56.2. W̱- ‘location’
Models
| 1) | W̱ȽÁĆEṈ. | ‘Where it is dark.’ |
| 2) | W̱ṮEĆ. | ‘It’s a steep drop-off.’ |
| 3) | W̱¸ENEW̱EṈ TŦE ḰO¸. | ‘The water slackened.’ |
| 4) | W̱¸IĆET TŦE ḰO¸. | ‘Dip up the water.’ |
| 5) | W̱ḴBET. | ‘Patch it.’ |
| 6) | W̱¸Í¸ES. | ‘He/she is good-looking.’ |
| 7) | W̱ȾEU¸ÁĆEṈ. | ‘Sit down.’ |
| 8) | W̱ȾE¸ȻSISEṈ¸. | ‘Wash one’s hands.’ |
| 9) | W̱ȾE¸ȻSENEṈ¸ | ‘Wash one’s feet.’ |
| 10) | W̱¸ȺYETEṈ | ‘Smugglers Cove.’ |
| 11) | W̱SÁNEĆ. | ‘Saanich.’ |
| 12) | W̱LEMI. | ‘Lummi.’ |
‣ 1 The W̱- prefix is common and has several uses. Most commonly it indicates that the stem refers to a particular location.
‣ 2 The ‘location’ meaning can be easily seen in most of the models here. Models 1 and 2 show the ‘location’ idea particularly clearly. In model 1, the root is ȽÁĆ ‘dark.’ Adding the W̱- prefix makes the word refer to a location. In model 2, the root is ṮEĆ ‘deep.’ A steep drop-off is a particular location where it is deep.
‣ 3 In model 3, the ‘location’ idea is not as obvious. This word is based on ENEW̱ ‘stop.’ Adding the ‘location’ W̱- (and the ‑EṈ ‘middle voice’) makes the whole word mean ‘slacken, go calm.’ Model 3 refers to the water becoming calm after a storm. This necessarily refers to a particular place, so there is where the ‘location’ idea comes in.
‣ 4 Model 4 is based on IĆET ‘dip, scoop it up.’ IĆET TŦE ḰO¸ also means ‘Dip up the water.’ Adding the W̱- prefix focuses on the container that is the source of the water. Here, again, the ‘location’ idea can be seen.
‣ 5 On some stems, such as in model 5, the prefix adds an idea of completeness or permanence. Without the prefix, ḴBET means ‘close a lid.’ Adding the W̱- prefix makes the meaning ‘patch it’—close it permanently at a particular location.
‣ 6 The W̱- ‘location’ prefix often occurs on stems with lexical suffixes (§37) referring to body parts. Models 6, 7, 8, and 9 all have lexical suffixes. In each of these, the lexical suffix refers to a location on the body.
‣ 7 Model 6 has the root ÍY¸ ‘good’ and the ‘face’ suffix -ES (which is sometimes ‑OS). So, for ‘good-looking,’ the location of the ‘good’ is the ‘face.’ Model 7 has the root ȾÁ¸ with the suffix -EU¸ÁĆ ‘bottom.’ For ‘sit,’ we have ‘upon the bottom.’
‣ 8 Models 8 and 9 have the same root: ȾE¸Ȼ ‘wash.’ They differ only in their lexical suffixes ‑SIS ‘hand’ and ‑SEN ‘foot.’ W̱- marks the location of washing.
‣ 9 Since the W̱- prefix indicates a particular location, it is not surprising to find it on many SENĆOŦEN place names. Models 10, 11, and 12 are examples of this.
‣ 10 In model 10, the root is ȺYET ‘lingcod.’ Smugglers Cove, on the west side of San Juan Island got this name with the W̱- ‘location’ prefix because it is a good location for getting lingcod.
‣ 11 Models 11 and 12 are names of peoples as well as names of places. Traditionally people belong to the land of their origin, so the name of the land becomes the name of the people. Many, but not all, of the SENĆOŦEN names of First Nations peoples have the W̱- prefix.
 | W̱SÁNEĆ SEN. | ‘I’m Saanich.’ |
 | U¸ ŦE¸IT E? | ‘Is that true?’ |
| ȽSEK SEN W̱SṮÁLEM¸. | ‘I’m half Klallam.’ |
| ĆW̱SĆI¸ÁNEW̱ E ŦE EN¸ TÁN? | ‘Is your mother from Becher Bay?’ |
| 56.2A. Use the SENĆOŦEN dictionary to find four more words with the W̱- prefix and explain how they show the ‘location’ meaning. 56.2B. Make a sentence for each of the words you found in 56.2A. |