Cherokee Classifying Verbs

The Set "B" Classifying verb 'Have'

There are just over 40 "Classifying Verb" in the Cherokee language (depending on who's listing them). "To Have" 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:

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'have a lump object' in present tense

Root verb -h-

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ᎠᎩᎭ - agi-h-a - I have have a lump object.

ᏣᎭ - tsa-h-a - you have a lump object.

ᎤᎭ - u-h-a - he/she/it has a lump object.

ᎩᏂᎭ - gini-h-a - the two of us (including you) have a lump object.

ᏍᏗᎭ - sdi-h-a - you two have a lump object.

ᎣᎩᏂᎭ - ogini-h-a - the two of us (not including you) have a lump object.

ᎢᎩᎭ - igi-h-a - we all (including you) have a lump object.

ᎣᎩᎭ - ogi-h-a - we all (not including you) have a lump object.

ᎢᏥᎭ - itsi-h-a - you all have a lump object.

ᎤᏂᎭ - uni-h-a - they have a lump object.

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Practice Sentences

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1. ᏅᏯ ᏧᏬᏚ ᏚᎭ Ꮎ ᎠᏧᏣ - Nvya tsuwodu duha na atsutsa.
    The boy has beautiful rocks.

2. ᎡᏆ ᏓᏆᎴᎷ ᎤᏂᎭ - Egwa dagwalelu uniha.
    They have a big car.

3. ᎦᏚᏍᎪ ᏣᎭ? - Gadusgo tsaha?
    Do you have bread?

4. ᏥᏍᏈᏍᏗ ᎤᏍᎦᏁᎯ ᏒᎦᏔ ᎣᎦᏂᎭ - Tsigwisdi usganehi svgata oginiha.
    The two of us have a juicy apple.

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Vocabulary

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ᏅᏯ - nvya - rock, stone
ᎤᏬᏚ - uwodu - beautiful
ᏓᏆᎴᎷ - dagwalelu - a car
ᏥᏈᏍᏗ ᎤᏍᎦᏁᎯ - tsigwisdi usganehi - a lot of juice, very juicy
ᏒᎦᏔ - svgta - apple

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'have something living' in present tense.

Root verb -kah-

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ᎠᎩᎧᎭ - agi-kah-a - I have something living.

ᏣᎧᎭ - tsa-kah-a - you have something living.

ᎤᏩᎧᎭ - uwakah-a - he/she/it has something living.

ᎩᏂᎧᎭ - gini-kah-a - the two of us (including you) have something living.

ᏍᏗᎧᎭ - sdi-kah-a - you two have something living.

ᎣᎩᏂᎧᎭ - ogini-kah-a - the two of us (not including you) have something living.

ᎢᎦᎧᎭ - igi-kah-a - we all (including you) have something living.

ᎣᎩᎧᎭ - ogi-kah-a - we all (not including you) have something living.

ᎢᏥᎧᎭ - itsi-kah-a - you all have something living.

ᎤᏂᎧᎭ - uni-kah-a - they have something living.

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Practice Sentences

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1. ᎦᎵ ᎳᏌᏃ ᏚᏩᎧᎭ - Gili wesa-hno duwakaha na atsutsa.
    The boy has a dog and a cat.

2. ᎤᏬᏚ ᏐᏈᎵ ᎤᏂᎧᎭ - Uwodu sogwili unikaha.
    They have a pretty horse.

3. ᎤᏙᏍᎪ ᏣᎧᎭ? Udosgo tsakaha?
    Do you have a (opposite sex) sibling?

4. ᏥᏔᎦ ᎪᎩᏂᎧᎭ. - Tsitaga goginikaha.
    The two of us have live chickens.

5. ᎠᏂᏥᎸᏍᎩ ᎠᎩᎧᎭ - Anitsilvsgi agikaha.
    I have a live flower.

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Vocabulary

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-Ꮓ  - -hno - suffix meaning "and"
ᎤᏙ - udo - her brother, his sister
ᎠᏂᏥᎸᏍᎩ - anitsilvsgi - flowers

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'have something flexible' in present tense.

Root verb -na-

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ᎠᎩᎾᎠ- agi-na-ɂa - I have something flexible.

ᏣᎾᎠ - tsa-na-ɂa - you have something flexible.

ᎤᎾᎠ - u-na-ɂa - he/she/it has something flexible.

ᎩᏂᎾᎠ - gini-na-ɂa - the two of us (including you) have something flexible.

ᏍᏗᎾᎠ - sdi-na-ɂa - you two have something flexible.

ᎣᎩᏂᎾᎠ - ogini-na-ɂa - the two of us (not including you) have something flexible.

ᎢᎩᎾᎠ - igi-na-ɂa - we all (including you) have something flexible.

ᎣᎩᎾᎠ - ogi-na-ɂa - we all (not including you) have something flexible.

ᎢᏥᎾᎠ - itsi-na-ɂa - you all have something flexible.

ᎤᏂᎾᎠ - uni-na-ɂa - they have something flexible.

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Practice Sentences

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1. ᏌᎪᏂᎨᎢ ᎠᎿᏬ ᎤᎾᎠ Ꮎ ᎠᏧᏣ. - Sagonige'i ahnawo una'a na atsutsa.
    The boy has a blue shirt.

2. ᎩᎦᎨᎢ ᏧᏍᏆᏅᏂ ᎤᏂᎾᎠ. - Gigage'i tsusgwanvni unina'a.
    They have a red blanket.

3. ᎪᏪᎵᏍᎪ ᏣᎾᎠ? - Gowelisgo tsana'a?
    Do you have (some) paper?

4. ᎠᏇᏅᏒᎢ ᏥᏔᎦ ᎠᎩᎾᎠ. - Agwenvsvyi tsitaga agina'a.
    I have some chicken (meat) at my home.

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Vocabulary

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ᏌᎪᏂᎨᎢ - sagonige'i - blue
ᎠᎿᏬ - ahnawo - shirt
ᎩᎦᎨᎢ - gigage'i - red
ᏧᏍᏆᏅᏂ - tsusgwanvni - a blanket
ᎪᏪᎵ - goweli - paper
ᎠᏇᏅᏒᏱ - agwenvsvyi - my home

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'have something long and rigid' in present tense.

Root verb -vy-

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ᎠᏋᏯ - agw-vy-a - I have something long and rigid.

ᏨᏯ - ts-vy-a - you have something long and rigid.

ᎤᏩᏯ - uway-a - he/she/it has something long and rigid.

ᎩᏅᏯ - gin-vy-a - the two of us (including you) have something long and rigid.

ᏍᏛᏯ - sd-vy-a - you two have something long and rigid.

ᎣᎩᏅᏯ - ogin-vy-a - the two of us (not including you) have something long and rigid.

ᎢᎬᏯ - ig-vy-a - we all (including you) have something long and rigid.

ᎣᎬᏯ - og-vy-a - we all (not including you) have something long and rigid.

ᎢᏨᏯ - its-vy-a - you all have something long and rigid.

ᎤᏅᏯ - un-vy-a - they have something long and rigid.

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Practice Sentences

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1. ᎠᏗᏙᏗ ᎠᏰᎳᏍᏗᏃ ᏚᏩᏯ Ꮎ ᎠᎨᏳᏣ. - Adidodi no ayelsdi duwaya na ageyutsa.
    That girl has a spoon and a knife.

2. ᏔᎵᏍᎪ ᏗᎪᏪᎶᏗ ᏕᏍᏛᏯ? - Talisgo digowelodi desdvya.
    Do you two have two pencils?

3. ᎤᏪᏘ ᏚᏇᏍᏗ ᎤᏅᏯ. - Uweti tugwesdi unvya.
    They have an old blowgun.

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Vocabulary

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ᎠᏗᏙᏗ - adidodi - a spoon
ᎠᏰᎳᏍᏗ - ayelsdi - a knife
ᎠᎨᏳᏣ - ageyutsa - a girl
ᎩᎦᎨᎢ - gigage'i - red color
ᎤᏪᏘ - uweti - old
ᏚᏇᏍᏗ - tugwesdi - a blowgun

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'have something liquid' in present tense.

Root verb -neh-

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ᎠᎩᏁᎭ - agi-neh-a - I have something liquid.

ᏣᏁᎭ - tsa-neh-a - you have something liquid.

ᎤᏁᎭ - u-neh-a - he/she/it has something liquid.

ᎦᏂᏁᎭ - gini-neh-a - the two of us (including you) have something liquid.

ᏍᏗᏁᎭ - sdi-neh-a - you two have something liquid.

ᎣᎩᏂᏁᎭ - ogini-neh-a - the two of us (not including you) have something liquid.

ᎢᎩᏁᎭ - igi-neh-a - we all (including you) have something liquid.

ᎣᎩᏁᎭ - ogi-neh-a - we all (not including you) have something liquid.

ᎢᏥᏁᎭ - itsi-neh-a - you all have something liquid.

ᎢᏂᏁᎭ - uni-neh-a - they have something liquid.

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Practice Sentences

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1. ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᎤᏗᎴᎩ ᎪᏫ ᎤᏁᎭ - Asgaya udilegi kowi uneha.
The man has hot coffee.

2. ᎤᏅᏗᏍᎪ ᏣᏁᎭ? - Unvdisgo tsaneha?
Do you have milk?

3. ᎤᏴᏨ ᎠᎹ ᎠᎩᏁᎭ - Uyvtsv ama agineha.
I have cold water.

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Vocabulary

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ᎤᏗᎴᎩ - udilegi - hot
ᎤᏅᏗ - unvdi - milk
ᎤᏴᏨ - uyvtsv - cold

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