"Two Cats and a Monkey":

A Translated and Morphologically Analyzed Cherokee Text with Guidance for Second-Language Learners

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22024/UniKent/03/tm.1193

Abstract

We extend the small corpus of morphologically analyzed Cherokee-
language texts through our examination of a version of an Aesop’s fable published,
without English translation, in an 1828 issue of the Cherokee Phoenix (Tsalagi
Tsulehisanvhi). Our analysis, framed by observations on the document’s historical and
cultural context, is intended for language researchers interested in polysynthesis in
discourse. At the same time, we have aimed to maximize accessibility for avocational
and second-language learners. To this end, we first review basic features of Cherokee
verb morphology, then illustrate, with examples from the text, how Cherokee verbs
combine separable units of meaning (morphemes) to convey complex ideas and create
distinctive communicative possibilities.

Author Biographies

Dr. Eva Garroutte, Boston College

Department of Sociology

Research Associate Professor

Tanner Scott, Independent Scholar

Tanner Scott received a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology at Stanford University in 2022.
A Cherokee Nation citizen, he has since become an avid learner of the Cherokee language with
an interest in linguistics. Currently, he works as a Cherokee language specialist for the Digital
Archive of American Indian Languages Preservation and Perseverance (DAILP) at Northeastern
University in Massachusetts, aiding in transcription, translation, and interlinear-glossed text
notation of historic, Cherokee language documents. His research interests include Cherokee
language documentation, phonology, and historical linguistics.

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Published

2025-10-06

How to Cite

Garroutte, E. M., & Scott, T. (2025). "Two Cats and a Monkey": : A Translated and Morphologically Analyzed Cherokee Text with Guidance for Second-Language Learners. Transmotion, 10(2), 80–143. https://doi.org/10.22024/UniKent/03/tm.1193

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2025): Tsalagi Scholars: Land, Stories, Relations

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Eva Garroutte, Tanner Scott

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