Stop using English for SOUNDS- sound swap!

A super quick way to start speaking Cherokee and to start grasping the mindset of the language is to start replacing your English (or primary language) with Cherokee words and sounds.

Ever needed a "jump start" on your car or truck?

Well, onomatopoeia's can become a "jump start" for your language!

ONOMATOPOEIA

What's an onomatopoeia?  

It is a poetic way of describing a sound or can identify an animal or object with a sound.



The Greeks coined the word and the Latin borrowed it.  Our English is Latin based.

Story tellers and Poets often use onomatopoeia to access the reader’s auditory sense and create rich soundscapes.

My friend tells me that Onomatopoeia could be called (in the Cherokee Language) ᎤᏃᏴᎬ ᎠᏰᎵᏍᎩ “'unoyvgv ayelisgi' (sound imitator or sound mocker).” [Source: Dr. Durbin Feeling]

We have an entire unit theme on ONOMATOPOEIA's we have collected from various sources including old documents, books, and even speakers who were willing to share with us.

Its a bit much for a blog post so we won't post it all here 
BUT

we will give you a FEW just to get you jump started!

Remember, this is NOT a complete list of all the Cherokee onomatopoeia's (ᎤᏃᏴᎬ ᎠᏰᎵᏍᎩ) but it is a BEGINNING LIST.

Start using these in everyday life first.


Here we go!


What it describes   English Version      Cherokee 
                                                              Syllabary
                                                               & phonetic

Dog Barking                bow wow! woof! woof!                     Ꮧ! Ꮧ!  [di:!  di:!]

[note:  I think of "yip!" when I hear this]

Rooster Crow           cock-a-doodle-doo!         Ꭷ   ka-   ᎯᏰᎩ! /ᎢᏥᏰᎩ     [hiyegi! /itsiyegi]

clapping sound                   clap! clap!  clap!                     Ꮪ! Ꮪ! Ꮪ!   [du;! du:! du:!]

crow cawing                         caw, caw!                                    Ꭺ Ꭶ    [gho:ga!]

lightning                  flash (or zoom!)                   ᏌᏱ, ᏓᎻ!  [sa:yi!  da mi!]

thunder                                    crack!  boom!                               ᎯᎾᏚ  [hi:nadu:!]

footsteps approaching clop, clop, clop! E, E, E! [GV:! GV:! Gv:!]
(also, Drum sounds!) pa rum pa pum pum E, E,E, E, E!


REMEMBER

there are many MORE of these

but you can START right now by replacing your everyday English sounds with these CHEROKEE sounds instead!
Especially when you are telling BEDTIME STORIES to your children!

have FUN!