Gayogo̱hó:nǫʼ
Cayuga
Iroquoian (Northern, Five Nations)
Cayuga (Gayogo̱hó:nǫʼ, "people of the marsh") is a Northern Iroquoian language of the historic Cayuga Nation, originally Lake Cayuga (Finger Lakes) NY. The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee) Six Nations dispersal after the American Revolution moved most Cayuga to Ontario. Today ~30 fluent elderly speakers remain at Six Nations of the Grand River; immersion preschool (Onǫkwaʼshónaʼ Gayogo̱hó:nǫʼ) and Six Nations Polytechnic adult programs sustain heritage learners.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Cayuga
Water
ohnekanos
/ohnekanos/
Fire
ojistaʼ
/odʒistaʔ/
Sun
gaehkwa
/ɡaehkwa/
Moon
sǫi:ya
/sõːja/
Mother
agniha
/aɡniha/
Father
hagʼniha
/haɡʔniha/
Eat
gekho
/ɡekʰo/
Drink
gehnegira
/ɡehneɡira/
Love
gaihwiyu
/ɡaihwiju/
Heart
awéri
/aweri/
Tree
gaentaʼ
/ɡaentaʔ/
House
ganǫhsoot
/ɡanõhsoːt/
Dog
shǫkáos
/ʃõkaos/
Cat
ditshokwáʔ
/ditʃokwaʔ/
Hand
onénǫhsa
/onenõhsa/
Eye
oga:t
/oɡaːt/
Hello
sgë:nǫʼ
/skẽːnõʔ/
Thank you
niáwę
/niawɛ̃/
One
skat
/skat/
Good
oyanre
/ojanre/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Iroquoian (Northern, Five Nations) languages
| Meaning | Cayuga | Onondaga | Mohawk | Tuscarora | Cherokee | Wolaytta | Iban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ohnekanos /ohnekanos/ | ohnekano:s /ohnekanoːs/ | ohnekanos /ohnekanos/ | awę: /awɛ̃ː/ | ᎠᎹ /ama/ | haatta /haːtːa/ | ai /ai/ |
| Fire | ojistaʼ /odʒistaʔ/ | oji:staʼ /odʒiːstaʔ/ | o'kara /oʔkara/ | ujihst /udʒihst/ | ᎠᏥᎳ /atʃila/ | tama /tama/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | gaehkwa /ɡaehkwa/ | gaeh'kwa /ɡaehʔkwa/ | karahkwa /karahkwa/ | hęhts /hɛ̃hts/ | ᏅᏓ /nə̃daː/ | awa /awa/ | mata-ari /mataari/ |
| Moon | sǫi:ya /sõːja/ | gaeh'kwa enitha /ɡaehʔkwa enitha/ | ahsonthenhne /ahsontʰenhne/ | hęhts uri:węh /hɛ̃hts uɾiːwɛ̃h/ | ᏅᏓ ᏒᏃᏱ /nə̃daː sə̃noji/ | ageena /aɡeːna/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Mother | agniha /aɡniha/ | ekno:ha' /eknoːhaʔ/ | iste /iste/ | raknų:hak /ɾaknũːhak/ | ᎡᏥ /edʒi/ | aaya /aːja/ | indai /indai/ |
| Father | hagʼniha /haɡʔniha/ | hak'no:ha' /hakʔnoːhaʔ/ | ranihá /raniha/ | rakhnih /ɾakhnih/ | ᎡᏙᏓ /edoda/ | aawa /aːwa/ | apai /apai/ |
| Eat | gekho /ɡekʰo/ | ekho:ne' /ekʰoːneʔ/ | kekhwa /kekʰwa/ | kré:nuʼ /kɾeːnuʔ/ | ᎠᎩᏍᏔ /aɡista/ | miya /miːja/ | makai /makai/ |
| Drink | gehnegira /ɡehneɡira/ | ehnega:i'ron /ehneɡaːiʔron/ | kahnek /kahnek/ | kré:hwiʼ /kɾeːhwiʔ/ | ᎠᏗᏔ /adita/ | ushiya /uʃija/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ |
| Love | gaihwiyu /ɡaihwiju/ | gaonihsdá:wę /ɡaonihsdaːwɛ̃/ | aknoronhkwa /aknoronhkʷa/ | krunyę:tas /kɾuɲɛ̃ːtas/ | ᎠᏓᎨᏳᎯ /adaɡejuhi/ | siiqaa /siːqaː/ | rinduai /rinduai/ |
| Heart | awéri /aweri/ | awé:ri /aweːri/ | awèrià /awɛriã/ | kęhsa' /kɛ̃hsaʔ/ | ᎤᏬᏱ /uwoji/ | wozanaa /wozanaː/ | ati /ati/ |
| Tree | gaentaʼ /ɡaentaʔ/ | ga:enda' /ɡaːendaʔ/ | okwire /okʷire/ | nyęt /ɲɛ̃t/ | ᏡᎬ /tluɡə̃/ | mittaa /mitːaː/ | kayu /kaju/ |
| House | ganǫhsoot /ɡanõhsoːt/ | ganǫhsoht /ɡanõhsoht/ | kanonhsa /kanonhsa/ | kanéhse'ę /kanehseʔɛ̃/ | ᎦᎵᏦᏕ /ɡalitsode/ | keettaa /keːtːaː/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | shǫkáos /ʃõkaos/ | só:wa:s /soːwaːs/ | érhar /erhar/ | čerʼ /tʃeɾʔ/ | ᎩᏟ /ɡitli/ | kanaa /kanaː/ | ukui /ukui/ |
| Cat | ditshokwáʔ /ditʃokwaʔ/ | takó:s /takoːs/ | takós /takos/ | takʼo:s /takʔoːs/ | ᏪᏌ /wesa/ | gaaduwaa /ɡaːduwaː/ | mayau /majau/ |
| Hand | onénǫhsa /onenõhsa/ | onénǫhsa' /onenõhsaʔ/ | o'nentsha /oʔnentsha/ | kéhskweh /kehskweh/ | ᎤᏬᏰᏂ /uwojeːni/ | kushiyaa /kuʃijaː/ | jari /dʒari/ |
| Eye | oga:t /oɡaːt/ | oga:tha' /oɡaːtʰaʔ/ | kakahre /kakahre/ | ka:tæk /kaːtæk/ | ᎠᎦᏘ /aɡati/ | ayfee /ajfeː/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | sgë:nǫʼ /skẽːnõʔ/ | sgë:nǫʼ /skẽːnõʔ/ | she:kon /ʃeːkon/ | skę:nu /skɛ̃ːnu/ | ᎣᏏᏲ /osijo/ | saro /saro/ | salam /salam/ |
| Thank you | niáwę /niawɛ̃/ | nya:wę' /njaːwɛ̃ʔ/ | niáwen /niawen/ | nyaʼwę: /ɲaʔwɛ̃ː/ | ᎢᎴᎯᏍᏗ /ilehisdi/ | galatay /ɡalataj/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ |
| One | skat /skat/ | ska:t /skaːt/ | enska /enska/ | ę:cæ /ɛ̃ːtsæ/ | ᏌᏊ /sakʷuː/ | issino /isːino/ | satu /satu/ |
| Good | oyanre /ojanre/ | oyá:nre /ojaːnre/ | ió /jo/ | unę:tsweht /unɛ̃ːtsweht/ | ᎣᏍᏓ /osda/ | lo'o /loʔo/ | manah /manah/ |
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