ᎣᏏᏲ
osiyo/oː˨.si˧.jo˧˨/
The English word "hi" is expressed in Cherokee as ᎣᏏᏲ (osiyo).
ᎣᏏᏲ is used as a friendly, informal greeting.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as osiyo. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The Cherokee writing system used to write ᎣᏏᏲ was invented by Sequoyah in the 1820s. He created a full syllabary from scratch without knowing how to read or write in any other language.
- The word ᎣᏏᏲ is composed of the root ᎣᏏ, which means 'good', making the greeting a shorthand for 'be good' or 'it is good'.
- In many Indigenous North American cultures, including the Cherokee, a greeting is not just a formality but a way to establish a spiritual and social connection between two people.
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- AᎣᏏᏲ!Osiyo!Hi!
- BᎣᏏᏲ! ᎭᏓᏓ ᎢᎦ?Osiyo! Hadada iga?Hi! How are you?
- AᎣᏏᏳ, ᏩᏙ.Osiyu, wado.Good, thanks.
- BᎣᏏᏲ, ᎢᏓᏓ.Osiyo, idada.Hi, take care.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ᎣᏏᏲ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
