ᎤᏲᎢ
uyo'i
The English word bad is translated into Cherokee as ᎤᏲᎢ (uyo'i).
This adjective is used to describe something that is unfavorable or negative.
Meaning: unfavorable, negative (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is uyo'i.
Did you know?
- The Cherokee syllabary used to write ᎤᏲᎢ was invented by Sequoyah in the early 19th century, making it one of the few writing systems in history created by a person who was not literate in any other language.
- In some contexts, using a word for 'bad' or 'evil' can be seen as inviting negative energy or bad luck, so speakers may use euphemisms to avoid saying it directly.
- While English speakers use 'bad' for many things, Cherokee speakers often use different specific roots to distinguish between something that is 'bad' because it is broken, 'bad' because it is rotten, or 'bad' because it is evil.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a movie they just watched.
- AᎤᏲᎢ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ.oyoi idadanvdanvda idadanvdanvda.That was a bad movie.
- BᎤᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ.udadanvdanvda idadanvdanvda idadanvdanvda.I didn't like it either.
- AᎤᏲᎢ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ.oyoi idadanvdanvda idadanvdanvda idadanvdanvda.The ending was really bad.
- BᎾᎥ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏅᏓ.nav idadanvdanvda idadanvdanvda.Yes, it was.
