letám

table

Letám is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘table‘. You can also use letám for a desk.

Pronunciation

Letám sounds like luh-TAMM

Audio: Elizabeth Herrling, Elizabeth Phillips

Plural form

Letám has a special plural form, made with partial doubling (reduplication) of the first part of the word, like this: leletám – ‘tables’ (audio here).

Origins

Letám comes from the Chinook Jargon trade language.  In Chinook Jargon the word for table is  la tahb, based on French le table.

Halq’eméylem speakers do not say b, so they used the closest similar sound, which is m, making letám.