Forming Nouns In Cherokee.

Active nouns express something that is like a trait and not something that can be possessed . Consider the verb "ser" in Spanish.

(see: Passive Nouns)


Root noun beginning in consonant

yvwiya - Indian

ᏥᏴᏫᎭ - tsi-yvwiya - I am an Indian.

ᎯᏴᏫᏯ - hi-yvwiya - you are an Indian.

ᎠᏴᏫᏯ - a-yvwiya - he/she is an Indian.

ᎢᏂᏴᏫᏯ - ini-yvwiya - we are Indians.

ᏍᏗᏴᏫᏯ - sdi-yvwiya - you two are Indians.

ᎣᏍᏗᏴᏫᏯ - osdi-yvwiya - we two (not you) are Indians.

ᎢᏗᏴᏫᏯ - idi-yvwiya - we (including you) are all Indians.

ᎣᏥᏴᏫᏯ - otsi-yvwiya - we (not you) are all Indians.

ᎢᏥᏴᏫᏯ - itsi-yvwiya - you are all Indians.

ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ - ani-yvwiya - they are Indians.




tsalagi - Cherokee

ᏥᏣᎳᎩ - tsi-tsalagi - I am Cherokee

ᎯᏣᎳᎩ - hi-tsalagi - you are Cherokee

ᎠᏣᎳᎩ - a-tsalagi - he is Cherokee

ᎢᏂᏣᎳᎩ - ini-tsalagi - we are Cherokee

ᏍᏗᏣᎳᎩ - sdi-tsalagi - you two are Cherokee

ᎣᏍᏗᏣᎳᎩ - osdi-tsalagi - we two (excluding you) are Cherokee

ᎢᏗᏣᎳᎩ - idi-tsalagi - we all are Cherokee

ᎣᏥᏣᎳᎩ - otsi-tsalagi - we (excluding you) are Cherokee

ᎢᏥᏣᎳᎩ - itsi-tsalagi - you all are Cherokee

ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ - ani-tsalagi - they are Cherokee


Root nouns beginning in vowel

ata teenage girl

ᎦᏔ - g-ata - I am a teenage girl.

ᎭᏔ - h-ata - you are a teenage girl.

ᎠᏔ - ata - she is a teenage girl.

ᎢᎾᏔ - in-ata - we are teenage girls.

ᏍᏓᏔ - sd-ata - you two are teenage girls.

ᎣᏍᏓᏔ - osd-ata - we two (not you) are teenage girls.

ᎢᏓᏔ - id-ata - we (including you) are all teenage girls.

ᎣᏣᏔ - ots-ata - we (not you) are all teenage girls.

ᎢᏣᏔ - its-ata - you are all teenage girls.

ᎠᎾᏔ - an-ata - they are all teenage girls.