The Classifying verb 'Eat' in the Present Tense

There are just over 40 "Classifying Verb" in the Cherokee language (depending on who's listing them). "To Eat" is one of the more commonly used ones. These verbs have a different form depending on the shape, or five different classifications, of the object being talked about. Some classifying verbs do not have forms for all five classes. "Eat" example doesn't have a form for liquid since one "drinks" a liquid (even soup!).
The five object classes are:
Solid (round, lump, etc.) - This is a "catch all" for anything that doesn't fit the other 4 classes. Probably the most common class and includes things like potatoes, plums, pears, apples, most fruit and berries, etc.
Long/rigid - includes carrots, celery, arrow shafts, posts, poles, etc.
Liquid - water, oil, soup, gravy, etc.
Flexible - cloth, leather, paper, etc. Note that meat and dead animals are classified as "Flexible".
Living - animals, trees, flowers, etc.

'eat a lump object' in present tense
Root verb -gi-

ᏥᎩᎠ - tsi-gi-ɂa - I am eating a lump object.

ᎯᎩᎠ - hi-gi-ɂa - you are eating a lump object.

ᎠᎩᎠ - a-gi-ɂa - he/she/it is eating a lump object.

ᎢᏂᎩᎠ - ini-gi-ɂa - the two of us (including you) are eating a lump object.

ᏍᏗᎩᎠ - sdi-gi-ɂa - you two are eating a lump object.

ᎣᏍᏗᎩᎠ - osdi-gi-ɂa - the two of us (not including you) are eating a lump object.

ᎢᏗᎩᎠ - idi-gi-ɂa - we all (including you) are eating a lump object.

ᎣᏥᎩᎠ - otsi-gi-ɂa - we all (not including you) are eating a lump object.

ᎢᏥᎩᎠ - itsi-gi-ɂa - you all are eating a lump object.

ᎠᏂᎩᎠ - ani-gi-ɂa - they are eating a lump object.

Practice Sentences

1. ᏚᏯ ᎦᏚ ᎠᎩᎠ ᎠᏧᏣ. - tuya gadu agiɂa atsutsa.
The boy is eating bean bread.

2. ᎡᏆ ᎢᏤᏳᏍᏗ ᏒᎦᏔ ᏥᎩᎠ. - Egwa itseyusdi svgata tsigiɂa.
I am eating a big green apple.

3. ᎦᏚᏍᎪ ᎯᎩᎠ? - Gadusgo higiɂa?
Are you eating bread?

4. Ꮩ ᏳᏍᏗ ᎠᎩᎠ Ꮎ ᎩᎵ?- do yusdi agiɂa gili?
What is that dog eating?

5. ᏄᎾ ᎦᏓᏫᏕᎾ ᎣᏥᎩᎠ - nun gadawidena otsigiɂa.
We (not you) are all eating mashed potatoes.

Vocabulary

ᏚᏯ ᎦᏚ - tuya gadu - bean bread
ᎢᏤᏳᏍᏗ - itseyusdi - green
ᏒᎦᏔ - sv(ga)ta - an apple
ᏄᎾ ᎦᏓᏫᏕᎾ - nun gadawidena - mashed potatoes

'eat something long and rigid' in present tense.
Root verb -sdigi-

ᏥᏍᏗᎩᎠ - tsi-sdigi-ɂa - I am eating something long.

ᎯᏍᏗᎩᎠ - hi-sdigi-ɂa - you are eating something long.

ᎠᏍᏗᎩᎠ - a-sdigi-ɂa - he/she/it has something long.

ᎢᏂᏍᏗᎩᎠ - ini-sdigi-ɂa - the two of us (including you) are eating something long.

ᏍᏗᏍᏗᎩᎠ - sdi-sdigi-ɂa - you two are eating something long.

ᎣᏍᏗᏍᏗᎩᎠ - osdi-sdigi-ɂa - the two of us (not including you) are eating something long.

ᎢᏗᏍᏗᎩᎠ - idi-sdigi-ɂa - we all (including you) are eating something long.

ᎣᏥᏍᏗᎩᎠ - otsi-sdigi-ɂa - we all (not including you) are eating something long.

ᎢᏥᏍᏗᎩᎠ - itsi-sdigi-ɂa - you all are eating something long.

ᎠᏂᏍᏗᎩᎠ - ani-sdigi-ɂa - they are eating something long.

Practice Sentences

1. ᏙᏯ ᎤᏍᏗ ᎤᏩᏂᎦᎸ ᎠᏍᏗᎩᎠ - doya usdi uwanigalv asdigiɂa.
The beaver is eating a [tree] branch.

2. ᏳᏓᎭᎢ ᏗᏂᏲᏟ ᏗᎪᏪᎶᏗ ᏓᏂᏍᏗᎩᎠ - yudaha'i diniyotli digowelodi danisdigiɂa.
Sometimes children eat pencils.

3. ᏏᏆ ᎭᏫᏯ ᎠᏍᏙᏗ ᎠᏍᏗᏍᏗᎩᎠ - sigwa hawiya asdodi osdisdigiɂa.
The two of us (not you) are eating pork sausage.

Vocabulary

ᏙᏯ - doya - a beaver
ᎤᏍᏗ ᎤᏳᏂᎦᎸ - usdi uwanigalv - a [tree] branch
ᏳᏓᎭᎢ - yudahaɂi - sometimes
ᏗᏂᏲᏟ - diniyotli - children
ᏗᎪᏪᎶᏗ - digowelodi - pencil
ᏏᏆ ᎭᏫᏯ ᎠᏍᏙᏗ - sigwa hawiya asdodi - pork sausage


'eat something flexible'
Root verb -hye-

ᏥᏰᎠ - tsi-ɂye-ɂa - I am eating something flexible.

ᎯᏰᎠ- hi-hye-ɂa - you are eating something flexible.

ᎦᏰᎠ - ga-hye-ɂa - he/she/it has something flexible.

ᎢᏂᏰᎠ- ini-hye-ɂa - the two of us (including you) are eating something flexible.

ᏍᏗᏰᎠ - sdi-hye-ɂa - you two are eating something flexible.

ᎣᏍᏗᏰᎠ - osdi-hye-ɂa - the two of us (not including you) are eating something flexible.

ᎢᏗᏰᎠ - idi-hye-ɂa - we all (including you) are eating something flexible.

ᎣᏥᏰᎠ - otsi-hye-ɂa - we all (not including you) are eating something flexible.

ᎢᏥᏰᎠ - itsi-hye-ɂa - you all are eating something flexible.

ᎠᏂᏰᎠ - ani-hye-ɂa - they are eating something flexible.

Practice Sentences

1. ᎦᏙ ᎦᏰᎠ ᏥᏍᏚ? - Gado gahyeɂa tsisdu?
What is the rabbit eating?

2. ᎦᏚ ᎭᏫᏯ ᎠᎵᏍᏗᎵᏔᏅ ᎣᏥᏰᎠ. - Gadu hawiya a(li)sdi(li)tanv otsihyeɂa.
We (not you) are eating pizza.

3. ᎪᏪᎵᏍᎪ ᎦᏰᎠ ᎩᎵ? - Gowelisgo gahyeɂa gili?
Is the dog eating paper?

4. ᎠᏇᏅᏒᏱ ᏏᏆ ᎭᏫᏯ ᏗᎦᏒᏍᏔᏅ ᏥᏰᎠ. - Agwenvsvyi sigwa hawiya diksvstanv tsiɂyeɂa.
I am eating bacon at [my] home.

Vocabulary

ᏥᏍᏚ - tsisdu - a rabbit
ᎦᏚ ᎭᏫᏯ ᎠᎵᏍᏗᎵᏔᏅ - gadu hawiya a(li)sdi(li)tanv - pizza
ᎪᏪᎵ - goweli - paper
ᎠᏇᏅᏒᏱ - agwenvsvyi - at my home
ᏏᏆ ᎭᏫᏯ ᏗᎦᏒᏍᏔᏅ - sigwa hawiya diksvstanv - bacon

'ingest, eat (whole) something living'
Root verb -ɂye-

Note! This verb takes Animate (living) Object Pronouns only.

ᏥᏯᏰᎠ - tsiya-ɂye-ɂa - I am eating something living.

ᎯᏯᏰᎠ - hiya-ɂye-ɂa - you are eating something living.

ᎦᏰᎠ - ga-ɂye-ɂa - he/she/it has something living.

ᎡᏂᏰᎠ - eni-ɂye-ɂa - the two of us (including you) are eating something living.

ᎡᏍᏓᏰᎠ - esda-ɂye-ɂa - you two are eating something living.

ᎣᏍᏗᏰᎠ - osdi-ɂye-ɂa - the two of us (not including you) are eating something living.

ᎡᏗᏰᎠ - edi-ɂye-ɂa - we all (including you) are eating something living.

ᎣᏣᏰᎠ - otsi-ɂye-ɂa - we all (not including you) are eating something living.

ᎡᏥᏯᏰᎠ - etsiya-ɂye-ɂa - you all are eating something living.

ᎠᏂᏰᎠ - ani-ɂye-ɂa - they are eating something living.

Practice Sentences

1. ᏪᏌ ᏥᏍᏆᏯ ᎦᏰᎠ - wesa tsisgwaya gaɂyeɂa.
The cat is eating a (whole) sparrow.

2. ᏥᏍᏆ ᎦᎦᏰᎠ ᏥᏍᎪᏯ - tsisgwa gagaɂyeɂa tsisgoya.
The bird is eating bugs.

3. ᏩᏯᏍ ᏥᏔᎦ ᎦᏂᏰᎠ? - wayas tsitaga ganiɂyeɂa?
Do wolves eat (whole) chickens?

Vocabulary

ᏥᏍᏆᏯ - tsisgwaya - sparrow
ᏥᏍᏆ - tsisgwa - bird
ᏥᏍᎪᏯ - tsisgoya - bug
ᏥᏔᎦ - tsitaga - chicken

'eat something liquid'
See: "drink"





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