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Starla_C asked in Society & CultureLanguages · 1 decade ago

Does anyone know how to speak Cherokee?

I'm going to see some elderly family in May and would like to learn a few words of Cherokee to let them know I respect the People. Anyone know where I can get books or CDs or any help to learn some of the language?

Thanks!

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Try the link below. It has small lessons that take you through everything from pronounciation to the harder stuff.

    o si yo (hello)______do hi tsu (how are you)

    o s da (fine)______ni hi na (and you)

    o s da dv (fine)

    ho wa (alright!)

  • 1 decade ago

    I can speak a very few words and phrases...I learned them from my grandma (who is Cherokee)...but my pronunciation does nothing for how incredibly beautiful the language actually is!

    A few words I know:

    osiyo - hello

    wado - thank you

    adanvdo - spirit

    tsalagi - cherokee

    Ulisi - Grandmother

    um, dang, I don't even know how to spell the others...I'm afraid I'll butcher the words if I try to do it phonetically! =/ The only other ones I know are like numbers and stuff like that...probably wouldn't do you any good though!

    You know, you could always check out cherokee.org (which is the official website for the Cherokee Nation). You might be able to get some help there and pronunciation and such!

  • 1 decade ago

    The Cherokee language is on the endangered list of languages and is in a situation much the same as Hawaiian, Welsh and Irish Gaelic. I read an article a few years ago which said that most of its speakers were over 40 years of age.

    Below, however, are two websites that definitely should be able to help you find what you want.

    http://www.yourdictionary.com/languages/north.html...

    http://www.cherokee.org/

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Not sure where you could but I have some tapes on it. I got them at a local store in the Mall called the Navajo Corner. I'd check online cause you could probably find somewhere that you could get them from. If I knew where mine were at the moment I would check, cause I think there is a website on it.

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  • 1 decade ago

    No. By the way, maybe they should speak English to show that they respect you.

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