ᏲᎾ
yona
The Cherokee word for bear is ᏲᎾ (yona). Wiktionary also lists ᏲᏅ (yonv).
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cherokee | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ᏲᎾ | yona |
| ᏲᏅ | yonv |
The term is used to refer to the large mammal of the family Ursidae.
Which one should you use?
The form ᏲᎾ (yona) is the default, while ᏲᏅ (yonv) is an alternative form.
How do you pronounce it?
yona
Did you know?
- In traditional Cherokee culture, the bear is often referred to by euphemisms or titles rather than the word ᏲᎾ to avoid attracting the animal's attention.
- The bear is central to the Cherokee Clan system, where the Bear Clan traditionally provided the community with physical protection and policing.
- In many traditional Cherokee stories, the bear is often depicted as a person in a fur coat, making the word more than just a biological label.
Examples in context
- ᎯᎪᎥᎢᏍ ᎩᎶ ᏲᎾ ᎠᏁᏍᏗᏍᎬᎢ?Have you seen anyone wrestle a bear?This sentence shows how to use ᏲᎾ in a question about wrestling a bear.
- ᎭᏢ ᏲᎾ ᎠᏓ?Where is [the] bear cub?This sentence shows how to use ᏲᎾ when asking about a bear cub.
Example conversation
Two friends are hiking in the woods.
- AᏲᎾ ᏗᏓᏓᏅᏓᏍᏗ!Yona didadanvdasdi!Look, a bear!
- BᎯᎪᎥᎢᏍ ᏲᎾ ᎦᏓᏓᏅᏓᏍᏗ?Higo-is yona gadadanvdasdi?Where is the bear?
- AᎠᎥᎢ ᎤᏓᏓᏅᏓᏍᏗ.Av-i udadanvdasdi.It is over there.
- BᏓᏓᏅᏓᏍᏗ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏍᏗ.Dadadanvdasdi idadanvdasdi.Let's get away from it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries ᏲᎾ, ᏲᏅ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
