The "Set B" Verb "to hunger, be hungry'
Verb Root -yo:hsi-
Note: This verb takes the distributive/plural
prefix before dual and plural pronoun prefixes.
The singular of the verb do not. See also"to
be thirsty"which parallels "to be hungry".
One explanation is that in the Cherokee language, each person is
perceived as experiencing his or her own sensation of hunger or
thirst. With multiple people, there are multiple experiences of
hunger or thirst reflected by the distributive prefix.
Present Tense
ᎠᎩᏲᏏᎭ - agi-yo:hsi-ha - I am hungry.
ᏣᏲᏏᎭ - tsa-yo:hsi-ha - you are hungry.
ᎤᏲᏏᎭ - u-yo:hsi-ha - he/she/it is hungry.
ᏕᎩᏂᏲᏏᎭ - degini-yo:hsi-ha - the two of us (including you) are hungry.
ᏕᏍᏗᏲᏏᎭ - desdi-yo:hsi-ha - you two are hungry.
ᏙᎩᏂᏲᏏᎭ - dogini-yo:hsi-ha - the two of us (not including you) are hungry.
ᏕᎩᏲᏏᎭ - degi-yo:hsi-ha - we all (including you) are hungry.
ᏙᎩᏲᏏᎭ - dogi-yo:hsi-ha - we all (not including you) are hungry.
ᏕᏥᏲᏏᎭ - detsi-yo:hsi-ha - you all are hungry.
ᏚᏂᏲᏏᎭ - duni-yo:hsi-ha - they are hungry.
1. ᎠᏂᏍᎦᏯ ᏚᏂᏲᏏᎭ
- Anisgaya duniyosiha.
The men (they) are hungry.
2. ᏣᏲᏏᎭᏍ?
- Tsayosihas?
Are you hungry?
3. ᎨᏍᏗ ᏳᏲᏏᎭ.
- Gesdi yuyosiha.
S/He is not hungry.
4. ᏙᎩᏲᏏᎭ
- Dogiyosiha.
We are all hungry.
5. ᏕᏍᏗᏲᏏᎭᏧ?
- Desdiyosihatsu?
Are you two hungry?
The following examples are taken from the Cherokee New Testament:
6. ᎪᎯ ᎨᏒ ᎢᏯᏍᏗ, ᎠᎪᏄ ᏙᎩᏲᏏᎭ, ᎠᎴ ᏙᎩᏔᏕᎩᎭ
At this time, we are both hungry and thirsty.
7. ᎿᏉ ᎥᏝ ᎠᎪᏄ ᏧᏂᏲᏏᏐᏗ ᏱᎨᏎᏍᏗ. ᎥᏝ ᎠᎴ ᎿᏉ ᏧᏂᏔᏕᎪᏗ ᏱᎨᏎᏍᏗ...
At that time they shall neither hunger or
thirst anymore...
Habitual
ᎠᎩᏲᏏᎰᎢ - agi-yo:hsi-hoɂi - I hunger.
ᏣᏲᏏᎰᎢ - tsa-yo:hsi-hoɂi - you hunger.
ᎤᏲᏏᎰᎢ - u-yo:hsi-hoɂi - he/she/it hungers.
ᏕᎩᏂᏲᏏᎰᎢ - degini-yo:hsi-hoɂi - the two of us (including you) hunger.
ᏕᏍᏗᏲᏏᎰᎢ - desdi-yo:hsi-hoɂi - you two hunger.
ᏙᎩᏂᏲᏏᎰᎢ - dogini-yo:hsi-hoɂi - the two of us (not including you) hunger.
ᏕᎩᏲᏏᎰᎢ - degi-yo:hsi-hoɂi - we all (including you) hunger.
ᏙᎩᏲᏏᎰᎢ - dogi-yo:hsi-hoɂi - we all (not including you) hunger.
ᏕᏥᏲᏏᎰᎢ - detsi-yo:hsi-hoɂi - you all hunger.
ᏚᏂᏲᏏᎰᎢ - duni-yo:hsi-hoɂi - they hunger.
Remote Past
ᎠᎩᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - agi-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - I was hungry.
ᏣᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - tsa-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - you were hungry.
ᎤᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - u-yosi:hsi-sgvɂi - he/she/it was hungry.
ᏕᎩᏂᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - degini-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - the two of us (including you) were hungry.
ᏕᏍᏗᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - desdi-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - you two were hungry.
ᏙᎩᏂᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - dogini-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - the two of us (not including you) were hungry.
ᏕᎩᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - degi-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - we all (including you) were hungry.
ᏙᎩᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - dogi-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - we all (not including you) were hungry.
ᏕᏥᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - detsi-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - you all were hungry.
ᏚᏂᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - duni-yo:hsi-sgvɂi - they were hungry.
Imperative/Immediate
Note: For Complexed Verbs requiring the
distributive prefix /de-/, all occurrences of /de-/ change to /di-/
in the Imperative/Immediate and the Infinitive verb
stems. Additionally, with the Infinitive form of these
verbs, in the 3rd person singular and plural from /d-/ to
/ts-/ before the vowels /o/ and /u/ this prefix changes from /d-/ to
/ts-/.
Note also that the /de-/ distributive prefix changes to /di-/ after
the /yi-/ "irrealis" (or negative) prefix in the rest of the
tenses. (CNT Example: ᏞᏍᏗ ᏱᏗᎩᏯᏪᎨᏍᏗ - Let's not get tired)
ᏣᏲᏏᎮᏍᏗ - tsa-yo:hsi-hesdi - You! Be hungry.
ᏗᏍᏗᏲᏏᎮᏍᎢ - disdi-yo:hsi-hesdi - You two! Be hungry.
ᏗᏥᏲᏏᎮᏍᏗᎢ - dtsi-yo:hsi-hesdi - You all! Be hungry.
Infinitive
ᎠᎩᏲᏏᏐᏗ - agi-yo:hsi-sohdi - I was hungry.
ᏣᏲᏏᏐᏗ - tsa-yo:hsi-sohdi - you were hungry.
ᎤᏲᏏᏐᏗ - u-yosi:h-sohdi - he/she/it was hungry.
ᏗᎩᏂᏲᏏᏐᏗ - digini-yo:hsi-sohdi - the two of us (including you) were hungry.
ᏗᏍᏗᏲᏏᏍᎬᎢ - disdi-yo:hsi-sohdi - you two were hungry.
ᏦᎩᏂᏲᏏᏐᏗ - tsogini-yo:hsi-sohdi - the two of us (not including you) were hungry.
ᏗᎩᏲᏏᏐᏗ - digi-yo:hsi-sohdi - we all (including you) were hungry.
ᏦᎩᏲᏏᏐᏗ - tsogi-yo:hsi-sohdi - we all (not including you) were hungry.
ᏗᏥᏲᏏᏐᏗ - ditsi-yo:hsi-sohdi - you all were hungry.
ᏧᏂᏲᏏᏐᏗ - tsuni-yo:hsi-sohdi - they were hungry.