Su thét thútl’o: “X̲élh kw’el sqwálewel”, x̲ét’e.

So she says “I’m sorry”.

Su thét thútl’o: “X̲élh kw’el sqwálewel”, x̲ét’e means ‘She said: “I’m sorry”‘.

Note that Elizabeth says both thet and x̲ét’e (both mean ‘to say’), so the phrase means literally “She says ‘I’m sorry’, (she) says”.

Vocabulary

• su – so
• thét – to say
• thútl’o – feel hurt
• x̲élh – feel hurt
• kw’el – my (the more common form is tel. Kw’el implies more remoteness or gives a sense that you are talking about something possible
• sqwálewel – thoughts, feelings
• x̲ét’e – to say (means the same as thét, above)

Audio: Elizabeth Herrling

Structure notes

The structure of this phrase is as follows:

The duplication, using two different words for ‘to say’, is probably not a mistake or hesitation, as this kind of repitition occurs commonly in her stories.