ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ
unelanvhi
The Cherokee word for God is ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ (unelanvhi).
ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ is used to refer to a deity.
Meaning: deity (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
unelanvhi
Did you know?
- The Cherokee syllabary used to write ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ was invented by Sequoyah, who claimed the signs came to him in a vision and were not based on any other language.
- Cherokee spirituality traditionally emphasizes a balance between the 'upper world' and 'lower world' rather than a single hierarchical deity ruling from above.
- The word ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ is built from components that suggest the concept of 'the one who creates' or 'the one who provides'.
Examples in context
- ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎤᏪᏥ ᎢᎦᎫᏴᎮᎢ, ᎿᏊ ᏦᏒ ᏫᏳᎶᏎ ᎢᎦᎫᏴᎰᏅ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᎢᎤᏁᏤᎢ ᎢᏳᏃ ᏚᎴᏅ, “ᏔᎵᏁ ᏛᏥᎷᏥᎵ,” ᎤᏛᏁ ᎤᏁᏨ.God's son paid the price for us, then he ascended to Heaven, having paid it all for us. But he spoke again when he arose: "I am going to return a second time," he said as he spoke.This sentence is useful for seeing how ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ is used in a religious context regarding the son of God.
Example conversation
Two people are talking about their beliefs.
- AᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎢᏳᏓᏅᏓᏅᎯ ᎢᏳᏍᎪ?unelanvhi iyudanvdanvhi iyusgo?Is God the creator?
- BᎭᏓ, ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎢᏳᏓᏅᏓᏅᎯ.hada, unelanvhi iyudanvdanvhi.Yes, God is the creator.
- AᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎢᏳᏓᏓᏅᏅᎢ ᎢᎦᏓᏓᏅᏅᎢ.unelanvhi iyudadanvnv i gadanvnv i.I pray to God's strength.
- BᎭᏓ, ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎢᎦᏓᏓᏅᏅᎢ.hada, unelanvhi igadanvnv i.Yes, pray to God.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
