Mink
Sqayéxiya is one way to say ‘Mink’ in Halq’eméylem. Elders often use Sqayéxiya for Mink’s name in stories …
Pronunciation
- Sqayéxiya sounds like skay-ICK-ee-ya. except that that (i) you say the Halq’eméylem q sound in the first syllable (sqa), and (ii) you say the Halq’eméylem hard-x in the last part, xiya.
- The Halq’eméylem q is similar to a k, but for q you touch your tongue further back in your mouth—way back at your uvula.
- To say the Halq’eméylem hard-x, you also touch your uvula, but for the hard-x you let the air flow continuously for a short time, creating heavy friction.
Audio: Elizabeth Herrling, Elizabeth Phillips
Related words
Here are some words related to Sqayéxiya :
- sqayéx– mink (this is the more general term for the animal, ‘mink’)
- sqoyéxiya– be bragging, claiming you’re the best (because Mink is always bragging in stories about him)
The -iya ending appears in many pet names, and means something like ‘little…’. So Sqayéxiya appears to be a proper name, and means literally ‘Little Mink’, or ‘Minkie’.
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