x̲éltel

pencil, pen, writing implement

X̲éltel is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘pencil’ or ‘pen’. Literally it means ‘writing implement’, or ‘tool for marking’.

Pronunciation

• X̲éltel sounds like HULL-till, except that the first sounds is not “h” but the Halq’eméylem hard-x (x̲).
• To make the hard-x, you create friction by touching the back of your tongue way back to your uvula.

Audio: Elizabeth Herrling, Elizabeth Phillips

Plural form

To make the plural of x̲éltel, you use a partly doubled (‘reduplicated’) form, like this: x̲élx̲éltel.

Some elders double only the first two sounds, so their plural is like this: x̲éx̲éltel. Both was of making the plural are ‘correct’ (audio here).

Related words

Here are some words related to x̲éltel:

• x̲é:ylt – to write, to mark
• sx̲éles – design on a basket

The -tel ending in x̲éltel marks that the word is for a tool, implement or device.