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Cherokee dialect

Western Cherokee

Also known as: Otali, Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee of Oklahoma, descended from the communities forcibly removed from the Southeast in 1838. The basis of the modern Cherokee Nation's language programme and the Cherokee syllabary press.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Western Cherokee?

Western Cherokee is a dialect of the Cherokee language.

Where is Western Cherokee spoken?

Western Cherokee is primarily spoken in United States.

Which region is Western Cherokee associated with?

Western Cherokee is part of the North America region on DialectAtlas.

Is Western Cherokee known by other names?

Yes — Western Cherokee is also referred to as Otali, Cherokee Nation.

What are the other dialects of Cherokee?

Cherokee also includes Eastern Cherokee. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.

Other Cherokee dialects

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Nearby dialects

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Muscogee (Creek)

95 km away

A Muskogean language of the Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole nations of Oklahoma and Florida. The historical lingua franca of the Southeastern Indigenous confederacy before forced removal.

Yuchi

102 km away

A language isolate of north-eastern Oklahoma, around Sapulpa within the Muscogee Nation, originally spoken in the south-eastern United States before removal. At most a handful of elderly native speakers remain; the Yuchi immersion school is again raising children with the language.

Chickasaw

201 km away

A Muskogean language of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. Closely related to Choctaw; critically endangered with active revitalisation through the Chickasaw Nation Language Department.

Choctaw

250 km away

A Muskogean language with two surviving communities — the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, descendants of the Trail-of-Tears removal. Around 10,000 speakers.

Cajun English

691 km away

The English of the Cajun communities of southern Louisiana, descended from generations of French-English bilingualism. Distinguished by intonation, vowel realisations, and lexical borrowings from Cajun French.

Cajun French

691 km away

The French of the Cajun communities of southern Louisiana, descended from 18th-century Acadian settlers expelled from the Maritimes. Endangered, with active revitalisation through CODOFIL and the Louisiana French immersion programme.

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