Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

be betei

, expr.

(You) come down!.

mei
/me

, v.i.

come; arrive.

mei a okedongel a chad; mei er tiei, mei me kulekoi, ka mei.

be

v.imp.

be a ta er a telengtengil a tekoi el mengai er a tekoi el mei; be bong, be metengel.

ble

v.past.hypothetical

mera

cont.

mei er a

merekung
/merkung

v.i.pred.

is about to come or arrive.

mermang
/meremang

v.inch.

meremang a merael mei; ngar er a omerolel el mei; dumiang er a dmuil.

mlei
/mle

v.past

came; arrived.

mlei a mla mei me ngar tiang; skoki a mlei er a tutau.
mle a melekoi er a rrekui; Bung a mle tmuu; ng mle mekerang?

mlera

cont.

mlei er a

be kbong

expr.

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 mei

expr.

bring.

ta el buil er mla me e mong

expr.

one month ago.

Examples:

Ng sebechek el mesang a ngalek e le ng mle ungil a blekerdelel er tia el mlo merek el taem.

> I can see the child because he behaved well last time.

A Dios a milskak a deurreng me a cherchur.

> God has brought me joy and laughter.

Me ng soak el nguu tia el techall el lochotii a deuil a rengud.

> I want to take this opportunity to show our gratitude.

Te medinges er a udoud me a klalo.

> They have plenty of money and possessions.

Ng di mle ngii a blai er a Ngerchemai el milseseb el me er a eou.

> The building in Ngerchemai burned down by itself.

Proverbs:

Ke mera el di medochii el rouar.

> 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.

Kau, ke ngelekel a Redechor, me ke di dechor?

> Are you the son of Redechor

is that why you're standing around so much?

Ng diak kobetik rengii recheroid e me douchi er a rebai.

> 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.

Ng ko er a ibuchel er a Ngemai el di kiei me a dekedekel.

> He's like the sea urchins between Ngiwal and Melekeok, on the ocean floor with its cover.

The sea urchin can be seen lying quietly on the lagoon floor, occasionally with a leaf like a hat covering its head. Applied to a man who acquires a wife or great wealth without working for it.

A rengud me chodab.

> 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.

More Examples:

Kede mochung er a rolel me ke mo diak chomdu tekingem.

> If we go at it, yoy won't be able to say anything.

Ongengedel a labek er ngii me ngika el dil a kma el di mle osisiu a delongelel.

> The seduction between them both was mutual.

Be mtuu.

> Come inside.

Ngar er ngii a rechad el kuk mera el saualkii.

> There are people who are just nasty.

Ng soak el menga a delul el chum me a kukau.

> I would like to eat grilled ume and taro.

remei

, v.i.

go or come home.

remei a lmuut el mo er a blil; remei er a blirir.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

Search for another word: