Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

belkul

, n.poss.3s

meaning.
belkul a ultutelel; skuul a klou a belkul, omesuub a ngar ngii a belkul.

buil

, n.

moon; month.
buil a klou el chaibibeob el btuch el kmard a le klebesei er a eanged; tab el buil, orakiruu, oidudur.

kid

, mod.

contentless word used for emphasis.

rak

, n.

year; age; a long while ago (Each Palauan year contains 6 months and corresponds to a period of continuing easterly or westerly winds).
rak a uldekial a 12 el buil; ngar er ngii a 360 el klebesei er a chelsel a ta el rak; kot el rak el ngalek a ta rekil.

rekil

n.poss.3s

rekil a rak er ngii; ildisel a rak el le ngar; tela rekil a ngelekem?

er se el me el rak

expr.

the year after next.

er se el mlo merek el rak

expr.

the year before last.

er tia el me el rak

expr.

next year.

er tia el mlo merek el rak

expr.

last year.

Examples:

Ng ieta rak.

> The year is over.

Ng locha bekord el tela a rekil a rubak.

> I wonder what the approximate age of the old man may be.

Te rua techa tirke el mle kesib a rengul er tir a Dios el 40 el rak?

> With whom was God angry for forty years?

Ng tela a rekim?

> How old are you?

Proverbs:

Rekil-ongos.

> Year-east.

The word rak in Palauan is commonly used to mean year (rekil: year of). Actually the traditional Palauan year lasted six months, dividing the solar year into two parts conforming generally to spring-summer and fall-winter. The "Year-east," when the wind blows from the east, is the time of spring-summer.

Rekil-ngebard

> Year-west.

The Palauan year, conforming roughly to fall-winter, when the wind blows generally from the west.

More Examples:

Ng teruich me a eai a rekil.

> He's 18 years old.

Ng tela rekil a merrengem?

> How old is your younger sister? (only said by a female)

Ng tela rekil a obekum?

> How old is your older brother? (only said by a male)

Ng tela rekil a udelem?

> How old is your older sister? (only said by a female)

Ng tela rekil a ochedam?

> How old is your opposite sex sibling?

remiid

, v.i.

get lost; wander off; leave; go astray.
remiid a mla mo dibus; riiedang, merael mo cheroid, mla remiid a udoud, oridii, oriid, rureulngau.

sandei
/Sangdei

, n., [From English]

week; Sunday.
Sangdei a ongeuid el sils er a ta el sangdei; ulengull el sils.

se
/sei
/isei

, pro.

that object far from speaker and far from listener.
sei a melutk er a cheroid er a mengedecheduch; ngar sei; diak el tiang; sei er a mong a skuul.

se el

conj.

when (in the future); whenever.

se el sekum

conj.

if (used in negative sentences).

sel

cont.

se el

er se er a

expr.

when (in the past).

er se er a Sebadong

expr.

last Saturday.

er se er a taem er a mekemad

expr.

during the war.

er sei

expr.

over there; in that place.

mekera isei

expr.

[used to refer to a method of doing something that the speaker has forgotten.]

ngera isei

expr.

thingamajig; thingamabob; whatchamacallit. [used to refer to something whose name the speaker has forgotten.]

se di kau

expr.

it's up to you.

se el soam

expr.

whatever you want; it's up to you.

se el tebel

expr.

that table (over there).

se er a

expr.

conj. when (in the past).

tela isei

expr.

[used to refer to a number that the speaker has forgotten.]

tia isei

expr.

what's-his-name; what's-her-name. [Used to refer to someone whose name the speaker has forgotten.]

Examples:

Ng soal a redil a chazi er se el kuabang.

> The woman likes the taste of that guava.

Te ulemuchel el mo melai er se el bukl el beluu.

> They started out to invade the hill country.

a mekngit el ralm er a sewer el me tuobed er se er a Ongedei me a Ongeuang el Ureor er tia el mlo merek el sandei

> the bad sewer water that came out on Wednesday and Thursday of last week

Se el sekum ng diak lsoam, e ng diak mdu er ngak me kuruul er ngii.

> If you don't like it, then don't tell me to do it.

Ngara me ke di olibngokl er kau er a rengelekel se el morael.

> Why are you always leaving your children behind when you go out?

Proverbs:

Se el obutek a medak.

> When my eyes are closed.

When one dies the eyes are "closed"; hence, to be dead. The term for "death" is mad as is the term for "eye," (mad; madak: "my eye"). Some sources suggest that the term for death refers to the closed eyes of a dead person.

More Examples:

Uukel, mera el medecheduch el mengib er se el sengchel.

> Wow, she's so good breaking it down with them hips.

Ng locha ungil a cheliuir se el klebesei.

> Bet they sleep in peace at night.

Ak telkib el olbechall se el kuloik.

> Im a bit awkward when dancing.

Ng dimlak kisang er sei.

> I didnt see him or her there.

Se el lomrechorech a meduu e ke lmuut el mechirei el locha teruich me a eim el bung.

> When it starts boiling, let it boil for about 15 more minutes.

tia
/tiang

, pro.

this object near speaker and near listener .
tiang a olsechall er a melekoi er a klalo el kmeed er ngii; tia el babier, tia el udoud, tia el kall.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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