Many thanks to CrowFeather of the BirdClan of East Central Alabama, Free Cherokee, for making these pages available."How To Talk Trash in Cherokee" English by: Don Grooms Cherokee by: John Oocumma
Language
Talkin' Trash lesson 1
Hello = SHEE-OH
How are you? = AH-YOLE-DEE-ZUH
Thank You = WAH-DOH (or) SKEE
Are you well? = STY-YOU (OH-SHE-GWA-ZOO)
How you doing? = DOH-HUH-DUN-NAY
What's happening? = DOH-EE-YUST-GUT-STEE
Here goes lesson 2.
(this does get more and more complicated as we go.)
What's going on here? = DOH-EE-YUST GUT-STEE-HAH
I'm okay = OH- STAH (or) OH-SHE-GWAH
I'm fine = OH-SHE-GWUH
I feel awful = GAEST-OAST YUG-GWA-DONT
Actually, I'm sick = ACHT-SUNG
I'm pleased to meet you = OHST-AH-GEE YAY-LOO ZAH-DANE-ZOH
Have a nice day = OST-GAY-HAEST GO-EE-GAH
Lesson 3
The Great "I WANT"
The key words in any language are: I WANT. From the moment we
were born to the time we go back to nature,
we are trying to get what I WANT!
It's easy to put after I WANT what it is we want, whether we
want it or need it or have any use for it .
At least
one third of our conversation is demanding or explaining what it is I
WANT.
Most people put the I WANT at the start of the sentence, but the
Cherokee are humble people.
They put it at the end.
First, you state what it is you want, then why you want it, then
the fact that you do want it.
Ready? Okay, here we go...
AH-GWUH-DOOLEY
(I want)
The word DOOLEY sounds just like it looks....DOO-lee
GWUH is more difficult. Take the simple UH-OH. Now add a "GW"
in front of the "UH" making it "GWUH-OH"
and you've got it. AH-GWUH-DOOLEY.
This now brings us to Word Order.
Remember that in Cherokee, you always put everything else ahead
of what YOU want.
If you DO want it, you add that
at the end.
Instead of "I want a drink of water," it's "water, to
drink, I want."
If you want water, it's usually 'cuz you want to drink it, so
just say "water, I want."
AH-MAH AH-GWUH-DOOLEY
(water, I want)
GO-HOST, AH-GEEST, AH-GWUH-DOOLEY
(something, to eat, I want)
Instead of saying "I want to tell you something," you would
say.... "Something, to tell you, I want."
GO-HOST, guh-NO-HE-shay-TEE, AH-GWUH-DOOLEY
Don't give up now, you're 2/3 of the way home.
Instead of asking, "Do you speak Cherokee?" You would
say, "Cherokee, do you speak?"
ZAH-LAH-GEESH HE-WON-NEESH-GEE?
(Cherokee, do you speak?)
Lesson 4
Pronunciation
Everyone who speaks more than one language knows this can be
dangerous.
Just a slight difference in pronunciation
can change a compliment into an insult.
As in all languages, the vowels are the key. We will use the
standard American way of saying the vowels..
...A-E-I-O-U.That's AY-EE-EYE-OH-YOU.
AY as in hay, pay, say, day, lay
AH as in AH HAH, caught you.
EE as in eel, peel, heel, reel.
EYE as in eyeball, dye, lye, sky.
OH as in oh say can you see, OH NO!
YOU as in you, due, dew, few, or phew.
OO as in OOh la la, sue, rue, boo.
DOO and DAH as in "Camptown ladies sing this song, DOO DAH, DOO
DAH!"
DUH as in a football player trying to talk and think at the same
time.
DOH as in play DOH.
DUN like brookes and dunn, or done.
ESS as in Essay, Escargot, or Estrogen.
The "G" is always soft, as in geese, girl, globe, grin.
If we
want the hard "G" we will use "J" as in Jaws, jazz, job, jerk, junk.
Syllables to be stressed will be in all Capital letters. Take
the semi -English word "Naugahide."
We would say NAW-guh-HIDE.
"Calendar", Cow-len-der or "electric" ee-LECK-trick.
OTHER SOUNDS
Some sounds in Cherokee are hard to describe.
You'll just have
to give it a try.
AYSH - say "a short" and leave off the -ort
Dull and Null and Zull with a hint of oo
Dale and Dole- Dale Evans and Bob Dole
Dane- like a Great Dane dog
Doy and Noy- like boy or annoy
Dog- Man's best friend
Git- Git along little doggy
Goog- like Barney Google
Gaest, Haest- like gayest, haste
Hoosh- like whoosh without the "w"
Lishk- that's about as close as it gets
League- National Football league
Loag- like "load" but ends in a "g"
Neesh- this one's easy
Neshe- like "mesh" with an "n"
Nill and Till - another easy one
Shki- See "Shkwah"
Shkwah - See "Shkwee"
Shkwee- Not "skwee-gee" there's an "h"
Shko - like "shh" and "koh" but short
Sty - like "pig sty"
Teesk -- still another easy one
Tahl - not tall (tawl), "tahl"
Wuhd - like "would" with a "uh"
Yick - like lamp wick with a "y"
Yust - Like " I used tuh love 'er"
Zut - it's shorter than zuht
That's about as close as it's gonna get. Just be thankful that we're
not going to try the "glottal stop",
that little catch in your throat
when you say, "uh oh." You can get by without it.
Lesson 5
Questions
This is what I want. Where is it? Who has it? When do I get
it and Why aren't they giving it to me.
Then How
do I get what I want from those selfish people who are withholding it
from me?
1) DOE-yust What (it is)
2) Ah-gwuh-DOOley I want
3) Gah-zuh Where (is it)
4) Noo-gah-ee-you When (do I get it)
5) Kaw-gee-yust Who (has it)
6) doe-oo-yelt Why (don't they give it to me)
7) doe-ah-dunt How (do I get it)
Stuff about "What"
One of the most important words in any language is "what".
In
Cherokee it is the simple doe-yust. It is pronounced
as follows: Doe (like the female deer). The "yust" is like ( I used
to love her).
What are you doing? doe-yust hah-do-nay
What are you making? doe-yust nooh-nay
What did you see? doe-yust hee-go-what
What do you want to do? doe-yust zah-dun-tee zah-dooley
What do you want? doe-yust zah-dooley
What is he saying? doe-yust ah-dee-hah
What do you want to drink? doe-yust zah-dee-tah-stee zah-dooley
What WILL you be doing? doe-yust hah-duh-nah haest
What's in your hand? doe-yust hee-yay-hah
What are you going to do? doe-yust tah-doo-nay-lee
What happened? doe-yust gut-stah
What are THEY doing? doe-yust ahn-doo-nay
What's happening? doe-yust gut-stee
Talkin' Trash lesson 6
One Word Stuff
What doe yust
When noo-gah-ee-yoo
Where gah-zuh
This hee-ah
That shkee-dee
Then shkee-you
There nee-gay
Fast ah-yah-noo-lee
Slow oosh-gah-noh-lee
Stop hah-lay-whe-stah
Quit hee-yoh-heest-uh
Good oh-stah
Bad oo-yoh-ee
Here nah!
Look! nee!
Later oh-nee-yuh
Afterwhile go-hee-yuh
Yes uh
No zah-dee-yoh-gah (OR) hah-dee-yoh-gah
The Most used words in English
People who study the English language have come up with the ten
words used most by the American people.
That comes to only 8 in Cherokee because 2 of them are the same.
1) I AH-yah
2) Me AH-yah
3) You EE-hee
4) She ah-GAY-yah
(technically there is no word for he or she)
5) It SHKEE-dee
6) That SHKEE-dee
7) Get WHEE-gee
8) Have Zah-HAEST-eeh
9) On GUH-doo
10) Was zah-GAY-huh
Here's a couple of phrases that don't make any sense.
Two of the
most used phrases are: "Get up" and "Sit down".
Get Up Tull-LAY-hoog-uh
Sit Down Ha-HOOG-guh
Talkin' Trash Lesson 7
EVERYBODY'S GOTTA EAT!!
Are you hungry? zah-YOH-shi, hah?
I'm hungry. AH-gee-YOH-shee
Is there any place
to get something to eat? UTT-sty-tee ish-noost-huh-loo
Anything here to eat? Goh-HOST-ish-ah ah-geest
What have you got to eat? Doh-YUST zah-ah-geest
What do you want to eat? Doh-YUST zah-dooley zah-geest
You don't have to cook. gay-stee ah-shay zah-dost styde-yick
I'm not hungry. gay-stee-yug ee-YOH-shee
Something to eat goh-hohst ah-geest
He fed hungry people zuni-yoh-shee do-wade-stah-nuh
(Note the following differences)
Ate (he ate) ott-sty yoo-hoo-gah
Ate (they ate) ah-nutt-sty yoo-hoo-gah
Eat (you eat) hut-sty yoo-hoo-gah
WHAT'S ON THE MENU??
Whatcha eating? doe-yust day-zee-doe
THE ENTREE
Food utt-sty-tee
Meat hah-wee-yah
Beef WAH-kah hah-wee-yah
Pork SHE-kwah hah-wee-yah
Chicken Jee-TAW-gah
Turkey KUHN
Goose sha-shah
Duck Kuh-WOH-nuh
Venison (deer) AH-WAH hah-wee-yah
Rabbit Jee-stoo
Trout zoo-loag-tah
BREAD AND BUTTER
Bread GAH-doo
Cornbread SHAY-luh GAH-doo
Beanbread dee-goo-nooh
Butter goh-SHOO-nuh
Gravy oo-guh-mah
Brown Gravy oo-wo-duh-gah oo-guh-mah
Talkin Trash Lesson 8
VEGETABLES
Beans TOO-yuh
Greenbeans uh-NEE-zay too-yuh
Potatoes NOO-nah
Corn SHAY-luh (Se-lu)
Cabbage oo-SKAY-wah
Lettuce oo-goh stah-geest
Creasy Greens oo-LEESH
Turnip Greens dahk-SHAH-nee
Mushrooms duh-woe-gill
Mountain Salad wah-NAY-git Jellico
Sweetgrass zoo-IT-shkee
Tomatoes oo-noo-gah-hist
Onions SHUNG-ee
Cucumber (or pickle) GAH-guh-MAH
Ramps wah-STAH
Even though it's not a vegetable, if you've got ramps, then you've
gotta have.....
Eggs zuh-WAY-zee
DESSERT
Sweet things are all pretty much the same in Cherokee.
So, cake, pie, doughnuts, and gingerbread and brownies-- all come out
as:
GAH-doo oo-gee-nost
Which is translated as "Bread that is sweet"
Coffee koh-WEE
with cream oo-nood ood-shoo-yah
with sugar kud-shaze ood-shoo-yah
Milk oo-NOO-dah
Soft Drinks koh-LUST-ee-nuh
Water ah-MAH
(note: the words for water and salt are exactly the same.
At some
point in time, the Cherokee people must have lived
where the water was salty/ on the coast)
Sassafras Tea noh-stahts koh-wee
Spicewood Tea kuhn-stahts koh-wee
Honey WAH-doo-LEE-shee
Apples SHUNK-tah
Blackberries noo-guh-lee
OTHER THINGS ABOUT FOOD
(this part's about folks who don't like to eat with their fingers!)
Plate ah-TAY-lee-doh
Spoon a-dee-tote
Knife yay-lost-ee
Fork YUHN-gee
Chair gah-SHKEE-loh
Table gah-SHKEE-LUH
Kitchen AH-dah-STY-tee
Talkin' trash lesson 9
TALKING ABOUT SLEEPING
I'm sleepy zee-lush-kah
where's the bedroom? gah-zah-uht-shin-tee
Bedroom ah-shoo-stee
Bed gah-neesh
Night shu-noy-ee
Morning shuh-nah-lay
Tomorrow shuh-nah-lay
Tonight go-oosh-shuh
House gall-zoh-too
Home oo-way-noo-shoo
Sleep hee-luh-nah
He's sleeping Gah-LEE-huh
Be quiet oo-lah-way-yah
Come to Bed kuhn-she-noo-gah
Go to bed hun-she-noo-gah
Get up hah-dee-dah
I'm going to sleep dah-zee-loo-NAY-shee
FAMILY AND OTHER PROBLEMS
Father ah-gee-dode
Mother ah-gee-zee
Sister ah-gwah-doe
Brother zoe-stah la-nooz
Child ah-YOH-lee
Children dee-nee-Yole
Beautiful Children ah-nee-woe-doo dee-nee-YOLE
Woman Ah-GAY-hee
Man Ah-GAY-yah
This is my sister Hee-ah-gwah-DOE
This is my brother Hee-zoh-stah lah-nooz
I have a wife ah-gwah-dah-lee ah-gee-kah
I have a Mother Ah-gee-zee ah-gee-kah
I have a Father Ah-GEE-dode ah-gee-kah
Uncle uh-gee-dooz
Old oo-too-shoh-nuh
Old Man oo-too-shoh-nuh
Gandma uh-gee-neesh
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