ᎤᏥ
utsi
The Cherokee word for mother is ᎤᏥ (utsi).
ᎤᏥ is a noun used to refer to a female human who gives birth to or parents a child.
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
utsi
Did you know?
- Cherokee culture traditionally emphasizes a matrilineal clan system, meaning children inherit their clan identity from their ᎤᏥ and not their father.
- The Cherokee syllabary used to write ᎤᏥ was invented by a man named Sequoyah, who was not literate in English when he created the writing system.
- In the Cherokee kinship system, the term for 'mother' also applies to a mother's sisters, as they are often viewed as co-mothers to the children.
Example conversation
Two children are talking about their family.
- AᎤᏥ ᏓᏓᏍᏓᏅᎩ ᎢᏳᎢ?utsi dadasnnvgi iyu-i?Is your mother a helper?
- BᎤᏓᏓᏍᏓᏅᎩ ᎤᏥ ᎢᏳᎢ。udadasnnvgi utsi iyu-i.Yes, my mother is a helper.
- AᎤᏥ ᏓᏓᏓᏅᏓᏓᏓᎢᏓᏅᎢ ᎢᏳᎢ?utsi dadanvdanvdanv-i iyu-i?Is your mother kind?
- BᎤᏥ ᏓᏓᏓᏅᏓᏓᏓᎢᏓᏅᎢ ᎢᏳᎢ。utsi dadanvdanvdanv-i iyu-i.My mother is kind.
