So? what? Ꭽ? (Monosyllables Part 3 of many)

So?
what? 
Ꭽ?


Tucked away in the pages of Levi Gritts Cherokee writings is a small word that packs a big wallop.
He defines it and I have heard it used.


This word is the single (monosyllable) Ꭽ.


You can start using Ꭽ scattered in among your English right away.


What does Ꭽ mean?


Ꭽ can act as an adverb, a conjunction, a pronoun, an adjective, or an interjection depending on the context. In other words, Ꭽ can be polysemous. In English, the word so is highly polysemous. It can be used as an adverb, a conjunction, a pronoun, an interjection, or an adjective. You could argue that the sentence-initial so is an interjection as well.  The same is true for Ꭽ.  But it does more as well.


Ꭽ can be used as a filled pause, much in the way that “well,” “um,” and “like” are used in conversation.  In this context, despite how our English ears may hear it, Ꭽ is not just being used just to fill a pause, as it seems, but Ꭽ is being used as a tool for conversation management.


Ꭽ -- so


Ꭽ-- what




Ꭽ-- so what?


Let's look at some ENGLISH sentences, using Ꭽ in context as a way to manage the conversation:




Speaker 1: So, how do you know Me-li?
Speaker 2: We met in high school.
Speaker 1: So, I met Me-li at the Huddle house early one morning at breakfast after a long night of cramming for a college test.....


now, those same ones- but this time, exchange Ꭽ for so


Speaker 1: Ꭽ, how do you know Me-li?
Speaker 2: We met in high school.
Speaker 1: Ꭽ, I met Me-li at the Huddle house early one morning at breakfast after a long night of cramming for a college test.....


Ꭽ is also used as a VERBAL marker-- functioning as an adverb, it emphasizes the verb it accompanies and carries the idea of progression.




Ꭽ is used colloquially today also -- think of a surly response from an adolescent (sorry to pick on you teens but most adults will identify with this example!)




Imagine, a teen comes home, slumps on the couch and just stares at their phone as they rapidly text another.  You ask them to put away their phone. 
You feel ignored.  You repeat the request, this time adding, "I really need to talk to you!" and their response? 
So?




Ꭽ


Ꭽ could be used in place of their reply to you.


I am certain you can start to use Ꭽ in your conversations.


See how easily you can replace the English word "so" in the following sentences:


Ꭽ I was shopping yesterday and I was hungry Ꭽ I bought way too much!


Ꭽ my car needs new tires and Ꭽ I cant drive it much


Ꭽ pay day is still a week away and Ꭽ I am eating beans.

start using

today!

NOTE:  a Cherokee elder told me that it is appropriate to also use Ꭽ /HA as an interjection in place of English word "Oh!"

Examples:


instead of OH! replace it with Ꭽ!
like these do:


Ꭽ!  I am so glad to see you!


Ꭽ!  that is good news!


Ꭽ! I had not heard that!


Ꭽ!  wow!


Ꭽ! you startled me!