The Classifying verb 'Give'

There are just over 40 "Classifying Verb" in the Cherokee language (depending on who's listing them). "To Give" 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" for 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 basically a "catch all" for anything that doesn't fit the other 4 classes. Includes rocks, balls, clumps, potatoes, apples, most fruit and berries, etc.
Long/rigid - includes carrots, celery, sticks, arrow shafts, posts, poles, brooms, 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.

'give a lump object' in present tense.
Root verb -hneh-

ᏥᏁᎭ - tsi-hneh-a - I am giving a lump object.

ᎯᏁᎭ - hi-hneh-a - you are giving a lump object.

ᎠᏁᎭ - a-hneh-a - he/she/it is giving a lump object.

ᎢᏂᏁᎭ - ini-hneh-a - the two of us (including you) are giving a lump object.

ᏍᏗᏁᎭ - sdi-hneh-a - you two are giving a lump object.

ᎣᏍᏗᏁᎭ - osdi-hneh-a - the two of us (not including you) are giving a lump object.

ᎢᏗᏁᎭ - idi-hneh-a - we all (including you) are giving a lump object.

ᎣᏥᏁᎭ - otsi-hneh-a - we all (not including you) are giving a lump object.

ᎢᏥᏁᎭ - itsi-hneh-a - you all are giving a lump object.

ᎠᏂᏁᎭ - ani-hneh-a - they are giving a lump object.

Practice Sentences

1. ᎤᏙᏓ ᏅᏯ ᎠᏁᎭ ᎠᏧᏣ. - Udoda nvya ahneha atsutsa. -
    The boy is giving a rock to his father.

2. ᎡᏆ ᏓᏆᎴᎷ ᎤᏁᏥ ᎠᏂᏁᎭ. - Egwa dagwalelu unetsi anihneha. -
    They are giving a big car to their son.

3. ᎦᏚᏍᎪ ᎤᎦᎾᏍᎦ ᏣᏂ ᎯᏁᎭ? - Gadusgo uganasda Tsani hihneha? -
    Are you giving sweet bread to Tsani?

4. ᏥᏈᏍᏗ ᎤᏍᎦᏁᎯ ᏒᎦᏔ ᎣᏍᏗᎮᎭ. - Tsigwisdi usganehi svgta osdihneha. -
    The two of us are giving him a juicy apple.

Vocabulary

ᏅᏯ - nvya - rock, stone
ᏓᏆᎴᎷ - dagwalelu - a car
ᎤᏁᏥ - unetsi - their child
ᎤᎦᎾᏍᏓ - uganasda - sweet
ᏥᏈᏍᏗ ᎤᏍᎦᏁᎯ - tsigwisdi usganehi - juicy
ᏒᎦᏔ - svg(a)ta - apple

'give something living' in present tense.
Root verb -akaneh-

ᏥᏯᎧᏁᎭ - tsiy-akaneh-a - I am giving a living object.

ᎯᏯᎧᏁᎭ - hiy-akaneh-a - you are giving a living object.

ᎦᎧᏁᎭ - g-akaneh-a - he/she/it is giving a living object.

ᎢᏂᎧᏁᎭ - ini-kaneh-a - the two of us (including you) are giving a living object.

ᏍᏗᎧᏁᎭ - sdi-kaneh-a - you two are giving a living object.

ᎣᏍᏗ ᎧᏁᎭ - osdi-kaneh-a - the two of us (not including you) are giving a living object.

ᎢᏗᎧᏁᎭ - idi-kaneh-a - we all (including you) are giving a living object.

ᎣᏥᎧᏁᎭ - otsi-kaneh-a - we all (not including you) are giving a living object.

ᎢᏥᎧᏁᎭ - itsi-kaneh-a - you all are giving a living object.

ᎠᏂᎧᏁᎭ - ani-kaneh-a - they are giving a living object.

Practice Sentences

1. ᏥᏍᎪᏯ ᎦᎧᏁᎭ ᏥᏆ Ꮎ ᎠᏧᏣ. - Tsisgoya gakaneha tsisgwa na atsutsa. -
    The boy is giving a bug to the bird.

2. ᎤᏍᎢ ᎩᎵ ᎠᏂᎧᏁᎭ ᎠᎨᏳᏣ. - Usdi gili anikaneha ageyhutsa. -
    They are giving a small dog to the girl.

3. ᎠᏂᏥᎸᏍᎩ ᏥᏯᎧᏁᎭ ᎤᏨᎩ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ. - Anitsilvsgi tsiyakaneha utsvgi iyusdi. -
    I am giving her flowers because she's sick.

Vocabulary

ᏥᏍᎪᏯ - tsisgoya - a bug
ᏥᏍᏆ - tsisgwa - a bird
ᎠᏂᏥᎸᏍᎩ - anitsilvsgi - flowers
ᎤᏨᎩ - utsvgi - s/he is sick. (West - ᎤᏢᎩ utlvgi)
ᎢᏳᏍᏗ - iyusdi - because

'give something flexible' in present tense.
Root verb -nvneh-

ᏥᏅᏁᎭ - tsi-nvneh-a - I am giving a flexible object.

ᎯᏅᏁᎭ - hi-nvneh-a - you are giving a flexible object.

ᎠᏅᏁᎭ - a-nvneh-a - he/she/it is giving a flexible object.

ᎢᏂᏅᏁᎭ - ini-nvneh-a - the two of us (including you) are giving a flexible object.

ᏍᏗᏅᏁᎭ - sdi-nvneh-a - you two are giving a flexible object.

ᎣᏍᏗᏅᏁᎭ - osdi-nvneh-a - the two of us (not including you) are giving a flexible object.

ᎢᏗᏅᏁᎭ - idi-nvneh-a - we all (including you) are giving a flexible object.

ᎣᏥᏅᏁᎭ - otsi-nvneh-a - we all (not including you) are giving a flexible object.

ᎢᏥᏅᏁᎭ - itsi-nvneh-a - you all are giving a flexible object.

ᎠᏂᏅᏁᎭ - ani-nvneh-a - they are giving a flexible object.

Practice Sentences

1. ᏓᎶᏂᎨ ᎤᎿᏬ ᏥᏅᏁᎭ. - Dalonige uhnawo tsinvneha. -
    I am giving a yellow shirt to him.

2. ᎤᏂᏥ ᎤᏬᏚᎯ ᏧᏍᏆᏅᏂ ᎠᏂᏅᏁᎭ. - Unitsi uwoduhi tsusgwanvni aninvneha. -
    They are giving a beautiful blanket to their mother.

3. ᏗᎪᏪᎵ ᏓᏅᏁᎭ ᏗᏕᏲᎲᏍᎩ - Digohweli danvneha dideyohvsgi. -
    S/he is giving the papers to the teacher.

4. ᎣᎩᎾᎵᏍᎪ ᏥᏔᎦ ᏂᏅᏁᎭ? - Oginali'isgo tsitaga hinvneh? -
    Are you giving my friend some chicken?

Vocabulary

ᏓᎶᏂᎨ - dalonige - yellow color
ᎤᎿᏬ - uhnawo - shirt
ᎤᏂᏥ - unitsi - their mother
ᏧᏍᏆᏅᏂ - tsusgwanvni - a blanket
ᎪᏪᎵ / ᏗᎪᏪᎵ - gohweli / digohweli - paper / papers



'give something long and rigid' in present tense.
Root verb -deh-

ᏥᏕᎭ - tsi-deh-a - I am giving a long and rigid object.

ᎯᏕᎭ - hi-deh-a - you are giving a long and rigid object.

ᎠᏕᎭ - a-deh-a - he/she/it is giving a long and rigid object.

ᎢᏂᏕᎭ - ini-deh-a - the two of us (including you) are giving a long and rigid object.

ᏍᏗᏕᎭ - sdi-deh-a - you two are giving a long and rigid object.

ᎣᏍᏗᏕᎭ - osdi-deh-a - the two of us (not including you) are giving a long and rigid object.

ᎢᏗᏕᎭ - idi-deh-a - we all (including you) are giving a long and rigid object.

ᎣᏥᏕᎭ - otsi-deh-a - we all (not including you) are giving a long and rigid object.

ᎢᏥᏕᎭ - itsi-deh-a - you all are giving a long and rigid object.

ᎠᏂᏕᎭ - ani-deh-a - they are giving a long and rigid object.

Practice Sentences

1. ᎤᏍᏗᏍᎪ ᎠᏗᏙᏗ ᎯᏕᎭ? - Usdi'isgo adidodi hideha? -
    Are you giving the baby a spoon?

2. ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᏚᏇᏍᏗ ᎣᏥᏕᎭ. - Asgaya dugwesdi otsideha. -
    We all (not you) are giving the man a blowgun.

3. ᎠᏂᎨᏩᏣ ᏗᎪᏪᎶᏗ ᏗᏂᎶᎭ. - Anigeyutsa digowelodi danideha. -
    They are giving the girls pencils.

Vocabulary

ᎠᏗᏙᏗ - aditohdi - a spoon
ᏚᏇᏍᏗ - dugwesdi - a blowgun

'have something liquid' in present tense.
Root verb -nehneh-

ᏥᏁᏁᎭ - tsi-nehneh-a - I am giving something liquid.

ᎯᏁᏁᎭ - hi-nehneh-a - you are giving something liquid.

ᎠᏁᏁᎭ - a-nehneh-a - he/she/it is giving something liquid.

ᎢᏂᏁᏁᎭ - ini-nehneh-a - the two of us (including you) are giving something liquid.

ᏍᏗᏁᏁᎭ - sdi-nehneh-a - you two are giving something liquid.

ᎣᏍᏗᏁᏁᎭ - osdi-nehneh-a - the two of us (not including you) are giving something liquid.

ᎢᏗᏁᏁᎭ - idi-nehneh-a - we all (including you) are giving something liquid.

ᎣᏥᏁᏁᎭ - otsi-nehneh-a - we all (not including you) are giving something liquid.

ᎢᏥᏁᏁᎭ - itsi-nehneh-a - you all are giving something liquid.

ᎠᏂᏁᏁᎭ - ani-nehneh-a - they are giving something liquid.

Practice Sentences

1. ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᎤᏗᎴᎩ ᎪᏫ ᎠᏁᏁᎭ ᎠᎨᏳᏣ. - Asgaya udilegi kowi anehneha agehyutsa. -
    The girl is giving the man hot coffee.

2. ᎤᏅᏗ ᏍᎩᏁᏁᎭ. - Unvdi sginehneha. -
    You are giving me milk.

3. ᎩᎵ ᎤᏴᏨ ᎠᎹ ᎠᏂᏁᏁᎭ. - Gili uyvtsv ama aninehneha. -
    They are giving cold water to the dog.

Vocabulary

ᎤᏗᎴᎩ - udilegi - hot (W. ᎤᏗᏞᎩ - udihlegi
ᎤᏅᏗ - unvdi - milk
sgi- - 'you to me
ᎤᏴᏨ - uyvtsv - cold (W. ᎤᏴᏢ - uyvtlv -)




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