Cherokee Word of the Day: Sun or Moon
Welcome to the Osiyo.net Cherokee Word of the Day series! Each day we teach you a new Cherokee word — in the Cherokee syllabary, with phonetic pronunciation, meaning, and cultural context.
ᏅᏓ
nv-dah
“Sun or Moon”
What It Means
The Cherokee word nv-dah (ᏅᏓ) means Sun or Moon in English.
How to Pronounce It
Say it as nv-dah. The ‘v’ is a nasalized ‘u’ sound, similar to the ‘un’ in ‘sun’.
Using It in a Sentence
Cherokee: ᏅᏓ ᎢᎦ ᎡᎯ.
English: “The sun (literally: sun of the day).”
Cultural Context
The Cherokee use the same word for sun and moon, distinguishing them by adding ‘day’ or ‘night’.
Keep Learning Cherokee
Come back tomorrow for the next Cherokee Word of the Day! To dive deeper into the Cherokee language:
- Cherokee citizenship and tribal nation resources
- Cherokee education and language programs
- Cherokee Nation official language resources
Cherokee Word of the Day #9 — Sun or Moon
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