ᏙᎯᏱ ᏂᎬᏁᎸ
dohiyi nigvnelv
ᏙᎯᏱ ᏂᎬᏁᎸ (dohiyi nigvnelv) is the Cherokee way to say "I am sorry".
This phrase is used to express regret or to apologize for a mistake.
How do you pronounce it?
dohiyi nigvnelv
Did you know?
- The Cherokee syllabary used to write ᏙᎯᏱ ᏂᎬᏁᎸ was invented by a man named Sequoyah, who was not literate in English. He developed a system where each symbol represents a syllable rather than a single letter.
- The word ᏙᎯᏱ shares a root with concepts of peace and stillness, suggesting that apologizing is an act of bringing quiet back to a relationship.
- Unlike English, where 'I am sorry' can be used for sympathy (e.g., 'I am sorry for your loss'), this specific Cherokee construction is more focused on the speaker's agency and their correction of a situation.
Example conversation
A person accidentally bumps into another person in a hallway.
- AᏙᎯᏱ ᏂᎬᏁᎸ!tohiyi nighenelv!I am sorry!
- BᎦᏓᏓᏅᏓᏓᏅᎢ.gadadanvdanvdanv-i.It is okay.
- AᎢᏓᏓᏅᏓᏓᏅᎢ ᏂᎨᏒᎢ.idadanvdanvdanv-i nigesv-i.I hope it is okay.
- BᎤᏓᏓᏅᏓᏓᏅᎢ.udadanvdanvdanv-i.It is fine.
