Léqem is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘to dive’, or ‘to dive in’ …
Híkw te lá:lém.
Híkw te lá:lém. means ‘The house is big.’ Híkw means ‘big’ and te lá:lém means ‘the house’. Note that in Halq’eméylem there is no separate word equivalent to ‘is’…
sí:si
Sí:si is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘scared’ or ‘be scared’…
tsq’éyx̲ pús
Tsq’éyx̲ pús is Halq’eméylem for ‘black cat’. Tsq’éyx̲ means ‘black’ and pus means ‘cat’.
tsq’éyx̲
Tsq’éyx̲ is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘black’. Some elders use it also for ‘dark grey’ or ‘dark blue’ …
q’eyx̲óles
Q’eyx̲óles is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘pupil of the eye’. Literally it means ‘black of/in the eye’.
shxwtole’ólestel
Shxwtole’ólestel is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘eyeglasses’…
chílheqw
Chílheqw is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘bed head’. You can also use it for ‘bushy hair’ or ‘uncombed hair’. Literally it means ‘high hair’ …
tl’áqt
Tl’áqt is the Halq’eméylem word for a ‘tall’, or ‘long’. For example, you can say Tl’áqt te máqels thútl’o – ‘Her hair is long’. Or you can say Tl’áqt te theqát.– ‘The tree is tall.’ …
théwelhem
Théwelhem is the Halq’eméylem word for a ‘to spawn’. Literally, it means ‘to beach one’s offspring’…
sqe’ó:les
Sqe’ó:les is the Halq’eméylem word for a ‘tear’. Literally it means ‘water of the eyes’.
tsmeth’ó:les
Tsmeth’ó:les is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘blue eye(s)’. You can also use it for ‘to have blue eyes’.
peq’ó:les
P’eq’ó:les is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘cataract’. Literally it means ‘white eye’. P’eq’ó:les is also the name of a place, across the Fraser river from Deroche, B.C.
kw’elōweqw
Kw’elōweqw is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘skin on the head’ or ‘scalp’. Kw’elōw means ‘skin’, and -eqw is the ending for ‘on the top of the head’.
sp’ótl’em
Sp’ótl’em is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘smoke’. Some people also use sp’ótl’em for ‘cigarette’, or ‘tobacco’. Note that this word is a noun, describing the thing, as for example in Tsel hóqwelexw te sp’ótl’em. – ‘I smell smoke’. …
kw’elōw
Kw’elōw is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘skin’. You can use it for human skin, as well as for a pelt or hide…
shxwtále’álá
Shxwtále’álá is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘purse’, or ‘wallet’. Literally it means ‘container for money’…
sméth’qel
Sméth’qel is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘brain’. Literally it means ‘blue in the head’. Some Elders use a related but different word: sméth’elheqw.
lhí:ts’et
Lhí:ts’et is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘to cut (it)’.
kw’éts’tel
Kw’éts’tel is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘butchering knife’, or ‘butchering tool’. It is related to the verb kw’íts’et – ‘to cut (it) up, to butcher (it)’. You can use kw’éts’tel for both the traditional Stó:lō tool (as in the first illustration above) and for modern butchering knives.