Your Grandmother's Cherokee

Preserving the Cherokee language, one word at a time.

Using the Dictionary

The free trial version has two root words, GO and HELP that produce more than 2400 word/sentences.

The full version has 60 commonly used root words that produce more than 40,000 word/sentences. View the full list of root words, persons, and tenses.

This dictionary provides the exact Cherokee word or word/sentence you need to use. No other dictionary or online program gives you all the forms of the words, so that you can understand and speak. The long Cherokee words equal a whole sentence in English, and until now have been difficult for people to learn.

For example, if you want to say “He (or she) and I will be working tomorrow,” you can find the word for “tomorrow” in the dictionary:  “sunale’I,”   You can find the word-sentence “He (or she) and I will be working”  by using the Make-A-Word program or the Dictionary. Here’s what you will find:

Doginilvwisdanehesdi.
Do gi ni lv wi sda ne he sdi
ᏙᎩᏂᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎮᏍᏗ

 

Pronunciation: You can hear the sounds of each syllable pronounced distinctly. 

Do gi ni lv wi sda ne he sdi

Once you learn to pronounce the syllables distinctly, you can imitate the pitch and rhythm of Cherokee people who grew up speaking the language. The accent usually falls on the next-to-last syllable.  

 

Negative: You can also find the negative:  He (or she) and I will not be working.

Gesdi yidoginilvwisdanehesdi.
Ge sdi yi do gi ni lv wi sda ne he sdi
ᎨᏍᏗᏱᏙᎩᏂᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎮᏍᏗ

 

​Gender: Cherokee word/sentences do not distinguish between he, she, and it

For example, dulvwisdaneha = he (or she, or it) is working.

When searching, enter "S/he or it."