ᎠᏓᏅᏙ
adanvdo/àtàːn̥to/
The Cherokee word for soul is ᎠᏓᏅᏙ (adanvdo). It names the spirit or essence of a person, often believed to live on after death.
Meaning: the spirit or essence of a person that is often believed to live on after the person's death (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes when someone owns the soul. In the example, my soul appears as ᎠᏆᏓᏅᏙ, with the possessor marked inside the word rather than by a separate word.
How do you pronounce it?
In Latin letters it is written adanvdo, and its IPA is /àtàːn̥to/. The first two syllables carry a low tone, the second vowel is long and the n is voiceless.
Did you know?
- In traditional Cherokee belief, the soul is not a single entity but can be viewed as having different aspects, including a 'shadow' or 'spirit' that can travel during sleep.
- The word ᎠᏓᏅᏙ is used not only for the 'soul' but also to describe a person's 'mind' or 'inner disposition'. In Cherokee thought, the seat of emotion and the seat of spiritual essence are the same.
- Cherokee is a polysynthetic language, meaning a single word like ᎠᏓᏅᏙ can be expanded with various prefixes and suffixes to express complex ideas that would require a whole sentence in English.
Examples in context
- ᎠᏆᏓᏅᏙ ᎯᎪᏩᏘᎭ?Do you see my soul?Here the word appears as ᎠᏆᏓᏅᏙ, meaning my soul.
- ᎠᏓᏅᏙ ᎠᏍᎦᏓ.adanvdo asgada.The soul is strong.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about life and death.
- AᎠᏓᏅᏙ ᎢᏳᎢ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏙ?adanvto iyui idadanvto?Do we have a soul?
- BᎠᏓᏅᏙ ᎢᏳᎢ ᎤᏓᏅᏙ.adanvto iyui udanvto.Yes, every person has a soul.
- AᎠᏓᏅᏙ ᎢᏳᎢ ᎤᏓᏅᏙ ᎢᏓᏓᏅᏙ?adanvto iyui udanvto idadanvto?Does the soul live on?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ᎠᏓᏅᏙ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
