mei
/me
, v.i.come; arrive.
mei
a
a
mei
er
mei
me
ka
bev.imp.
be
a
ta
er
a
a
el
er
a
el
be
be
blev.s.hypo.
meracont.mei er a
merekung
/merkung
v.i.pred.is about to come or arrive.
mermang
/meremang
v.inch.
a
er
a
el
er
a
mlei
/mle
v.pastcame; arrived.
a
mla
mei
me
a
er
a

mle
a
er
a
a
mle
ng
mle
mleracont.mlei er a
be kbongexpr.goodbye; I'm leaving.
me e mong
/memong
expr.pass by; go on; "(in a direction) towards me and then keep going (past me)."
nguu el meiexpr.bring.
ta el buil er mla me e mongexpr.one month ago.
Examples:
> The tree is obstructing or bothering the road so I cannot go to the other side.
> Masaharu is arranging for Droteo and Toki's marriage.
> Why are you just sitting here? - Because they don't want me to go over there.
> Issue a decree that they are to be put to death.
> Wilbur's pen had a gate, so Wilbur could go outside.
Proverbs:
> The heart and assessment.
This might better be translated, "Assessment with knowledge." The mind or head is thought to be the locus of knowledge in Palau, but such knowledge is made useful or is measured with the heart (reng). Chodab, in this context, would appear to mean "to take stock of" or "to measure." In essence, then, the phrase cautions one who seems on the point of making a rash decision to temper his thoughts with his heart.
> It's like the rat of Ngerard, which eats up all your coconuts and (then) all of ours.
It's a decision, plan etc. that will backfire. A pet rat owned by Mad, chief of Ngaraard, ate the coconuts of most of the chief's neighbors, then, still hungry, ate the chief's own coconuts.
> Like an old woman who is cautious about coughing and breaking wind.
Among elderly women, it seems, coughing sometimes produces the unwanted effect of breaking wind. The idiom may be applied to any action that might produce an undesirable side effect, such as a hasty decision at a political meeting. As a caution, it suggests the need for leaders to consider all the consequences.
> You grab and then you pick it up.
Like telling a joke, you're still telling it yet you laugh like you just heard it.
> Without looking afield, it was cut down behind the house.
From the folk tale concerning Mesubed Dingal, the inventor of the Palauan kite (see also No. 73). After his wife had been kidnapped, he constructed a kite using feathers from all the birds of Palau and he needed also wood from an Edebsungel tree to fashion the body of the bird-kite. After looking all over Palau and being on the point of giving up, he found the tree he needed behind his own house. The saying may be applied to anyone who does things the hard way, or who goes far afield to find something which is close at hand.
More Examples:
> This guy is very well established.
> Try your hardest and you won't lose.
> Oh my, their bellies and their clothes, they shoudl just go naked then.
> I like to walk its just that the sun is scorching.
> He's 18 years old.
sekkak, v.i., [From Japanese] go to special effort or trouble for; make a point of.
sekkak el meiyou went to all the trouble to come here
Examples:
> Toki made a special effort to fix up her place for a party, but not a single person came.
> I've gone to all this trouble to come and get you, and (now) you don't want (to go).

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