I am looking for the Cherokee Indian translation for the word
'rhythm', as in keeping a beat musically with relation to drums or
drumming. Specifically, I would like the word written in Sequoyah's
Cherokee Alphabet. The closest match I have found in online
Cherokee->English translations has been 'beat', but I doubt it to be
the rhythmic meaning of the word. Drumming is a very important
Cherokee culture, so if the exact word 'rhythm' does not have a
Cherokee counterpart, I'm sure there is an extremely close match. |
Request for Question Clarification by
jackburton-ga
on
26 Apr 2003 03:12 PDT
hi grefell!
I cannot yet confirm for sure that the word "rhythm" is not be found
in the Cherokee language, so i am posting my findings as a
clarification. But, based on my research it would seem certain words
in Cherokee are incomparable to English words, so it is quite likely
the word "beating" ("Adatlosgv") is the nearest word in meaning, to
"rhythm".
"The Cherokee language is spoken by approximately 10,000 people in the
Cherokee Nation, as well as speakers in the homelands (of the Eastern
Band of Cherokee). Some Cherokees who speak the language have
relocated to other areas of the world. The western and eastern
dialects are different in many ways, although extremely similar. Here
in the Cherokee Nation, which consists of a 14 county area in
northeastern Oklahoma, there are many different dialects as well as
slang words. Although many people write Cherokee using the English
alphabet using phonetics, in the early 1800’s, Sequoyah Guess invented
a syllabary for writing Cherokee. The syllabary consists of 84
characters which represent the 84 different syllables used in speaking
the language. Within days, Sequoyah taught his daughter to read and
write her native language, and within months, hundreds of Cherokees
were able to write and read their own language. Language is very
important to preserving a culture – many words which are descriptive
of cultural mannerisms, feelings, events, and ceremonies are only
identifiable in the native tongue. There is no comparable word in the
English language. All prayers and other ceremonies used at Stomp
Dances and by Medicine people are in the Cherokee language, as
well...."
You can read the rest of this text and more about the language and
word pronunciation, here:
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/LanguagePage.asp?ID=1
A copy of the syllabary can be heard here:
http://www.cherokee.org/Extras/Downloads/ChildrensMusicCD/Syllabary_Song.mp3
You can see and hear the word "Adatlosgv" (Beating) in Cherokee, here:
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/LexiconPage.asp?ID=713
--------------------------------------------
You can also see & hear the Cherokee words for "beat", "drum",
"music", "pulse", "regular" by clicking on the links below:
"Beat" -> "Adatlohisdi"
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/LexiconPage.asp?ID=711
"Drum" -> Ahuli
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/LexiconPage.asp?ID=2050
"Music" -> Dikanogidv
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/LexiconPage.asp?ID=4156
Pulse -> Tsuwadunohi
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/LexiconPage.asp?ID=5017
Regular -> Utloyiha
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/LexiconPage.asp?ID=5245
--------------------------------------------
To use the English to Cherokee Lexicon, click here:
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/Lexicon.asp
Let me know if you would like me to post an answer. In the meantime, i
will try to confirm my findings and let you know for sure.
regards,
Jack
|
Request for Question Clarification by
justaskscott-ga
on
26 Apr 2003 09:43 PDT
Hello Greyfell,
Jackburton and Denco have done good research -- this is one of those
times when one wishes that more than one Researcher could split the
price for an answer. I will throw my hat into the ring now with some
research of my own.
Denco points out that "a da su ye dv" means "beat" as in to stir.
However, on the same page, "beat" as in music is definted as "di ka no
gi s (di) di se s di".
Specifically, "di ka no gi s di" means "musical instrument", while "di
se s di" means "numbers" or "arithmetic". "Di se s di" is part of
another phrase "nv do di se s di" (or "nv da di se s di"), which means
"calendar" or, according to one source, literally "moon counter". So,
putting all of this together, "di ka no gi s (di) di se s di" means
numbers or counting for music, or in other words, a musical beat.
Just as in English where there may be words closely similar to
"rhythm" such as "tempo" or "drumbeat" (as noted by Denco), there is
at least one such word in Cherokee. "Drumbeat" is listed in one place
as "a hu li a tlo hi s di". (The same source, as well as another
source, indicates that "heartbeat" uses "a tlo hi s di" to mean
"beat".)
I am contacting several people who might be able to confirm the
correct word. If you think that I have enough information for an
answer already, please let me know and I will post this information
with supporting sources.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
tisme-ga
on
26 Apr 2003 10:54 PDT
Hello greyfell,
I contacted a Cherokee linguist and he referred me to the word
"drummer" which can be found here:
http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/LexiconPage.asp?ID=2051
Is this suitable as an answer?
tisme-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
greyfell-ga
on
26 Apr 2003 12:17 PDT
Thank you all for the information. Justaskscott, where is your source
for 'drumbeat'? I am leary of using it without knowing it came from a
valid source. I also don't like that 'drumbeat' is not available in
the lexicon that jackburton pointed out, but maybe cherokee.org just
hasn't entered it yet.
Justaskscott, if you can show a valid source I would probably say
'drumbeat' is as close to an answer as I will get. Please let me know
if your contacts provide any more information.
Thanks justaskscott, denco, and jackburton.
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Request for Question Clarification by
justaskscott-ga
on
26 Apr 2003 18:26 PDT
I must backtrack somewhat. The word for "beat" in terms of
"heartbeat" is actually not confirmed by another source; it uses a
different word for beat. The source that I have found is a poem by
someone whose fluency I cannot judge. I also erred slightly as to the
phrase for "heartbeat" indicated in this poem; it is actually "a hu li
a da tlo hi s di". (I left out the syllable "da" in my orginal post.)
I would not be comfortable with this poem as the only source. Perhaps
one of the people whom I have contacted will be able to confirm it; or
perhaps I or another Researcher will do so in the meantime.
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