Alétse is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘where’. You can use it to ask questions like ‘Where is it?’, ‘Where is the coffee?’, and ‘Where did you sing?’ ….
lholeqwót
Some elders use lholeqwót to mean ‘butterfly’, others use the same word to mean ‘moth’ …
smímeyàth
Smímeyàth is one way you can say ‘butterfly’ in Halq’eméylem. It may have originated from the word for ‘little animal’ …
tsxwikw’
Tsxwíkw’ is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘grey’ ….
slhá:lí
Slhá:lí is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘woman’ …
q’et’mí:l
Q’et’mí:l is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘fir’. It may be related to q’át’em -‘sweet’, because some have fir trees have sweet sap …
yít’em
Yít’em is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘to melt away’. You can use it for talking about snow melting, ice melting, etc….
x_pá:yelhp
Xpá:yelhp is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘cedar tree’, specifically the Western Red Cedar. This word refers to the full tree or bush (there are special words for cedar wood, cedar bough, etc). …
héyeqw
Héyeqw is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘fire’. You can also use it for a ‘flame’. Héyeqw is related to the verb yéqw, which means ‘to burn’ …
sékw’emiy
Sekw’emiy is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘birch tree’. It’s name is related to the word for ‘to peel’, to ‘take bark off’…
q’emōwlhp
Q’emōwlhp is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘maple tree’. It comes from the same root as sq’émel (‘canoe paddle’), because wood from the maple tree makes really good paddles. …
shxwexwó:s
Shxwexwó:s is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘thunderbird’…
sk’ek’iyáp
Sk’ek’iyáp is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘coyote’…
shxwéwe
Shxwéwe is the Halq’eméylem word for a ‘cougar’…
Sásq’ets – Phrase 1 (partial)
oluplhát te máqe very thick the snow The snow is/was very thick This section is part of the first line in Rosaleen George’s Sasq’ets (Sasquatch) story …
olu ___
Olu __ means ‘very __’. You can use it to modify any quality, e.g. ‘very good’, ‘very thick’, ‘very soft’, etc….
plhá:t
Plhá:t is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘thick’. You can use it to talk about a thick layer of snow, a thick length of rope, a thick canoe etc. …
líqw’em
Líqw’em is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘soft’. You can use it to talk about how different things are soft, like ‘the snow is soft’, ‘the shirt is soft’, ‘her skin is soft’. You can also use líqw’em to talk about a soft voice or a soft sound …
qó:
Qó: is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘water’. You can use it to talk about a glass of water, or the water in a river, ocean, etc.. …
máqe
Máqe (also pronounced máqa) is the Halq’eméylem word for ‘snow’. You use it only for snow that has already fallen, i.e. snow on the ground…