ᏙᏧᏩ
dotsuwa
The phrase for "red bird" in Cherokee is ᏙᏧᏩ (dotsuwa).
The term refers to a bird with red feathers, specifically identifying the cardinal.
How do you pronounce it?
dotsuwa
Did you know?
- The written form ᏙᏧᏩ uses a syllabary invented by Sequoyah, meaning each character represents a full syllable rather than a single letter.
- While English speakers use 'red bird' as a generic description, the Cherokee term ᏙᏧᏩ functions as a specific proper name for the cardinal species.
- When spoken, the rhythm of ᏙᏧᏩ follows the distinct syllabic patterns of the Cherokee language, which differs significantly from the stressed syllable structure of English.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a tree in the garden.
- AᏙᏧᏩ ᎪᏩᏓᎩᏓᏩᏓᏍᎩ!Dotsuwa go-wa-da-gi-da-wa-da-sgi!I see a red bird!
- BᏙᏧᏩ ᎪᎢᏓᏓᏍᎩ?Dotsuwa go-i-da-da-sgi?Is the red bird there?
- AᎠᎭᏓᏓᏍᎩ.A-ha-da-da-sgi.It is there.
- BᎠᏰᏓᏓᏍᎩ.A-ye-da-da-sgi.It is beautiful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ᏙᏧᏩ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
