Monosyllables: Post 2 of Several: Ꮪ /du/

Ꮪ or /Du/ is also a monosyllable; 

it has more than one meaning, depending on the context, however it is most often heard as an onomatopoeic word. 

The concept of onomatopoeia words can be difficult to understand without examples.

Examples give you the chance to better understand the onomatopoeia.  Water plopping into a pond makes the sound "Ꮪ!" "Ꮪ!" Ꮪ!" but it means more than the sound; it conveys the idea of the drop being drawn or pulled into the water and then absorbed into the water or pond, no longer separated, as in a raindrop and a pond, but has become one "body" of water now. 

The "Ꮪ" refers to the action of that attraction and the moment they unite.  In English this is described with the scientific term of "cohesion" and is related to water's adhesive properties. 

The way to say all that in Cherokee is to simply say "Ꮪ!" 

One more thing:  "Ꮪ" also can be used as a metaphor for love attraction as in describing "love at first sight" when used in poetry or prose.

These are not all the ways that "Du!" is used, but it gets us started in applying it in everyday conversations.

Please start using DU! today!