Udugi as an Intertribal Lingua Franca

Many Native American tribes no longer have their own language. This, in fact, is the trend, as the older people, the really fluent speakers, die off. Meanwhile the Udugi language (udugi means "hope" in Cherokee) is available to all. I invite you to learn and use it, and I will help in any way that I can.

Udugi is a constructed language, based on Cherokee (Tsalagi, ꮳꮃꭹ) vocabulary, and a very simple, Esperanto-like grammar. It is a powerful and expressive language, and in this poetry blog it has the beginnings of its own literature.

Here is a sample of Udugi, Matthew Chapter 3, Verses 1-7:


1  nasgi igadi hawina nvlise tsani didawosgi, alitsadodanete inagei tsudiyi hawina,

2  ale hineganete, agatahvsdu, igvnisisgi ayeli-unadotlvsv galvladi vhnai nvlase tlegi.

3 hiano gesvase nasgi na gesvise kanegvita aniyelvsgv adelohosgi isaya gvdodi, hineganete, kanegv-unoyvgv nasgi vhnai atloyasdanete inagei hawina, advnvisdodu nvnohine unelanvhi vhnai, gatsinosdigu utseli nvnohidine.

4  ale utloyitsani uhise utseli dinuwone gemili-usdiyegu vhnai, ale ganotsi adatlosdine utseli udatlosdv yvwaduwidv; ale utseli hawiya gesvise vledi ale geyatahi wadulisi.

5  nahiyui anagisdise doyegi nasgi didla tsilusalimi, ale nigadv tsudiyi, ale nigadv utanidigadohi tsodani yvwaduwidv,

6  ale gesvise didawosdita atsvyv gvdodi tsodani hawina, gohiyudodanete unatseli asganidine.

7  aseno hilayvi atsvyai gowatise na ugodidi ani-qualisi ale ani-sadusi nvlise utseli didawosgi didla, atsvyai hinegise nasgidv didla, "yo! nihi inadv uwetsidi! gagouyotsvhise nihine ulatisdi utalawosgvne na nvlose?"


The above sample is translated from the King James Version (KJV), and it should be easy to follow along. There is an Udugi dictionary in this blog, published yesterday, May 26 2020. At the end of the dictionary there is a short outline of Udugi grammar.

You will also find poetry and other writings in Udugi in this blog. I have been using the language for about two years, and it is fully functional. There is also a Facebook group, Udugi Nigadv Nasgihai (Udugi for All), which you can join. All are welcome.

Text and image © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler, ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.