Grammar rules for

SLIAMMON LANGUAGE

SUBJECT IS AT5 THE END OF THE SENTENCE.

hošt ǰu We are going home.

hočɛp ǰu You (all) go home.
FRAME SENTENCES. PUTTING TWO VERBS TOGETHER.

i.e. hoč ǰu θapiš I am going home to bathe.

hošt ǰu θapiš We are going home to bathe.

hočɛp ǰu θapiš You (all) go home and bathe.

hoč hohoɬč hot́ᶿəm

ʔɛɬən ʔɛɬtənoɬ ʔɛltənθəm

čičɬɛm čičɬɛmoɬ čičɬɛmθəm

kʷinət kʷinətoɬ kʷinətθəm

rain it rained it will rain

č̓ɩɬ č̓ɩɬoɬ č̓ɩɬsəm
snow it snowed it will snow

ʔaχʷ ?aχʷoɬ ?aχʷsɛm

wind it was windy it will be windy

puʔɛm puʔemoɬ puʔəmsəm

tam kʷaθ nanʔ what is your name?

k̓ʷɛnaye čɛpʔ how many of you?

k̓ʷɛnsəm kʷalčʷ tasʔ When will you be here?

čimšɛnčxʷʔ Where are you going?

hahačxʷʊm p̓ap̓ɛmʔ Are you going to work?

gət kʷaθ qəmʔ Who are you with?
POSSESSIVES

Possessives are formed by adding the possessor to an article before the noun.

my mom

ʔaθ taθ kʷaθ

your mom

ʔaθ tan taθ tan kʷaθ tan

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

ʔaʔyǰuɬɛm

ɬaʔamɩn (Sliammon First Nations)
LETTER HOW TO PRONUNCE EXAMPLES
ʔ Glottal stop. Exists in English, but is ʔopan

not written: i.e. Typicallay heard in the 10

exclamation uh – oh!
a as in father, bought ʔaχʷ

snow
æ as in apple, bat kʸæpo

coat
č like ch in change, cherry čuy

young
č́ glottalized ch č́ɛno

dog
e as in they, bait nɛʔɛt

be in the way

water
ə as in about kʷatə

quarter
g like g in gift gɩǰɛ

earth
h like h in hoe hoǰoθɛn

be finished eating
i ee sound. As in she, beat ǰi:ƛ

running

run
ǰ as in job ǰɛʔǰɛ

tree/relative
Letter How to pronounce Examples
k as in kayak kušən

star
ḱ glottalized k ḱɩḱiḱ

bird
kʷ lips rounded as in “oh”. As in quality kʷanəčɛm

sit down
ḱʷ glottalized rounded k ḱʷas

hot
l as in lips č̓ɛləs

three
ĺ glottalized l, ./. most often used ʔal ̓əs / ʔaʔləs

sea cucumber
ɬ “barred l” like a whispered l ɬa/amɛn

Sliammon
ƛ “barred lamda” t and- together ƛən̓ƛən

shy
ƛ̓ glottalized barred lamda ƛ̓ɛʔƛ̓ɛ

fast
m as in metal mos

four
ḿ glottalized m. ʔ often used haḿo / hamo

pigeon
n as in name nɩgi

you
o as in throat, boat ʔoɬqʷo

dig clams

raven
p as in paper paʔa

one
p̓ glottalized p p̓ap̓ɛm

work
q “uvular k”. back of the throat sound. qəχ

many
q̓ glottalized q̓atən

rat
Letter How to pronounce Example

sand
q̓ʷ glottalized and popping q̓ʷɛt

beach
s as in salt saɬt̓ɩxʷ

woman
š́ like sh as in shoulder šɩm

dry
t like t in take tala

money
t́ glottalized t t́ɛn

barbecued fish
tᶿ t followed by th tᶿ (man)

my father

day
θ like th in thin θoθɛn

mouth (external)
u oo sound as in boot kʷušɛm

green
ʊ sound as in book tʊkɬɛ

rabbit
w as in wallet walθ

frog
ẃ glottalized w mɛmaw̓

cat
x uvular fricative χaʔa

like some people say Bach ‘ch’ butter clam

xʷ xʷɛƛ̓ay

mountain goat

y as in yellow yɛχay

berry basket

water
a qʸɩyɛ

water
DIPTHONGS
aw as in cow χawgəs

grizzly
ay as in eye ʔayʔaǰʊθəm