Cherokee does not have a word construct that directly translates as “used to do”. If you want to indicate that someone or something used to do something, and does not currently do it, you create the agentive form and add the Cherokee for “was”.
Categories: grammar
To indicate that something is being done to someone else or being done for someone else, you take the past tense form and add one of the following special “doing for” endings.
You should only use pronouns that indicate animate to animate relationships when using this ending.
The prefix Ꮵ- is used to refer to either a known and experienced point in time, or when referring back to something specific that was previously mentioned. This prefix works very much the same way “the time that”, “the one who”, “the place where”, “the thing that”, and so forth are used in English when they are not being used to ask a question.
Ꭶ- is used to indicate a period of time has occurred (or will have occurred) since the start of an event.
This prefix goes just before the bound pronoun, after Ꮥ/Ꮧ.
Add the prefix Ꭶ-, being careful about the pronunciation rules.
This form may be used as a conditional future tense of the Indicative Mood (would), or as a mild expression of the Imperative Mood (should).
Take the past tense form and add “-ᎥᎭ”. Uses “Set A” or “Set B” as parent verb.
To indicate that something is being done “over and over” you take the past tense form and add one of the following special endings. These endings are only for “over and over”, not “again”.
- -Ꭲ, -Ᏹ
[-⁴ɂị, -⁴yị] “Place of. Location is usually found at.”
This ending allows you to create new words that indicate a place or location.
When added to a word that ends in an “-a”, the “-a” usually changes into an “-v” though there are a few words that the “-a” changes into an “-o” instead. Unless otherwise instructed, you should change the “-a” into an “-v”.
- -Ꭿ
[-⁴hị] “On. In. Into.”
This ending allows you to indicate “on or in” for the word you modify.
When added to a word that ends in “-a”, the “-a” changes into an “-o”.
☞ Make sure to always say the part before the final “-hi” with a high rising tone, even if you drop the final “-hi” as part of informal speech.
☞ Depending on context, if you drop the final “-hi” some speakers might understand you as indicating “Location.” instead of “On.” or “In.”.