ᏧᏂᎦᏴᎵᎨᎢ
tsunigayvlikei
The English phrase "ancestors" is translated into Cherokee as ᏧᏂᎦᏴᎵᎨᎢ (tsunigayvlikei).
This phrase refers to family members from previous generations who lived before the current ones.
How do you pronounce it?
tsunigayvlikei
Did you know?
- The phrase ᏧᏂᎦᏴᎵᎨᎢ is written using a syllabary invented by a single man named Sequoyah in the 1820s. This makes the script for 'ancestors' a uniquely American invention.
- Because Cherokee is a verb-based language, the word for 'ancestors' functions more like a description of a state of being or a movement through time. It is less a static label and more a reflection of a living lineage.
- In Cherokee culture, the concept of ancestors is deeply tied to the land and the physical survival of the community. Speaking of one's ancestors often implies a connection to the specific places where they lived and thrived.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at old family photographs.
- AᏧᏂᎦᏴᎵᎨᎢ ᏓᏓᏓᏅᎩᎢ.tsunigaybyligei dadadanvgi-i.These are our ancestors.
- BᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᎦᏙᎢ?iyusdi gado-i?Where were they from?
- AᏧᏂᎦᏴᎵᎨᎢ ᎢᎦᎢ.tsunigaybyligei iga-i.Our ancestors lived in the mountains.
- BᎠᎹᎢ ᎤᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᎢ.am-ai udadanvdanv-i.I remember them now.
