- Yewál sqwá:l
- Kwéleches
- Kwéleches 2
- Ta' sqwálewel
- Xwe'it te swayel
- Seswáyel
- Tel sewólwem lálem
- Ye th'ó:kws se'wíwes
- Kw'ókw'exwels Tewátes
- ewó:lom léts'e
- S'íwes 1: Kwéleches
- S'íwes 2: Skw'elxám
- S'íwes 3: Álthel 1
- ste'ómex
- S'íwes 4: Ste'ómex 1
- S'íwes 5: Schákwel 1
- S'íwes 6: Ts'elhxwélmexw 1
- S'íwes 7: Ts'elhxélmexw 2
- S'íwes 8: Schákwel
- S'íwes 9: Shxwlí 1
- S'íwes 10: Ómex
- S'iwes 11: S'álhtel 2
- S'iwes 12: Kwix̲mel 1
- S'íwes 13: Shxwlí
- S'íwes 14: Skwúláwt/ Syó:ysáwtxw
- S'íwes 15: Sqoqó
- S'íwes 16: Selxwíws
- S'íwes 17: Shxwéyelh qas te sq'óleq'ey
- S'íwes 18: Shxweláli líte séti
- S'íwes 19: Smestiyexw Stetómex 2
- S'íwes 20: Seswayel
- S'íwes 21: Á'lhtel (líte letám)
- S'íwes 22: Sméyeth 1
- S'íwes 23: Sméyeth 2
- S'íwes 24: Swáyel
- S'íwes 25
- S'íwes 26: Alétse?
- S'íwes 27: X̲ta 3
- S'íwes 28: Ts'elhxwélmexw 3
- S'íwes 29: Á:wkw' 1
- S'íwes 30: Á:wkw' 2
- S'íwes 31: Selchí:m 2?
- S'íwes 32: Lí te Shxwimá:le
- S'íwes 33: Á:lhtel 3
- S'íwes 34: X̲tá 4
- S'íwes 35: Selchí:m? 3
- S'íwes 36: Sméyeth 3
- S'íwes 37: Mestíyexw
- S'íwes 38: Sts'ísem
- S'íwes 39: Selchí:m?
- S'íwes 40: Syóys
- S'íwes 41: Shxwli 3
- S'íwes 42: X̲tá 5
- S'íwes 43: Lá:lem 1
- S'íwes 44: Lá:lem 2
- S'íwes 45: Syóys lite lálem
Qwú:lqwelqweltel 1A
Qwú:lqwelqweltel 1B
| Audio | Halq'eméylem | English |
|---|---|---|
| sts'ets'á | on, on top of | |
| tel | my | |
| te | the | |
| ta' | your | |
| sts'ó:qw'els | fork | |
| slhq'él:exw | knowledge, knowing (it) | |
| stl'epólwelh | under, underneath | |
| ló:thel | plate, platter dish | |
| qe | and, or, but | |
| qas | and | |
| leló:thel | plates | |
| síq | under | |
| lí | yonder, over there, in, at, on, (other meanings also include: yes, answer to yes/no question, question word at beginning of sentence | |
| lháts'tel | knife | |
| lhq'él:exw | to know (it) | |
| lhá:lets'tel | knives | |
| alétse | where (is it)? | |
| lepót | cup | |
| stl'í | a want, need | |
| letám | table, desk | |
| éy | good | |
| kw'e | the, a, some [use for remote objects and non-specific items] | |
| lelepót | cups | |
| á'a | yes |
| Audio | Halq'eméylem | English |
|---|---|---|
| Síq lí te letám tel lháts'tel. | My knife is under the table. | |
| Sts'ets'á li ta' letám tel lepót. | My cup is on your table. | |
| Stl'epólwelh li te ló:thel te lepót. | The cup is under the plate. | |
| Sts'ets'á te letám te lháts'tel. | The knife is on the table. | |
| Sts'ets'á li te letám ta' lháts'tel. | Your fork is on the table. | |
| Li te letám te lháts'tel. | The knife is on the table. | |
| lís alétse te... | where the ... is | |
| el stl'í | I want/I need... | |
| Sts'ets'á lí te letám tel lháts'tel. | My knife is on the table. | |
| Sts'ets'á te letám ta' lháts'tel. | Your knife is on the table. | |
| Ewetál tel slhq'él:exw | I don't know |
Plurals
A common and easy way talk about plural (multiple) objects in Halq'eméylem is to just use the basic noun (ignoring the plural form) and use the word ye before the noun. Ye means the, but it is used only with plural objects. Thus, for example, ye kopú will be understood to mean the coats, because of the ye, even though kopú itself simply means coat. If you wanted to be explicit, you could also say ye kalepú, using the explicit plural form (coats) for the noun, but this is not necessary in Halq'eméylem.
The plural form for each noun, where available, is listed beside the noun in your vocabulary lists, in case you do want to use it. Plurals are formed in various different ways, and it is not usually possible to predict what the plural form for a given noun will be: sometimes the plural is made by doubling part of the noun, sometimes it is made by inserting an -l into the word, and sometimes in other ways. Some nouns do not have any plural form at all
My and Your in Halq'eméylem
My in Halq'eméylem is tel. Your is ta'. For example:
tel lepót my cup ta' lepót your cup
tel letám my table ta' letám your table
tel lháts'tel my knife ta' lháts'tel your knife
Spatial expressions
The most general way to describe where something is in Halq'eméylem is to use the word lí, which means in, at, or on. The word-order to use is as in the following example.
Lí te letám te lháts'tel
At/in/on the table the knife
=The knife is on the table.
Whether you mean in, at, or on will be understood from the nature of the things being talked about. As the vocabulary list for this lesson indicates, there are also more specific words for describing where objects are located, including sts'ets'á (on, on top of) síq (under) and various others. With these more specific words for spatial locations you use a word-order as in this example:
Sts'ets'á te letám te lháts'tel
On the table the knife
=The knife is on the table."
Sentences for expressing spatial locations are usually constructed along similar lines, substituting the various other words for locations (stl'epólwelh, síq, etc.).
The Halq'eméylem language is the traditional language of the Stó:lō people, and it has been spoken continuously in the traditional Stó:lō territory, extending up the Fraser valley region of British Columbia, for thousands of years.
Like all languages, the Halq'eméylem language comes in many different varieties. The three main varieties of Halq'eméylem are as follows:
Upriver: Stó:lō Halq'eméylem (including Chilliwack, Chehalis, Sumas, Seabird, Tait, and other areas)
Downriver: Hun'q'umin'um' (including Musqueam, Tsawwasen, Kwantlen, Katzie, Burrard, and other areas)
Island: Hul'q'umin'um' (including Nanaimo, Chemainus, Cowichan, Malahat, Nanoose, and other areas)
Speakers of these three varieties can understand each other's speech, but there are major differences between the varieties. The most striking feature distinguishing Upriver Halq'eméylem from the other varieties is that Upriver Halq'eméylem does not have the sound 'n', a sound which occurs in many words in both Downriver and Island; all occurrences of 'n' in Downriver and Island words have been replaced by the sound 'l', in Upriver.
White linguists have adopted the term 'Halkomelem' to describe all the varieties of the language, though this term is being used less and less.