Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

ko

, mod.

just; kind of; similar to; like.
ko a chelutel; ua ingii, chad er a Merikel e mengedecheduch el ko er a chad er a Belau.

ko er a

mod.

kind of; like.

kora

cont.

ko er a

Synonyms: ,

Examples:

A Toki a ko el rongesa a chais.

> Toki has just heard the news.

A Droteo a ko el mocha er a Guam.

> Droteo should just be arriving in Guam.

Ak ko el rongesa a chais.

> I've just heard the news.

Ng ko er a bebeot a cheral a kloker a Hong Kong.

> The prices for watches are pretty low in Hong Kong.

Kau, ngara me ke ko er a ouchedeng er kau?

> Why are you doing mischief in you own house?

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a chad er ker el melechong e ngak a mekerasem.

> Like a person somewhere taking a bath, but I'm cold.

Applies to any embarrassing act, such as boasting or gossiping, on the part of a friend.

Ng ko er a chad er a Ngerechemai, el metom er a uel el metom er a mlai.

> Like the man of Ngerechemai, who lost his turtle and lost his canoe.

Relates to a fisherman who jumped from his canoe to catch a turtle only to find that his canoe had drifted beyond recovery. Applies to any situation where a person fails at a task, or, aptly, to a situation where a man, through his own foolishness, loses both his wife and his mistress.

Ng ko er a remechas el kerekikl er a klukl me a rames.

> 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.

Ng ko er a mur er a Ngchesar, el di klukuk el di klukuk.

> It's like the feast of Ngchesar, postoned till tomarrow, then the next, and forever.

You keep sayng tomorrow, tomorrow. You're lucky there's a tomorrow. Presumably, in the past the village of Ngchesar in central Palau tried and tried again to schedule a mur, the largest, villagewide feast conducted in Palau. But for various reasons the feast was forever postponed. The saying applies to the risk of procrastination.

Ke ko er a kedam el suebek e ak di oba okum.

> You're a flying kite, but i hold the guide string.

No matter how much you play around, you always come back to me.

More Examples:

Aki ko oltak er kau er a tela el klok?.

> What time am I picking you up?

Tia el iasumba a ko er a outangtikebikel me kede mo ruebet.

> The bench is wobbly so we might fall.

Locha sebeched el kmo te ko er a aika el iwashi diak a bdelul e seluk er a beached.

> We can say they're like sardines without heads in a can.

A dillir a rechad er a Sina a ko el mirrael er tia el mlo merek el buil.

> The Chinese ship finally sailed out last month.

Ke mera el ko er a aika el char er a Kosiil!

> You are so like them seaweeds at Kosiil!

kom
/ko

, pro.

you (nonemphatic, plural).
ko a kemiu; ko mekerang? ko mo er ker e sechelei? ko mla mei!

Examples:

Tia el party er a Tokia a ko er a omenga el Raus, el sosokod e di keang.

> Toki's party was just getting interesting when it ended.

Ke ko er a melecholb el terriid.

> You take a shower really fast.

A omelekingel a Droteo a ko er a soal el mo er a party.

> Droteo spoke as if he wants to go to the party.

Ng ko el techa a mellomes a rengul el sebechel el mechur a eabed, e okellakl me ng ruebet a chull?

> Who is wise enough to count the clouds and tilt them over to pour out the rain?

Ng ko er a bebeot a cheral a kloker a Hong Kong.

> The prices for watches are pretty low in Hong Kong.

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a bekerurt el chebis el di ruebet e melalem.

> He's like a good (lit. fast) top that steadies itself soon after touching the ground.

i.e. he understands or learns quickly. In Palau the top is spun in the air and dropped to the ground where it usually wobbles for a spell before it becomes "planted" or stable. The better the top, the less the wobble. A statement that is right to the point, or a decisive and good decision, is like a good top. The idiom may be applied to a person who is quick to get the point or learn a new skill.

Ngika el chad a ko er a debar.

> That man is like a duck.

The native duck, debar, doesn't fly very well, or high like other birds, it doesn't walk or run like some animals, it can't sing well, and it doesn't swim as well as a fish. But it can do all these things. Applied to a person who seemingly can do many different things, none of them expertly. "Jack of all trades."

Ng ko er a ebedel a Mengellakl el di mochu meleketek.

> Like the clouds of Mengellakl that just pile up

High points like Mengellakl in Palau sometimes create clouds as the moisture-laden air is lifted by the wind to higher cooler altitudes. This saying applies to a situation or a fad that spreads; drinking to excess.

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.

Ng ko er a uchul a delil ar rurrot.

> Like the crotch of an aristocratic woman.

Women of the wealthy elite in old Palau would be tattooed up the entire leg and about the thighs and hips. Reference is to the black color of such tattooing and the phrase may be applied to any dark occasion, but usually to dark clouds.

More Examples:

Kom di belsiochel e kemam a ngar er tiang el menga tungd.

> You all are so pretentious and fancy and meanwhile we are just eating scrap.

A dillir a rechad er a Sina a ko el mirrael er tia el mlo merek el buil.

> The Chinese ship finally sailed out last month.

Kom kmal mera el dengerodek el ngalek el mla chidir a chiklel a belochel me ng medei.

> Unruly kids that have twisted the pigeon's neck so it died.

Aki kmal ko er a mle ungil merael e di mle kiul kisbekl el metengel er a dobu er a mlai el lilengelakl el kmal bekerurt.

> We were walking fine on the road until a really fast car sped by that abruptly forced us into a ditch.

Kom sebiil el meseskebelung.

> You are young and idiotic.

omesiich

, v.t.

adorn (oneself, something); pretty (oneself) up; decorate; beautify.
omesiich a locha besichel; mesiich; mesichii a skuul; menglebokel, dil a mla mesichii, belsiochel.

ta
/tang

, num.

1 [one] (unit of time; human; counting).
tang a ochur el chimong , ta el buil, ta el tekoi, ta el chad.

tal

cont.

ta el

tara

cont.

ta er a

el di ngak el tang

expr.

alone; by myself.

ko el tang

expr.

the very first time; the first time after a long while.

ngii di el tang

expr.

either one; anything.

ta el chad

expr.

one person; (persons) having same mother or father; (persons) of same blood.

ta el rak

expr.

one year.

ta el sils

expr.

one day.

ta er kemam

expr.

one of our relatives (usually, close); one of us.

ta er ngak

expr.

one of my relatives (usually, close).

ta er tir

expr.

one of them.

Examples:

A Droteo me a Toki a ko er a kmal ta a dekelir.

> Droteo and Toki are quite close or always doing things together.

A Toki a mla chomeklii a ta el bilel.

> Toki has completed her first month of pregnancy.

A blai a mlukbeches er a chelsel a ta el buil.

> The house was renovated in a month.

Te oumesingd a rechad el omuchel el me er a ta el klok.

> People tend to start arriving at one o'clock.

Ng ko el ta el leme chull.

> It's the first time it's rained in a long while.

Proverbs:

Ng ta el suk me ng diilut re Meduu.

> A full basket was dropped in Ngeremeduu bay.

From the folk tale about Obak era Kedesau on his way to a feast being given in honor of his wife by her adoptive father. While crossing Ngeremeduu Bay between Ngatpang and Ngeremlengui, Obak dropped a basket of Palauan money overboard. Despite this terrible loss, he still had the courage and sufficient cash to carry off his visit in high style. The saying may be used to reassure someone, following a loss, reminding them that Obak era Kedesau recovered from an even greater loss.

Ng kora chebiei el Cheangel, el di ta e chutur a ta el suk.

> Like the breadfruit of Kayangel, just one rotten piece will spoil the whole bunch.

One bad person can ruin the reputation of a whole group. It is said of the Chebiei variety of breadfruit found at Kayangel atoll that one rotten one will spoil others packaged with it. Similar to "One bad apple spoiled the bushel."

Ng cheiko e omekrael er a ta er a cheiko.

> A blind man leading another blind man.

The application is identical to that of the familiar English idiom

Ng ko er a cherellel a beab el di ta e keroker.

> It's like the birth of a rat with one offspring per mother.

It's something that happens just once, something I put up with only once. According to this saying, the rat bears but one litter. Hence the application "once is enough" about an act that bears no repeating.

Ng ko er a chelebed er a Utaor, el di ta temetemir

> Like the blow at Utaor, one stroke for all

A person or perhaps a club of the hamlet of Utaor (a hamlet of either Koror or Chol) offended a major village and, in consequence, the village retaliated by attacking the whole hamlet. The idiom applies to any general statement or punishment that might better be directed toward a particular group or individual

More Examples:

Rungalek, ka bo mocheuir a ta er a taxi el mei me lotekak el mo er a bdelul a chang.

> My child, go hail me a taxi cab so that I can take it to the dock.

A ochellek a di tang.

> I have one younger brother. (Can only be said by a maile).

Morael el mo er a stoang e mocherar a ta er a malk el mei bo lodoim er a kebesengei.

> Go to the store and buy a chicken for dinner tonight.

Ak meleng a udoud el diak lengesonges me a lechub lemekesai er a ta el telael.

> I'm borrowing money not less than a thousand dollars.

Ak mo mesab er a ta er a blungek. Ng kmal klou a omesab er chelechang.

> I'm going to harvest one of my taro square. It is now big harvest season time.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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