x̲wém

fast, to hurry

X̲wém in Halq’eméylem means ‘fast’ and also ‘to hurry’.

Note:  there is another unrelated word, stím, which also means ‘fast’.

Pronunciation

X̲wém sounds like ‘kwumm’, except insted of a ‘k’ sound you say the Halq’emeylem hard-x (x̲).

Audio: Elizabeth Herrling, Elizabeth Phillips

Related words

Here are some other words that come from the same root as x̲wém:

• x̲weméthel – to eat fast (literally ‘fast-mouth’)
• x̲wemxálem – to run (literally ‘fast-footed’)
• x̲wemtses – to pick fast, do it quickly with hands (literally ‘fast-hand’)