* mun’u means “child” in the sense of one’s own child, that is “offspring”, “son or daughter”.
6.3 Grammar note
You can see from the meanings given for the kin terms above that most kin terms do not distinguish gender. That is, the same words are used for ‘aunt’ and ‘uncle’, ‘son’ and ‘daughter’, ‘grandmother’ and ‘grandfather’, etc. For singular nouns, gender is marked on the article.
lhunu mun’u
kwthunu mun’u
“my daughter”
“my son”
Many of the kin terms are “generational”. That is they name all of the close relatives of the same generation. So sqe’uq not only means younger brother or sister, but also cousins (on both sides of the family) that are younger. And si’lu not only means your grandparents, but also your grandparents’ brothers and sisters and cousins.
Once you get beyond the first two generations up and down (parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren), the terms become “reciprocal”. So sts’a’muqw not only means great-grandparent but also great-grandchild.
6.4–6.5 Pattern Practice
6.4
Where is your mother?
ni’ ’untsu lhun’ ten?
your little sister
your aunt
your grandmother
your daughter
your granddaughter
your older sister
your great-grandchild
your niece
your wife
6.5
Is your father home?
’i ’u ’a’mut kwthun’ men?
your uncle
your older brother
your son
your husband
your grandson
your younger brother
your nephew
your grandfather
your great-grandfather
6.6–6.7 Substitution Drills
6.6
My mother went to town.
ni’ tl’tawun lhunu ten.
my father
my son
my grandmother
my granddaughter
my daughter
my grandson
my grandfather
my uncle
my aunt
my niece
my nephew
my great-grandfather
my great-granddaughter
my wife
my husband
my older brother
my little sister
6.7
My mother is not at home.
’uwu ’i’us ’a’mut lhunu ten.
your mother
his mother
our mother
my grandmother
her grandmother
your (pl) grandmother
his younger sister
his older sister
my niece
our aunt
6.8 Places
shhwimelu
“store”
tawun
“town”
snuneymuhw
“Nanaimo”
snuw’nuw’us
“Nanoose”
shts’um’inus
“Chemainus”
sqwxwa’mush
“Vancouver”
mutouliye’
“Victoria”
quw’utsun’
“Cowichan”
hwmuthkwi’um
“Musqueam”
kwa’mutsun
“Quamichan”
s’amuna’
“Duncan”, “Somenoes”
lhumlhumuluts’
“Clem Clem”
xinupsum
“Greenpoint”
hwkw’al’uhwum
“Qualicum”
pun’e’luxetth’
“Kuper Island”
shts’alhulhp
“Tsartlip; West Saanich”
stth’e’uw’t-hw
“Tsawout; East Saanich”
6.9 Pattern practice
My mother went to the store.
ni’ nem’ tl’shhwimelu’ lhunu ten.
town
Nanaimo
Nanoose
Chemainus
Vancouver
Victoria
Duncan
6.10 -ew’t-hw “house”, “building”, “room”.
The lexical suffix -’ew’thw can be compounded with other words to form a word for “house’, “building’, or “room’.
skwool’ew’t-hw
“schoolhouse” (skwool “school”)
q’aq’i’ew’t-hw
“hospital” (q’aq’i’ “sick”)
theew’t-hw
“big house” (thi “big”)
’itutew’t-hw
“hotel” (’itut “sleep”)
t’iw’i’ulhew’t-hw
“church” (t’iw’i’ulh “pray”)
’um’utew’t-hw
“bathroom” (’um’ut “sitting down”)
qewthew’t-hw
“root cellar” (sqewth “potato”)
syaaysew’t-hw
“workroom”, “toolhouse” (yaays “work”)
6.11 What do these words mean?
chukunew’t-hw
telew’t-hw
q’il’ew’t-hw
’ulhtunew’t-hw
kesulinew’t-hw
qwumey’ew’t-hw
kwoukwew’t-hw
poutew’t-hw
snuhwulhew’t-hw
huw’a’lum’ew’t-hw
6.12 Pattern Practice
I went to the schoolhouse.
ni’ tsun nem’ ’u kwthu skwool’ew’t-hw.
hospital
big house
church
bank
smoke house
gas station
dog house
outhouse
6.13 Answer and translate
ni’ ’untsu lhun’ ten? “Where is your mother?” ni’ nem’ lhunu ten ’u kwthu skwoulew’t-hw. “She went to the schoolhouse.”
ni’ ’untsu kwthun’ sqe’eq?
ni’ ’untsu lhun’ shuyulh?
ni’ ’untsu lhun’ sta’lus?
ni’ ’untsu kwthun’ sts’a’muqw?
ni’ ’untsu lhun’ si’lu?
ni’ ’untsu lhun’ mun’u?
ni’ ’untsu kwthun’ si’lu?
ni’ ’untsu kwthun’ shuyulh?
ni’ ’untsu lhun’ ’imuth?
6.14 Translation
ni’ kwu’elh ’untsu kwthun’ men?
ni’ tl’sqwxwa’mush lhunu ten.
ni’ nem’ ’u kwthu telew’t-hw kwthunu shhwum’nikw.
ni’ ’untsu lhun’ ten ’i’ kwthun’ men?
’uwu ’i’us ’a’mut lhunu si’lu.
Where is your little sister?
My wife went to town.
My daughter went to the big house.
My older brother isn’t home.
Is your great-grandmother at home?
6.15 Reading lesson
’i tsun ’uw’ hay ’ul’ ’a’mut. mukw’ lhwet2 ni’ ’uw’ huye’. ni’ yaays kwthunu men. ’i’ hay lhunu ten ni’ tl’tawun. ni’ nem’ ’u kwthu telew’t-hw yuw’en’. sus ’uw’ tl’shhwimelu ’iluquls ’u kw’ s’ulhtun tst. ni’ skwulookwul’ kwthunu shhwa’luqw’a’ ’i tsun kwu’elh ’uw’ hay ’ul’.
I’m the only one home. Everyone’s gone. My father is at work and my mother went to town. She went to the bank first and then to the store to buy our food. My brothers and sisters are all at school. So I am alone.
