Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

dui

, n.

title (for village chief or family head).
dui a kebekuul; meluchel a dui, lbedul a dial a merreder er a Bitalianged, Reklai a kuk dial a oba Bitalianged. Deruchall.

diak

n.poss.1s

diam

n.poss.2s

dial

n.poss.3s

dial a dui el ngii a oudui er ngii, ng kirel el tuchelii a dial.

dimam

n.poss.1pe

diad

n.poss.1pi

dimiu

n.poss.2p

dirir

n.poss.3p

meluchel er a dui

expr.

hold title.

Examples:

Ng diak a ngii di el chad el me er tiang.

> No one is to come here./No trespassing.

Ng ko er a diak dekled.

> We have no direction or organization.

Ng diak lemekesakl.

> Nothing will go wrong./Nothing will happen to it.

Klsensei a diak lekirek el ureor.

> I'm not suited to being a teacher.

Ng diak a luldasu.

> It doesn't make any sense./He's completely disoriented.

Proverbs:

Ng okouik me ng obached, e a lokeuim eng diak lobached

> If it is my lunch it can be divided, if it is yours then it cannot

Two men habitually trapped fish in the same region of the lagoon. One would occasionally ask the other to join him at lunch, the other would always refuse. One day the man who refused arrived with no lunch. When the usual invitation was extended the man refused, saying that, anyway, he had no lunch. The invitation was insistently pressed until the reluctant one gave in. As they split the taro between them the one who shared made the above statement. The idiom is a mild rebuke of a retentive person

Kmakm mechab: charm ra chab el kmeed ra ngau e diak lemedul.

> Like the insects which stays at ashes of fire but doesn't burn.

You're near a situation which needs immediate attention but you don't lend a hand.

A ralm a diak locheraol.

> Water is without cost.

Palauans bathe frequently; many will not miss a daily bath if at all possible. Bathing places are usually widened areas, natural or artificial (some elaborately paved with stone) in fresh-water streams. The phrase simply reminds another, probably a reluctant child, that he should bathe.

Aisenged a dikmeed, e diak dengetemii

> The nose is right there, but it can't be licked

The nose is very close to the mouth, but, no matter how reassuringly available, it cannot be licked by the tongue. The idiom cautions those who are careless with their possessions to be less assured about wealth.

Ilad el dui.

> Title pride.

A title (dui, also "coconut leaf," which is sometimes used as the receptacle for a title pending the selection of a successor) is to be worn in humility, but a person who has just received a new title may sometimes be oppressively haughty or prideful.

More Examples: