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
31 core words in Cayuga
Water
ohnekanos
/ohnekanos/
Fire
ojistaʼ
/odʒistaʔ/
Sun
gaehkwa
/ɡaehkwa/
Moon
sǫi:ya
/sõːja/
Star
otsihsdaʔ
/otsihsdaʔ/
Mother
agniha
/aɡniha/
Father
ha'nih
/haʔnih/
I
iːʔ
/iːʔ/
You
iːs
/iːs/
Name
ohsęːnaʔ
/ohsẽːnaʔ/
Eye
oga:t
/oɡaːt/
Hand
onénǫhsa
/onenõhsa/
Heart
awéri
/aweri/
Love
gaihwiyu
/ɡaihwiju/
Tree
gaentaʼ
/ɡaentaʔ/
House
ganǫhsoot
/ɡanõhsoːt/
Dog
shǫkáos
/ʃõkaos/
Cat
ditshokwáʔ
/ditʃokwaʔ/
Eat
gekho
/ɡekʰo/
Drink
gehnegira
/ɡehneɡira/
One
skat
/skat/
Two
téknih
/ˈteknih/
Hello
sgë:nǫʼ
/skẽːnõʔ/
Thank you
niáwę
/niawɛ̃/
Good
oyanre
/ojanre/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Iroquoian (Northern, Five Nations) languages
| Meaning | Cayuga | Onondaga | Mohawk | Tuscarora | Oneida | Zapotec | Mi'kmaq |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ohnekanos /ohnekanos/ | ohnekano:s /ohnekanoːs/ | ohnekanos /ohnekanos/ | awę: /awɛ̃ː/ | otiʔkwah /otiʔkwah/ | nisa /nisa/ | samqwan /samɡʷan/ |
| Fire | ojistaʼ /odʒistaʔ/ | oji:staʼ /odʒiːstaʔ/ | otsénhaʼ /odzʌ̃haʔ/ | ujihst /udʒihst/ | onaʔ /onaʔ/ | gi /ɡi/ | puktew /puɡdew/ |
| Sun | gaehkwa /ɡaehkwa/ | gaeh'kwa /ɡaehʔkwa/ | karahkwa /karahkwa/ | hęhts /hɛ̃hts/ | karahkwah /karahkwah/ | gubidxa /ɡubidʒa/ | naku'set /naɡuːset/ |
| Moon | sǫi:ya /sõːja/ | gaeh'kwa enitha /ɡaehʔkwa enitha/ | ehníta /ehˈniːta/ | hęhts uri:węh /hɛ̃hts uɾiːwɛ̃h/ | tsikʌ /tsikʌ/ | beeu /beːu/ | tepkunaset /tebɡunaset/ |
| Star | otsihsdaʔ /otsihsdaʔ/ | otsistoʼgwaʼ /odʒistoʔɡwaʔ/ | otsistohkwaʔ /otsistohkwaʔ/ | utsíhstaʔ /utsíhstaʔ/ | otsistohkwaʼ /odʒistohkwaʔ/ | béleguí /beleɡiʔ/ | kloqoej /kl̩qwetʃ/ |
| Mother | agniha /aɡniha/ | ekno:ha' /eknoːhaʔ/ | isté:ha /isteːha/ | raknų:hak /ɾaknũːhak/ | aknulha /aknulha/ | jñaa /xɲaː/ | nikij /niɡidʒ/ |
| Father | ha'nih /haʔnih/ | hak'no:ha' /hakʔnoːhaʔ/ | ranihá /raniha/ | rakhnih /ɾakhnih/ | haʔnih /haʔnih/ | bixhoze /biʃoze/ | nujj /nudʒː/ |
| I | iːʔ /iːʔ/ | iʼ /iʔ/ | í:'i /íːʔi/ | íːʔ /iːʔ/ | iʔí /iˈʔi/ | naa /naːʔ/ | ni'n /niːn/ |
| You | iːs /iːs/ | íseʼ /iseʔ/ | í:se' /íːseʔ/ | íːsaʔ /iːsaʔ/ | isé /iˈse/ | liiʼ /liːʔ/ | ki'l /kiːl/ |
| Name | ohsęːnaʔ /ohsẽːnaʔ/ | yaʼts /jaʔts/ | ohsennaʔ /ohsennaʔ/ | utsheːnaʔ /utsʰeːnaʔ/ | yukyáts /juˈɡjats/ | lá /la/ | wisun /wisun/ |
| Eye | oga:t /oɡaːt/ | oga:tha' /oɡaːtʰaʔ/ | kakahre /kakahre/ | ka:tæk /kaːtæk/ | oʔloh /oʔloh/ | lú /lú/ | pukweck /puɡʷedʒɡ/ |
| Hand | onénǫhsa /onenõhsa/ | onénǫhsa' /onenõhsaʔ/ | o'nentsha /oʔnentsha/ | kéhskweh /kehskweh/ | okaʔ /okaʔ/ | na /naʔ/ | piten /biden/ |
| Heart | awéri /aweri/ | awé:ri /aweːri/ | awèrià /awɛriã/ | kęhsa' /kɛ̃hsaʔ/ | oianeh /oianeh/ | ladxi /ladʒi/ | ukamlamun /uɡamlamun/ |
| Love | gaihwiyu /ɡaihwiju/ | gaonihsdá:wę /ɡaonihsdaːwɛ̃/ | aknoronhkwa /aknoronhkʷa/ | krunyę:tas /kɾuɲɛ̃ːtas/ | — /—/ | ranaxhii /ɾanaʃiː/ | kesalk /ɡesalɡ/ |
| Tree | gaentaʼ /ɡaentaʔ/ | ga:enda' /ɡaːendaʔ/ | okwire /okʷire/ | nyęt /ɲɛ̃t/ | oyʌte /ojʌte/ | yaga /jaɡa/ | nipi /nibi/ |
| House | ganǫhsoot /ɡanõhsoːt/ | ganǫhsoht /ɡanõhsoht/ | kanonhsa /kanonhsa/ | kanéhse'ę /kanehseʔɛ̃/ | kanúhsote /kanuhsote/ | lidxi /lidʒi/ | wikuom /wiɡuom/ |
| Dog | shǫkáos /ʃõkaos/ | só:wa:s /soːwaːs/ | érhar /erhar/ | čerʼ /tʃeɾʔ/ | é:lhal /ˈeːlhal/ | bi'cu' /biʔkuʔ/ | lmu'j /lmuːdʒ/ |
| Cat | ditshokwáʔ /ditʃokwaʔ/ | takó:s /takoːs/ | takós /takos/ | takʼo:s /takʔoːs/ | taks /taks/ | mistuu /mistuː/ | mia'wj /miaʔwdʒ/ |
| Eat | gekho /ɡekʰo/ | ekho:ne' /ekʰoːneʔ/ | kekhwa /kekʰwa/ | kré:nuʼ /kɾeːnuʔ/ | ohkaʔ /ohkaʔ/ | ro /ɾo/ | mij /midʒ/ |
| Drink | gehnegira /ɡehneɡira/ | ehnega:i'ron /ehneɡaːiʔron/ | kahnek /kahnek/ | kré:hwiʼ /kɾeːhwiʔ/ | ohwisaʔ /ohwisaʔ/ | ge /ɡe/ | sa'q /saːɡ/ |
| One | skat /skat/ | ska:t /skaːt/ | enska /enska/ | ę:cæ /ɛ̃ːtsæ/ | skaʔkoh /skaʔkoh/ | tobi /tobi/ | newt /newt/ |
| Two | téknih /ˈteknih/ | tékni /teɡni/ | tékeni /teːɡeni/ | néʔkti /neʔkti/ | tékeni /ˈtekeni/ | chupa /tʃupa/ | ta'pu /taːbu/ |
| Hello | sgë:nǫʼ /skẽːnõʔ/ | sgë:nǫʼ /skẽːnõʔ/ | she:kon /ʃeːkon/ | skę:nu /skɛ̃ːnu/ | — /—/ | padixhe /padiʃe/ | kwe' /kweː/ |
| Thank you | niáwę /niawɛ̃/ | nya:wę' /njaːwɛ̃ʔ/ | niáwen /niawen/ | nyaʼwę: /ɲaʔwɛ̃ː/ | — /—/ | xtiozenu /ʃtjozenu/ | wela'lin /welaːlin/ |
| Good | oyanre /ojanre/ | oyá:nre /ojaːnre/ | ioiánere /jojánere/ | unę:tsweht /unɛ̃ːtsweht/ | kaʔuh /kaʔuh/ | nazaaca /nazaːka/ | kelu'lk /ɡeluːlɡ/ |
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