ᎠᎴ

Cherokee

Etymology

From Proto-Iroquoian *aɹeɁ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /àle/

Adverb

ᎠᎴ • (ale)

1. almost

   ᎦᏄᎸᎯ ᎦᎢᏒ ᎠᎴ ᎢᎾᏓ ᏂᏥᏯᎳᏍᏛᏔᏅᎢ.

   ganulvhi gaisv ale inada nitsiyalasdvtanvi.

   As I walked along the grass, I almost stepped on a snake.

Conjunction

ᎠᎴ • (ale)

1. and

   ᎠᏂᏍᎦᏯ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ ᏕᏥᎪᏩᏘᎭ.

   anisgaya ale anigeya detsigowatiha.

   I see men and women.

2. or

   ᏤᏅᏍᏗ ᏱᏣᏚᎵ, ᎠᎴ Ꮭ ᏱᎩ ᎣᏏᏊ.

   tsenvsdi yitsaduli, ale tla yigi osiquu.

   If you want to go or not, that's just fine.

Further reading

• Durbin Feeling (1975), William Pulte, editor, Cherokee-English dictionary‎^[1], Talequah: Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
• Page 30 of Raven Rock Cherokee-English Dictionary