeros for numbers in the millions. These last two symbols, representing ",000" and ",000,000", are made up of two separate symbols each. They have a symbol in common, which could be used as a zero in itself. {| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" |- ! English ! Cherokee<ref name="omniglot.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.omniglot.com/language/numbers/cherokee.htm |title=Numbers in Cherokee |work=omniglot.com |access-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref> ! Transliteration |- | one | {{lang|chr|αα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|saquu}} |- | two | {{lang|chr|αα΅}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|tali}} |- | three | {{lang|chr|α¦α’}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|tsoi}} |- | four | {{lang|chr|α α©}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|nvgi}} |- | five | {{lang|chr|α―αα©}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|hisgi}} |- | six | {{lang|chr|ααα΅}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|sudali}} |- | seven | {{lang|chr|α¦α΅αα©}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|galiquogi}} |- | eight | {{lang|chr|α§αα³}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|tsunela}} |- | nine | {{lang|chr|ααα³}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|sonela}} |- | ten | {{lang|chr|ααͺα―}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|sgohi}} |- | eleven | {{lang|chr|αα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|sadu}} |- | twelve | {{lang|chr|αα΅α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|talidu}} |- | thirteen | {{lang|chr|α¦α¦α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|tsogadu}} |- | fourteen | {{lang|chr|αα¦α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|nigadu}} |- | fifteen | {{lang|chr|α―αα¦α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|hisgadu}} |- | sixteen | {{lang|chr|αα³α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|daladu}} |- | seventeen | {{lang|chr|α¦α΅αα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|galiquadu}} |- | eighteen | {{lang|chr|αα³α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|neladu}} |- | nineteen | {{lang|chr|ααα³α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|soneladu}} |- | twenty | {{lang|chr|αα΅ααͺα―}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|talisgohi}} |} === Days === {| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" |- ! English ! Cherokee<ref name="omniglot.com" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/Language/Dikaneisdi%28WordList%29.aspx|title=Dikaneisdi (Word List)|work=cherokee.org|access-date=May 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508224207/http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/Language/Dikaneisdi(WordList).aspx|archive-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref> ! Transliteration |- |Days of the week |{{lang|chr|α―αΈαα©α’α¦}} |{{lang|chr-Latn|hilvsgiiga}} |- |Sunday |{{lang|chr|α€αΎααααα¬}} |{{lang|chr-Latn|unadodaquasgv}} |- |Monday |{{lang|chr|α€αΎαααα α―}} |{{lang|chr-Latn|unadodaquohnvhi}} |- |Tuesday |{{lang|chr|αα΅αα’α¦}} |{{lang|chr-Latn|talineiga}} |- |Wednesday |{{lang|chr|α¦α’αα’α¦}} |{{lang|chr-Latn|tsoineiga}} |- |Thursday |{{lang|chr|α α©αα’α¦}} |{{lang|chr-Latn|nvgineiga}} |- |Friday |{{lang|chr|α§αΎα©αΆαα}} |{{lang|chr-Latn|junagilosdi}} |- |Saturday |{{lang|chr|α€αΎαααααΎ}} |{{lang|chr-Latn|unadodaquidena}} |} === Months === {| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" |- ! English ! Meaning ! Cherokee ! Transliteration |- | January | Month of the Cold Moon | {{lang|chr|αααΈαα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|dunolvtani}} |- | February | Month of the Bony Moon | {{lang|chr|α§α¦α΅}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|kagali}} |- | March | Month of the Windy Moon | {{lang|chr|α αα±}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|anuyi}} |- | April | Month of the Flower Moon | {{lang|chr|α§α©α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|kawani}} |- | May | Month of the Planting Moon | {{lang|chr|α αΎα α¬α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|anaagvti}} |- | June | Month of the Green Corn Moon | {{lang|chr|ααα·α±}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|dehaluyi}} |- | July | Month of the Ripe Corn Moon | {{lang|chr|α«α°αα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|guyequoni}} |- | August | Month of the End of Fruit Moon | {{lang|chr|α¦αΆαα’}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|galonii}} |- | September | Month of the Nut Moon | {{lang|chr|αα΅α’αα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|duliisdi}} |- | October | Month of the Harvest Moon | {{lang|chr|ααα α}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|duninvdi}} |- | November | Month of Trading Moon | {{lang|chr|αααα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|nudadequa}} |- | December | Month of the Snow Moon | {{lang|chr|α₯αα©α¦}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|vsgiga}} |} === Colors === {| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" |- ! English ! Cherokee ! Transliteration |- | black | {{lang|chr|α¬αΎα¨α’}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|gvnagei}} |- | blue | {{lang|chr|ααͺαα¨α’}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|sagonigei}} |- | brown | {{lang|chr|α€α¬αα¨}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|uwodige}} |- | green | {{lang|chr|α’α€α’α³αα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|itseiyusdi}} |- | gray | {{lang|chr|α€ααͺαΈ ααͺαα¨}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|usgolv sagonige}} |- | gold | {{lang|chr|ααΆαα¨α’}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|dalonigei}} |- | orange | {{lang|chr|α ααΆαα¨}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|asalonige}} |- | pink | {{lang|chr|α©α¦α¨α’α³αα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|gigageiyusdi}} |- | purple | {{lang|chr|α©α¨αα}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|gigesdi}} |- | red | {{lang|chr|α©α¦α¨}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|gigage}} |- | silver | {{lang|chr|α ααΈ α€αα¬}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|adelv unegv}} |- | white | {{lang|chr|α€αα¦}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|unega}} |- | yellow | {{lang|chr|ααΆαα¨}} | {{lang|chr-Latn|dalonige}} |} === Word creation === The polysynthetic nature of the Cherokee language enables the language to develop new descriptive words in Cherokee to reflect or express new concepts. Some good examples are {{lang|chr|ααα²α―α―}} (''{{transliteration|chr|ditiyohihi}}'', 'he argues repeatedly and on purpose with a purpose') corresponding to 'attorney' and {{lang|chr|αααα±αα©}} (''{{transliteration|chr|didaniyisgi}}'', 'the final catcher' or 'he catches them finally and conclusively') for 'policeman'.<ref name="begin">Holmes and Smith, p. vi</ref> Other words have been adopted from another language such as the English word ''gasoline'', which in Cherokee is {{lang|chr|α¦αα΅α}} (''{{transliteration|chr|gasoline}}''). Other words were adopted from the languages of tribes who settled in Oklahoma in the early 1900s. One interesting and humorous example is the name of [[Nowata, Oklahoma]], deriving from {{lang|chr-Latn|nowata}}, a Delaware word for 'welcome' (more precisely the Delaware word is {{lang|del|nuwita}} which can mean 'welcome' or 'friend' in the [[Delaware languages]]). The white settlers of the area used the name {{lang|chr-Latn|Nowata}} for the township, and local Cherokee, being unaware that the word had its origins in the Delaware language, called the town {{lang|chr|α αΉαα§αα¬αΎα¬αΎ}} (''{{transliteration|chr|Amadikanigvnagvna}}'') which means 'the water is all gone gone from here' β i.e. 'no water'.<ref name="Holmes and Smith, p. vii">Holmes and Smith, p. vii</ref> Other examples of adopted words are {{lang|chr|α§α«}} (''{{transliteration|chr|kawi}}'') for 'coffee' and {{lang|chr|α©α₯}} (''{{transliteration|chr|watsi}}'') for 'watch'; which led to {{lang|chr|α€ααΎ α©α₯}} ({{lang|chr-Latn|utana watsi}}, 'big watch') for ''clock''.<ref name="Holmes and Smith, p. vii" /> Meaning expansion can be illustrated by the words for 'warm' and 'cold', which can be also extended to mean 'south' and 'north'. Around the time of the [[American Civil War]], they were further extended to US party labels, [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], respectively.<ref name="Holmes and Smith, p. 43">Holmes and Smith, p. 43</ref>
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