ᎡᎶᏪᎯ
elowehi
The phrase "be quiet" in Cherokee is ᎡᎶᏪᎯ (elowehi).
This phrase is used as a command to tell someone to stop making noise.
How do you pronounce it?
elowehi
Did you know?
- The syllabary used to write ᎡᎶᏪᎯ was created by a Cherokee man named Sequoyah in the early 1800s. He was not literate in English when he invented the writing system for his people.
- In many Cherokee-speaking communities, the concept of silence is linked to respect and listening. To command silence is not just to stop noise, but to command a change in how one interacts with the environment.
- Cherokee distinguishes between different types of 'quiet' based on the source of the noise. There are specific ways to tell someone to stop talking versus telling them to stop making a physical sound.
