ᏝᏃ
tlano
In Cherokee, the English word "no" can be expressed as ᏝᏃ (tlano) or Ꮭ.
Meaning: used to show disagreement or negation (particle)
Ways to say it
| Cherokee | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ᏝᏃ | tlano | |
| Ꮭ | tla | /t͡ɬa/ |
The phrase is a particle used to express negation or to show disagreement with a statement or question.
How does it change in a sentence?
The shortened form Ꮭ is commonly used in casual conversation as a direct response to a yes/no question.
How do you pronounce it?
tlano
Did you know?
- Cherokee is a polysynthetic language, meaning a single word can function as an entire sentence. While Ꮭ is a standalone particle, negation is more often achieved by adding specific prefixes or suffixes to a verb.
- The written forms ᏝᏃ and Ꮭ are part of a syllabary created by Sequoyah. Unlike an alphabet, each character represents a whole syllable rather than a single letter.
- Using the single-syllable Ꮭ can be perceived as a very blunt or even rude way to answer a person of higher social standing.
Examples in context
- ᏣᏲᏏᎭᏍ? Ꮭ.Are you hungry? No.This example shows how to use the shortened form Ꮭ to answer a question.
Example conversation
A asks B if they want some water.
- AᎠᎹ ᎢᎦᏓᏍᎦ?ama igadasga?Do you want some water?
- BᏝᏃ, Ꮭ ᎢᎦᏓᏍᎦ.tla-no, tla igadasgaNo, I don't want any.
- AᎣᏏ, Ꮭ ᎢᎦᏓᏍᎦ.osi, tla igadasgaOkay, you don't want any.
- BᏝᏃ.tla-noNo (that's right).
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries Ꮭ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
