híkw

Híkw is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘big’. You can use it to talk about big objects, big people, big animals, etc. …

Pronunciation

• Híkw sounds like HEEK, except that the final k has lip-rounding.
• To make the lip-rounding, just stick your lips out slightly, as for w.

Audio: Elizabeth Herrling, Elizabeth Phillips

Examples

Here are some examples of how you can use híkw:

• Híkw tel lá:lém – My house is big.
• Tsel kw’étslexw te híkw spá:th. – I saw a big bear.

Notes

• Sometimes elders use a different word for big: thí – big. Thí is more common in other dialects, but Upriver elders do sometimes use it too.