☞ Remember that if you are having problems recognizing any of the Syllabary you should do the final Syllabary exercise as a refresher.

ᏘᎪᎵᏯ (Read them)

Review the following vocabulary then do the exercises.

☞ Reminder: Animacy refers to whether a thing is alive or not. Most alive things are considered animate. Most non-living things are considered inanimate.

  • ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ
    [gạ²do² u⁴sdi] “Which one?”

  • ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ
    [hị²la⁴ i²³ga⁴] “How many?” ☞ “ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ” is used when talking about inanimate things.

  • ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ
    [hị²la⁴ ị²yạ³ni] “How many?” ☞ “ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ” is used when talking about animate things.

ᏗᏎᏍᏗ (Numbers)

  • ᏌᏊ
    [sa¹gwu⁴] “One.”

  • ᏔᎵ
    [tạɂ³li] “Two.”

  • ᎠᏂᏔᎵ
    [a²nị²tạɂ³li] “Two.” ☞ This is a special form of ᏔᎵ used when referring to anything animate.

  • ᏦᎢ
    [jọ²ɂi] “Three.”

  • ᎠᏂᏦᎢ
    [a²nị²jọ²ɂi] “Three.” ☞ This is a special form of ᏦᎢ used when referring to anything animate.

  • ᏅᎩ
    [nvh²gi] “Four.”

  • ᎯᏍᎩ
    [hị²sgi] “Five.”

  • ᏑᏓᎵ
    [su²³dạ³li] “Six.”

  • ᎦᎵᏉᎩ
    [gahl²gwo²³gi] “Seven.”

With the exception of the special word “ᎢᎬᏱᎢ (first)”, all of the ordering numbers are the same as the counting numbers with either “-ᎢᏁᎢ” or “-ᏏᏁᎢ” added onto the end. This is very similar to the way English adds “-th” to the end of most ordering numbers like “fourth”, “fifth”, and “sixth”.

Generally:

  • The ordering numbers are created by dropping the ending vowel then adding “-ᎢᏁᎢ”.

  • Ordering numbers higher than one that end with “ᏌᏊ” use “ᏌᏊᎯᏁᎢ” and not “ᎢᎬᏱᎢ”. This is because “ᎢᎬᏱᎢ” has a closer literal meaning of “earlier than, place of” and is only used where referring to the true first position.

  • For the the ordering numbers “ᏌᏚᏏᏁᎢ (eleventh)” through “ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁᎢ (nineteenth)” you don’t drop the ending vowel and instead add “-ᏏᏁᎢ”.

  • ᎢᎬᏱᎢ
    [ị²gv²yi⁴ɂi] “First.”

  • ᏔᎵᏁᎢ
    [tạɂ²li²ne⁴ɂi] “Second.”

  • ᏦᎢᏁᎢ
    [jọ²ɂi²ne⁴ɂi] “Third.”

  • ᏅᎩᏁᎢ
    [nvh²gi²ne⁴ɂi] “Fourth.”

  • ᎯᏍᎩᏁᎢ
    [hị²sgi²ne⁴ɂi] “Fifth.”

  • ᏑᏓᎵᏁᎢ
    [su²³dạ³li²ne⁴ɂi] “Sixth.”

  • ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁᎢ
    [gahl²gwo²³gi²ne⁴ɂi] “Seventh.”

ᏂᏔᏛᎦ (Do them)

The following exercises are designed to allow you to count and put things into order in Cherokee. Simply learning the Cherokee names for the English words for numbers only allows you to translate from English to Cherokee and vice-versa when dealing with numbers. It does not allow you to think in Cherokee while dealing with quantities and ordered positions.

You will need the following props:

  • Two sets of items that are countable.

    • The first set should be smooth stones, checkers, or dried beans.

    • The second should be toy stuffed animals or pictures of live animals.

☞ During the exercises you must pretend that these are living animals.

Divide up into groups of three to five. If you don’t have enough people, use props for imaginary people and act the imaginary people out.

Groups of Three to Five

For each group the first person is designated “Ꭰ”. The second person is designated “Ꭱ”. The remaining people are grouped together and are designated “Ꭲ”. After each set, rotate positions so that “Ꭰ” becomes the “Ꭱ”, the “Ꭱ” becomes one of the “Ꭲ”, and one of the “Ꭲ” becomes the “Ꭰ”.

☞ Keep rotating until everyone has been in position “Ꭰ”, starting over with the first set of challenges as needed.

☞ Any imaginary study partners always stay as one of the “Ꭲ” and do not rotate.

Someone Alone

On index cards, slips of paper, or something similar, write out the challenges on each of the front sides along with the correct response on the reverse side for the first set of challenges. Do this for each challenge as listed. There will be challenges and responses repeated. Keep the cards in order.

For “Set 1”:

Place the stack of index cards, challenge side up, response side down.

For each “ᎯᎳ ____?” challenge count out loud the correct number of appropriate items then flip the card over checking that you counted correct and that you selected between animate vs inanimate correctly.

For each “ᎦᏚ ᎤᏍᏗ ____?” challenge line up seven items then indicate the position of each until you reach the position indicated. Flip the card over and verify you stopped at the correct position.

For each remaining set:

Adjust the index cards to match the new set, creating new ones as needed, and removing those not in the set. Follow the instructions previously given for “Set 1”.

Sets

Each challenge-response is structured in one of the following two ways:

  1. “ᎯᎳ _____?”

    1. “Ꭰ” selects an appropriate number of items from the correct group and places them before “Ꭱ”.

    2. “Ꭰ” asks “Ꭱ”: “ᎯᎳ _____?” while pointing at the items for counting.

    3. “Ꭱ” counts out loud the items one by one then repeats the final count to “Ꭰ”.

  2. “ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ _____?”

    1. “Ꭰ” selects seven items from either group and places them before “Ꭱ” lined up in a row.

    2. “Ꭰ” asks “Ꭱ”: “ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ _____?”.

    3. “Ꭱ” says out loud the position of each item from “ᎢᎬᏱᎢ” to ____. Then “Ꭱ” points to the correct item and says to “Ꭰ” _____.

Set 1

  1. ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ ᏦᎢᏁᎢ?

    1. ☐☐☒☐☐☐☐

  2. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀸

    1. ᏌᏊ. (Inanimate).

  3. ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ ᎯᏍᎩᏁᎢ?

    1. ☐☐☐☐☒☐☐

  4. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀸

    1. ᏌᏊ. (Inanimate).

  5. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀸

    1. ᏌᏊ. (Animate).

  6. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀹

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ. (Inanimate).

  7. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀸

    1. ᏌᏊ. (Animate).

  8. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀹

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ. (Inanimate).

Set 2

  1. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀹

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ. (Animate).

  2. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀺

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ. (Inanimate).

  3. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀹

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ. (Animate).

  4. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀺

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ. (Inanimate).

  5. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀺

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ. (Animate).

  6. ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ ᏑᏓᎵᏁᎢ?

    1. ☐☐☐☐☐☒☐

  7. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀸

    1. ᏌᏊ. (Inanimate).

  8. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀺

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ. (Animate).

Set 3

  1. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁁

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ. (Inanimate).

  2. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀸

    1. ᏌᏊ. (Animate).

  3. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀹

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ. (Inanimate).

  4. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁁

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ. (Inanimate).

  5. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁁

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ. (Animate).

  6. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀹

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ. (Animate).

  7. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🀺

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ. (Inanimate).

  8. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁁

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ. (Animate).

Set 4

  1. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁂

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ. (Inanimate).

  2. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁂

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ. (Animate).

  3. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🀺

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ. (Animate).

  4. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁂

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ. (Inanimate).

  5. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁂

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ. (Animate).

  6. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁉

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ. (Inanimate).

  7. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁁

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ. (Inanimate).

  8. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁉

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ. (Inanimate).

Set 5

  1. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁉

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ. (Animate).

  2. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁊

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ, ᎦᎵᏉᎩ. (Inanimate).

  3. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁁

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ. (Animate).

  4. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁉

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ. (Animate).

  5. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁊

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ, ᎦᎵᏉᎩ. (Inanimate).

  6. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁊

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ, ᎦᎵᏉᎩ. (Animate).

  7. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁂

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ. (Inanimate).

  8. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁂

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ. (Animate).

Set 6

  1. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁊

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ, ᎦᎵᏉᎩ. (Animate).

  2. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁉

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ. (Inanimate).

  3. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁉

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ. (Animate).

  4. ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦ? 🁊

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᏔᎵ, ᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ, ᎦᎵᏉᎩ. (Inanimate).

  5. ᎯᎳ ᎢᏯᏂ? 🁊

    1. ᏌᏊ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ, ᎠᏂᏦᎢ, ᏅᎩ, ᎯᏍᎩ, ᏑᏓᎵ, ᎦᎵᏉᎩ. (Animate).