th’íset

Th’íset means ‘to nail (it)’ or ‘to tack (it)’.

Pronunciation

Elders pronounce th’íset in two ways:

• Some say it like this: TSEE-sutt, but with a catch in the throat (glottal stop) after the TS
• Others say it like this: T-THHEE-sutt, but (again) with a catch in the throat after the TH

Both pronunciations are ‘correct’.

Audio: Elizabeth Herrling, Elizabeth Phillips

-ing form

Th’íset has a special ‘-ing‘ (‘progressive’) form, to describe an ongoing action, like this: th’íth’eset – nailing (it), tacking (it). (Audio here.)

Elders make this type of plural by partly doubling (‘reduplicating’) the first part of the word.

Related words

Th’íset comes from the same root as a number of other words, including:

• th’estel – a nail (the –tel ending marks tools and devices)
• th’ístel – antler, horn (refers to the horn only of an animal, this is again the –tel ending for tools and devices)
• th’estíyelhp – poplar tree (the –elhp ending marks trees and whole plants)