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Cherokee language in NC video
Oct. 7th, 2010 04:37 pmAn interesting video, from the North Carolina Language and Life Project at NC State University:
Source.
I'm interested in seeing their films.
Since the local dialect where I'm from (in SW Virginia) is gone AFAIK, I was initially interested in learning Giduwa dialect from NC. (Snowbird is a little different; I think there's at least one Snowbird speaker on the video.) The NC dialects are also more endangered, with 300-odd anything-near-fluent speakers in North Carolina (72% over the age of 50), as opposed to 10,000 or so in Oklahoma. They're written the same as the Western dialects as they have developed in Oklahoma--from speakers of different dialects thrown together--but are pronounced rather differently. But, there is more material readily available for Western dialect, including free online courses offered by Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma--which I need to sign up for again!--and a pretty good dictionary. So, that's what I started learning, and am waiting to learn Giduwa dialect so I don't confuse myself. ;)
I also thought it was interesting how the first speaker on the video, Mandy Swimmer (who reminded me very much of my Nana!), in particular was speaking both Tsalagi and English with the same distinctive Western NC accent. So were some others. Not surprising, once I thought about it, but interesting. :)
ETA: Apparently, there was another NC dialect I didn't know about. From The Effect of the Trail of Tears on Cherokee Dialect (in short, "The Cherokee Language experienced creation, destruction, alteration and blurring of multiple dialects."):
It's not mentioned as an extinct dialect, AFAICT. Interesting.
Source.
I'm interested in seeing their films.
Since the local dialect where I'm from (in SW Virginia) is gone AFAIK, I was initially interested in learning Giduwa dialect from NC. (Snowbird is a little different; I think there's at least one Snowbird speaker on the video.) The NC dialects are also more endangered, with 300-odd anything-near-fluent speakers in North Carolina (72% over the age of 50), as opposed to 10,000 or so in Oklahoma. They're written the same as the Western dialects as they have developed in Oklahoma--from speakers of different dialects thrown together--but are pronounced rather differently. But, there is more material readily available for Western dialect, including free online courses offered by Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma--which I need to sign up for again!--and a pretty good dictionary. So, that's what I started learning, and am waiting to learn Giduwa dialect so I don't confuse myself. ;)
I also thought it was interesting how the first speaker on the video, Mandy Swimmer (who reminded me very much of my Nana!), in particular was speaking both Tsalagi and English with the same distinctive Western NC accent. So were some others. Not surprising, once I thought about it, but interesting. :)
ETA: Apparently, there was another NC dialect I didn't know about. From The Effect of the Trail of Tears on Cherokee Dialect (in short, "The Cherokee Language experienced creation, destruction, alteration and blurring of multiple dialects."):
The Middle dialect, or Kituwah [Giduwa], is a blend of Eastern and Western. Kituwah is still widely spoken on the Qualla Boundary and was generally spoken in Western North Carolina, and along the Tennessee border...
The Western Dialect, Overhill, Otali, was spoken in East Tennessee and Upper Georgia, and along the North Carolina rivers of Hiawassee and Cheowa. It is the softest and most musical of the dialects with a liquid “l” and softer consonants. Western is the basis of Syllabary, and is mainly spoken in Oklahoma (Mooney1 17)...
The Snowbird dialect is more heavily blended between Middle and Western (King 10). It has more of a Western structure with Middle translations. The Nantahala dialect is reminiscent of the [old - U.] Eastern dialect, without the “r” but with the harsh consonants.
It's not mentioned as an extinct dialect, AFAICT. Interesting.
