A:lhtel means ‘they, them‘. This word is very similar to álhtel – ‘to eat’, but the two words are not related, and you pronounce them slightly differently.
Pronunciation
- A:lhtel sounds like ASH-tull, except that instead of a SH you say the Halq’eméylem ‘hissy-l (lh).
- The hissy-l (lh) is similar to the regular l, but you make lh with more friction, and no vibration in the throat.
Audio: Elizabeth Herrling
A:lhtel vs. Alhtel
The distinction between the words for ‘they, them‘ and ‘to eat‘ can be confusing. Here are the differences:
- á:lhtel – they, them: first vowel is like in English ‘hat‘, and is slightly longer
- álhtel – to eat: first vowel is like in English ‘head‘, and is slightly shorter.
Additional note: there are also other ways of saying ‘they, them‘, including yutl’ólem.
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