ᎤᏍᏗ
usdi
The Cherokee word for little is ᎤᏍᏗ (usdi).
ᎤᏍᏗ is used as an adjective to describe something that is small in size.
Meaning: small in size (adj)
Which one should you use?
While ᎤᏍᏗ describes something small in size, the related form ᎦᏲᏟ is used as a determiner to describe a small amount of something.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
usdi
Did you know?
- Cherokee is a polysynthetic language, meaning a single word can function as a whole sentence. While ᎤᏍᏗ means 'little', adding a few prefixes or suffixes can transform it into a complex statement about who is small or how they are being perceived.
- The word ᎤᏍᏗ is written in a syllabary invented by Sequoyah in the 1820s. This system allows the language to be written phonetically, meaning each character represents a whole syllable rather than a single letter.
- In some contexts, describing something as ᎤᏍᏗ can function as a way to soften a request or a statement to make it sound more polite or less direct.
Example sentences for Cherokee are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a puppy.
- AᎤᏍᏗ 🐕 ᎢᏳᏓᏅᏓᎵ!usdi gidu-i-danvda-li!It is a little dog!
- BᎤᏓᏓᏓᏅᏓᎵ.udadanvda-li.It is cute.
- AᎤᏍᏗ 🐾 ᎢᏳᏓᏅᏓᎵ.usdi pav-i-danvda-li.Its paws are little.
- BᎠᏴ ᎤᏍᏗ 🐕 ᎢᏳᏓᏅᏓᎵ.ayv usdi gidu-i-danvda-li.Yes, it is a little dog.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “little” translations and entries ᎤᏍᏗ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
