ᏩᏯ ᎠᏂ ᏣᎳᎩ
waya ani tsalagi
The Cherokee phrase for "wolf clan" is ᏩᏯ ᎠᏂ ᏣᎳᎩ (waya ani tsalagi).
This phrase refers to the wolf clan, which is one of the seven traditional kinship groups of the Cherokee people.
How do you pronounce it?
waya ani tsalagi
Did you know?
- The word ᏣᎳᎩ used in this phrase, which means 'Cherokee', might actually be a loanword from the Choctaw word 'chulaki', meaning 'people from the cave country'.
- In traditional Cherokee society, clan membership is matrilineal, meaning a person belongs to the clan of their mother, not their father.
- Historically, marrying another member of the ᏩᏯ or 'wolf clan' was strictly forbidden as it was considered incestuous.
Example conversation
Two people are discussing their family heritage.
- AᎯᎠ ᎪᏪᎵ ᏩᏯ ᎠᏂ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎢᏳᎢ.hia goweli waya ani tsalagi iyui.This person is from the wolf clan.
- BᏩᏯ ᎠᏂ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏓᎩ?waya ani tsalagi gadagi?Is he in the wolf clan?
- AᎤᎾᏓᏓᏓᏓ ᏩᏯ ᎠᏂ ᏣᎳᎩ.unadadada waya ani tsalagi.Their family is wolf clan.
- BᏩᏓᏓ ᎦᏓᎢ.wadada gadai.I understand.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ᏣᎳᎩ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
