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The Cherokee LanguageIn 1821, Sequoyah invented the Cherokee Alphabet and Syllabary. This is an impressive accomplishment because he could neither read nor write. The Cherokee Language is actually much more efficient than English.  Before learning how to read, write, and speak in Cherokee, you will need to gather a few resources to get started:
The Cherokee Syllabary will teach you how to pronounce each Cherokee syllable and associate the sound with the Cherokee symbol. Download Cherokee Syllabary Until you memorize the placement of all of the keys, the keyboard layout chart is needed to type in Cherokee. You will want to download and print out this layout of the Cherokee keyboard. An alternative to learning the keyboard layout is using key mapping software that converts phonetic text into Cherokee such as Tsulehisanvhi Keyman software by Tavultasoft. You will need a font for the Cherokee language in order to type and see the proper characters of the Cherokee alphabet. You can download the Digohweli Unicode font and the older Cherokee font. For instructions on how to install these fonts, visit the font page at Cherokee.org. Wherever possible, we recommend using a Unicode font. Sign up for online Cherokee language classes and start communicating with others in Cherokee. At Cherokee.org, the Cherokee Nation has a nice collection of language resources. They also have songs and recordings of native Cherokee speakers in the download section of Cherokee.org. Learning Cherokee is no easy task. It takes great commitment and practice, so be patient! For More Information:youtube.com/user/jubchuqun by Lee Lewis has great Word of the Day (WOTD) lessons in the modern Cherokee script, the old style script, and in English. You can have WOTD sent to your email, but I really like the YouTube videos because you can actually hear the words being spoken. CherokeeLessons.com has a comprehensive collection of language resources. Cherokee Phoenix Newspaper articles are sometimes printed in both Cherokee and English. It will help you see the language in action and learn new words. CherokeeNationFoundation.org has a dictionary which can be useful when learning new words. TalkingLeaf.org has games, books, and tutor. ani-kutani.com has alternate fonts for new and old styles of writing. They also have the syllabary organized by sound and other useful arrangements. Why Cherokee Syllabary Sucks is the most interesting history of the language that I've ever read. For those interested in the Unicode UTF-16 and XML values for the Cherokee alphabet, I've created a Cherokee Character Map. You must be using Unicode v3.0 or later in order to use the mapping. |