The "Set A" Verb 'understand, know it; recognize someone'
Root verb -oli-
Notes:
The usual meaning of this verb is "to understand something". Betty
Smith in Beginning Cherokee also lists it with an addition
meaning of "to know something" as in "to have knowledge of
something" which is still pretty close to "understand".
There are several verbs like this one that have a different
pronunciation of the 1st person singular "I" form from the rest of
the pronoun forms. Especially in verbs like this one where the
pronouns for 1st person singular "I" and 3rd person singular "he,
she, or it" are the same, the pronunciation difference distinguishes
the two in speech. Not so much in reading, though, where they are
spelled the same! However, context usually makes it clear which it
is supposed to be.
When this verb is used with Animate Object Pronouns it can
convey the meaning of "to recognize someone". See the Grammar
Section discussion onAnimate
Object Pronounsand review the verb tables listed with "Animate
Object" in gray.
Present Tense
ᎪᎵᎦ - g-oli:-ga - I understand it.
ᎰᎵᎦ - h-ol'-ga you understand it.
ᎪᎵᎦ - gol'-ga he/she/it understands it.
ᎢᏃᎵᎦ - in-ol'-ga the two of us (including you) understand it.
ᏍᏙᎵᎦ - sd-ol'-ga you two understand it.
ᎣᏍᏙᎵᎦ - osd-ol'-ga the two of us (not including you) understand it.
ᎢᏙᎵᎦ - id-ol'-ga we (including you) all understand it.
ᎣᏦᎵᎦ - ots-ol'-ga we (not including you) all understand it.
ᎢᏦᎵᎦ - its-ol'-ga you all understand it.
ᎠᏃᎵᎦ - an-ol'-ga they understand it.
Habitual Tense
ᎪᎵᎪᎢ - g-oli:-goɂi - I understand it.
ᎰᎵᎪᎢ - h-ol'-goɂi - you understand it.
ᎪᎵᎪᎢ - gol'-goɂi - he/she/it understands it.
ᎢᏃᎵᎪᎢ - in-ol'-goɂi - the two of us (including you) understand it.
ᏍᏙᎵᎪᎢ - sd-ol'-goɂi - you two understand it.
ᎣᏍᏙᎵᎪᎢ - osd-ol'-goɂi - the two of us (not including you) understand it.
ᎢᏙᎵᎪᎢ - id-ol'-goɂi - we (including you) all understand it.
ᎣᏦᎵᎪᎢ - ots-ol'-goɂi - we (not including you) all understand it.
ᎢᏦᎵᎪᎢ - its-ol'-goɂi - you all understand it.
ᎠᏃᎵᎪᎢ - an-ol'-goɂi - they understand it.
1. ᏣᎳᎩ ᎪᎵᎦ - Tsalagi goli:ga.
I understand Cherokee.
2. ᏍᏙᎵᎦᏨ? - Sdol'gatsu?
Do you two understand it?
3. ᎠᏍᏆᏂ ᎦᏪᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎪᎵᎦ Ꮎ ᎠᏫᎾ. - Asgwani gawonihisdi gol'ga na
awina.
That teenage boy understands Spanish.
4. ᎨᏍᏗ ᏯᏃᎵᎦ ᎠᏂᏧᏣ. - Gesdi yanolga anitsutsa.
The boys (they) don't understand.
5. ᏳᏁᎦ ᎢᏙᎵᎦ. - Yuneg idolga.
We all understand English.
6. ᎯᎠ ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᏥᏲᎵᎦ. - Hia asgaya tsiyoliga.
I recognize this man. (ref: Animate
Pronouns
7. ᎨᏍᏗ ᏱᎬᏲᎵᎦ. - Gesdi yigvyoliga.
I don't recognize you. (ref: "I
-> you" pronouns)
ᎠᏫᎾ - awina - a teenage boy
ᎠᏂᏧᏣ - anitsutsa - boys
ᏳᏁᎦ - yunega - English
Remote Past
*Note: Remote Past and Infinitive require Set B or
Animate Object Pronouns* ᎠᏉᎵᏨᎢ - agw-ol'-tsvɂi - I understood it.
ᏦᎵᏨᎢ - ts-ol'-tsvɂi - you understood it.
ᎤᏬᎵᏨᎢ - uwol'-tsvɂi - he/she/it understood it.
ᎩᏃᎵᏨᎢ - gin-ol'-tsvɂi - the two of us (including you) understood it.
ᏍᏙᎵᏨᎢ - sd-ol'-tsvɂi - you two understood it.
ᎣᎩᏃᎵᏨᎢ - ogin-ol'-tsvɂi - the two of us (not including you) understood it.
ᎢᎪᎵᏨᎢ - ig-ol'-tsvɂi - we (including you) all understood it.
ᎣᎪᎵᏨᎢ - og-ol'-tsvɂi - we (not including you) all understood it.
ᎢᏦᎵᏨᎢ - its-ol'-tsvɂi - you all understood it.
ᎤᏃᎵᏨᎢ - un-ol'-tsvɂi - they understood it.
Imperative (Immediate)
ᎰᎵᎩ - h-ol-gi - Understand!
ᏍᏙᎵᎩ - sd-ol-gi - (you two) Understand!
ᎢᏦᎵᎩ - its-ol-gi - (all of you) Understand!
Infinitive
*Note: Remote Past and Infinitive require Set B or
Animate Object Pronouns* ᎠᏉᎵᏍᏗ - agw-ol-isdi - for me to understand it.
ᏦᎵᏍᏗ - ts-ol-isdi - for you to understand it.
ᎤᏬᎵᏍᏗ - uwol-isdi - for him/her to understand it.
ᎩᏃᎵᏍᏗ - gin-ol-isdi - the two of us (including you) to understand it.
ᏍᏙᎵᏍᏗ - sd-ol-isdi - for you two to understand it.
ᎣᎩᏃᎵᏍᏗ - ogin-ol-isdi - for the two of us (not including you) to understand it.
ᎢᎪᎵᏍᏗ - ig-ol-isdi - for all of us (including you) to understand it.
ᎣᎪᎵᏍᏗ - og-ol-isdi - for all of us (not including you) to understand it.
ᎢᏦᎵᏍᏗ - its-ol-isdi - for you all to understand it.
ᎤᏃᎵᏍᏗ - un-ol-isdi - for them to understand it.