eight
Teqá:tse is the Halq’eméylem word for the number ‘eight’. There are specific words for counting certain objects (people, trees, canoes, etc.), but teqá:tse is the general word for ‘eight’….
Pronunciation
- Teqá:tse sounds like tuh-CAT-suh, except that instead of a C you say the Halq’eméylem q sound.
- To make the Halq’eméylem q, you touch the back of your tongue way back to your uvula.
Audio: Rosaleen George
Note: some elders pronounce this word tqá:tsa, without the first vowel.
Related words
A number of other words are related to teqá:tse, including these examples:
- Teqatsa’ále – eight (for counting people)(The ending –íle, –ále, or –éle appears on many of the numbers for counting people.)
- Tqátsa’ōwelh – eight canoes (The ending –ōwelh appears on many words related to canoes.)
- Tqó:tsó:s – eight dollars (The –es or –os ending appears on many words for dollars.)
The root word for all of these ‘eight‘ words may be the verb téq – to close, as in Le téq te steqtá:l – The door closed (by itself).
Teqé:tse may be related to the verb ‘to close‘, because when you hold up eight fingers, you close up your thumbs.
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