ᎩᎦᎨ
gigage
The Cherokee word for the color red is ᎩᎦᎨ (gigage).
ᎩᎦᎨ is used to refer to the color red as a noun. It can also function as an adjective to describe something that is red in color.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
gigage
Did you know?
- The Cherokee syllabary, used to write ᎩᎦᎨ, was invented by Sequoyah in the early 1820s, meaning the written form of the word is quite modern in history.
- In Cherokee culture, the color red is often associated with the direction 'East' and the rising sun, embedding the word in a spatial and spiritual context.
- In many traditional Cherokee contexts, colors like 'red' are used to describe the temperament or 'heart' of a person, rather than just physical appearance.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a piece of fruit.
- AᎩᎦᎨ ᎤᏓᏓ.gigage udada.It is red.
- BᎰᏩ.howa.Yes.
- AᎩᎦᎨ ᎤᏓᏓ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ.gigage udada iyusdi.That is why it is red.
- BᎦᏓᏓ ᎩᎦᎨ.gadada gigage.Red cloth.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ᎩᎦᎨ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
