Cherokee-English Dictionary Online Database

Alternate Language Names

Tsalagi (ᏣᎳᎩ), ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ, Tsalagi Gawonihisdi, Giduwa.

Region

North Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, and California, United States.

Who

CED-Online Project Development Team: Tim Nuttle (Project Organiser); Tim Orr (Web Designer); TommyLee Whitlock, Sarah Orndorff (Data Entry and Quality Assurance Leads).

Others Involved

Lee Lewis, Buffy Turner, Britton Watkins, Roberta Sue Allen, Aiden Archer Rain Warrior-Milford, Leesia Marshall, Tina Phronjia Bradley, Crystal Hofegartner, Mary Rae, Elaine Tuttle, Barb Miller, Laverne Swinton, Honor Keeler, Angela Arp, Tim Nuttle, Tim Orr (Data Entry and Quality Assurance); Michael Joyner (Quality Assurance).

Publishing Information

This online dictionary was launched in 2014. It appears to have most recently been updated in 2023. The software used was developed by the CED-Online Project Development Team.

How People are Cited

People are cited on the About page of the website.

How Information is Cited

Previously published materials used are cited on the About page and within individual entries.

Where is Information Coming from

This online dictionary is a database for previously published Cherokee language resources which have been vetted by reputable, fluent Cherokee language speakers. These resources are listed in the About section of the dictionary. However, the main source for this database is Durbin Feeling’s Cherokee English Dictionary (1975). All resources included thus far, as of mid-2025, are physical books and have been retyped for digital formatting purposes by a team of Cherokee language student-volunteers and members of the CED-Online Project Development Team.

Tools and Framework used

This is an online dictionary with a search function.

Access

This online dictionary is open access.

Included Languages and Directionality

Cherokee to English.

Dialects Included

No dialect is specified for this dictionary. Based on the list of included resources, this database includes information from both the Western (i.e., Overhill, Otali, or ᎣᏔᎵ) and Eastern (i.e., Middle, Kituwah, or ᎩᏚᏩ) dialects. Dialects for specific entries may be determined through the original sources that are cited within entries.

Type of Dictionary

This is a bilingual, mono-directional dictionary.

How are Entries Organised

Upon entering the website, users are met with the search function of the dictionary, which can be used in either the phonetic spelling of the Cherokee, the Cherokee syllabary, the English, or by category. Users can select from a side menu which of the previously published resources included in the database are accessed in the search.

Once a word has been searched, entries are listed in rows. Each entry includes the Cherokee head word in the Cherokee syllabary followed by the romanized representation, the part of speech, the English translation, plural forms, five different verb forms, an example sentence (written first in the Cherokee syllabary, then the romanized representation, followed by the English translation), and related entries. The Cherokee head word in the Cherokee syllabary is hyperlinked. When clicked, it opens a pop-up window of the individual entry which includes all the above information just in a slightly different layout. The cross references are also hyperlinked, but, as of mid-2025, the links do not work. In the furthest left column of each entry is the previously published resource from which the entry was documented. When hovered over, a list of all original source abbreviations appears as a pop up window. Below the romanized representation of the Cherokee headword there are up to three hyperlinked options: conjugate, verb table, and share. The conjugate tab takes users to a window that offers further information and a search option specifically related to conjugation processes. The verb table option takes users to a window that provides detailed information on verb forms. The share option takes users to a window with just the individual entry that can be downloaded in a variety of formats.

There are several other pages included on the website that offer transliteration functions, grammatical information, a corpus of Cherokee sentences, topically organized word lists, reading and listening resources, the Cherokee New Testament, and a syllabary table.

Other Features

Other Notes

This dictionary pulls information from a large corpus of Cherokee language resources, though it predominantly features Durbin Feeling’s Cherokee-English Dictionary (1975). As of mid-2025, we are unable to include all of the resources used in creating this database on this knoweldgebase due to access, time, and project scope, but these have all been deemed credible sources by the language community.