x̲wiyám

to tell a legend

X̲wiyám means ‘to tell a legend’, or ‘to tell a story’ (used to talk about telling the traditional legends)

Pronunciation

• X̲wiyám sounds like kwee-YAM, except that the first sound is not a k but the Halq’eméylem hard-x.
• To make the hard-x, you create heavy friction with the back of your tongue against your uvula.

Audio: Elizabeth Herrling, Elizabeth Phillips

-ing form

X̲wiyám has a special –ing form, like this: x̲wix̲wiyám – telling a legend/traditional story (audio here).

You use this form to describe an ongoing action.  Elders make this type of –ing form by doubling (‘reduplicating’) the first part of the word.

Related words

X̲wiyám is also the base for this important word:  sx̲wōx̲wiyám – legend, traditional story