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The CherokeeLanguage is a SouthernIroquoianLanguage of the UnitedStates. SIL code: CER. ISO 639-2: chr. Population: 11,905 to 22,500 speakers, including 14,000 speakers out of 70,000 population on Oklahoma rolls (1986 Durbin Feeling, Cherokee Nation, OK), 8,500 in North Carolina. 11,905 speakers including 130 monolinguals, 308,132 ethnic Cherokee (1990 USA Census). Region: Eastern and northeastern Oklahoma and Cherokee Reservation, Great Smokey Mts., western North Carolina. Alternate names: TSALAGI, TSLAGI. Dialects: ELATI (LOWER CHEROKEE, EASTERN CHEROKEE), KITUHWA (MIDDLE CHEROKEE), OTALI (UPPER CHEROKEE, WESTERN CHEROKEE, OVERHILL CHEROKEE), OVERHILL-MIDDLE CHEROKEE. Comments: In Oklahoma children are being raised speaking the language (1998). Vigorous in some Oklahoma communities. Elsewhere some younger ones prefer English. The Elati dialect is extinct. Dictionary. Grammar. Literacy rate in first language: 15% to 20% can read it, 5% can write it (1986 Cherokee Heritage Center). Sequoyah syllabary. Now being taught in schools, churches, and other classes (1986 Cherokee Advocate). Christian, traditional religion. NT 1850-1951.(extract from http://www.ethnologue.com/)
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