Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

bad

, v.s.

asleep.
bad a mechiuaiu; ngalek a bad er a ulaol.

bedengang

v.s.inch.

is (just) going to sleep.
bedengang a mocha mechiuaiu; mla mo bad.

mo bad

expr.

go to sleep.

See also:

Examples:

A resechal a rengrir a bad.

> xx.

A ngikel a oltetemetom er a medal er a bad.

> The fish keeps poking his head out of the coral.

Ng kedorem a ngii di el bad?

> Is there a sharp stone? Is any stone sharp?

Ng kedorem aike el bad.

> Those stones are sharp.

A buik a milecheed ra delongelel a tuu; a biskang a cheleed ra delongelel a bad.

> The boy was stuck precariously in the banana tree; the spear is stuck precariously in the coral rocks.

Proverbs:

A resechal a reng er tir bad.

> The male heart is like stone.

The true man or leader has a strong, unwavering character. His decisions are firm and unchanging.

A eolt a bad er a cheskiik.

> The wind sleeps in the eskiik bush.

Around March the wind quiets at about dusk and begins to pick up the next morning. During the night the wind is said to sleep in the eskiik, a small shrub common on the hills of Palau. A quiet night is appropriate in the Palauan view because economically important fruit trees, such as breadfruit, are setting their buds at this time. This period of budding is thought to be analogous to the second or third month of human pregnancy, when exertion or shock may precipitate a miscarriage. If the winds blow strong at night during this time, elders note that the season will be poor as far as fruit harvest is concerned. The eskiik bush, where the wind sleeps, has a characteristic bad odor said to be caused by the wind performing its "natural functions."

More Examples:

Ak mlo ubuu er a cheldukl bad el mengii a bdeluk.

> I fell on the stone path and cracked my head.

A rubak a mo bad er a bir.

> The elderly titled men will be spending the night at their club house.

bad

, n.

stone; rock; coral; crossbeams supporting floor or house.
bad a medecherecher el klalo, risois, baderitech, badelchei, mlus, basech, badumoachel. A rebebil er a rechad uluusbech a bad. Aika el bad a meklou el ngai el mo locha er a ulebengelel a ta me a ta er a rechad el oliochel.

beduk

n.poss.1s

bedum

n.poss.2s

bedul

n.poss.3s

his/her/its stone; rock; coral; crossbeams supporting floor or house.

bedemam

n.poss.1pe

bedud

n.poss.1pi

bedemiu

n.poss.2p

bederir

n.poss.3p

bad el chelid

expr.

type of trepang (colored like coral).

See also: ,

Examples:

Ng kedorem se el bad.

> That stone is sharp.

Ng kedorem aike el bad.

> Those stones are sharp.

A Toki a rirurt el bedul a skuul.

> Toki ran in the direction of the school.

A Droteo a millutk el bedul a kboub.

> Droteo pointed to the wall.

A Droteo a melecholb er a bedul.

> Droteo is bathing upstream.

Proverbs:

Ng meredem er oiaol bedul ngii.

> Attaching the drain spout to oneself.

Pertains to favoritism, the adjustment of the flow of favors from the leader to one-self. It is considered unsporting and in poor taste to seek favoritism through undue support of a leader in direct anticipation of favors.

A eolt a bad er a cheskiik.

> The wind sleeps in the eskiik bush.

Around March the wind quiets at about dusk and begins to pick up the next morning. During the night the wind is said to sleep in the eskiik, a small shrub common on the hills of Palau. A quiet night is appropriate in the Palauan view because economically important fruit trees, such as breadfruit, are setting their buds at this time. This period of budding is thought to be analogous to the second or third month of human pregnancy, when exertion or shock may precipitate a miscarriage. If the winds blow strong at night during this time, elders note that the season will be poor as far as fruit harvest is concerned. The eskiik bush, where the wind sleeps, has a characteristic bad odor said to be caused by the wind performing its "natural functions."

A resechal a reng er tir bad.

> The male heart is like stone.

The true man or leader has a strong, unwavering character. His decisions are firm and unchanging.

More Examples:

Ak merael el bedul a dimes.

> I'll be going due south.

Ak mlo ubuu er a cheldukl bad el mengii a bdeluk.

> I fell on the stone path and cracked my head.

Ngar er a mo bedul ker a Yigo?

> Which direction is Yigo located on the map?

A debar a mlo chebecheb e odbechii tia el ulebangel er ngais el mo bedul a Templeton.

> The duck bent down and pushed the unhatched egg towards Templeton.

A dechor er a kederang e omes el bedul ngeuaol.

> Standing on the beach looking out towards the open ocean and the horizon.

chei

, n.

ocean; sea; place for fishing.
chei a klou el daob; cheleched, chei a belual a rokui el cheled. Chelecha kede kuk mo er a chei. Me a chei a ngar er ngii a kebokeb, keburs, taoch, demetaoch, lalou, uet, lemau, kereker, chis dailechei, melekesokl, ngeraol, oreall, chiloil, chelemoll, me a daimechesengel.

cheled

, n.r.s.

any product of the sea (or, sometimes, pigeons) caught but not yet cooked; shell.
cheled a rokui el mengai er a daob el ua ngikel, kim, ngimes, bukitang me a kuk bebil.

chelsel

, n.poss.3s

inside; within.
chelsel a diak el ikr; chelsel a rengul, chelsel a blai.

kerrekar

, n.

tree; wood; log; board.
kerrekar a meklou el dellomel, iedel a kerrekar; ukall me a dort a kerrekar, kerrekerul. A rebebil a ousbech a kerrekar. Te uluusbech el melalem aike el mo meklou el kerrekar el ua ukall me a lechub e ng miich me a lechub e ngii di el kerrekar el dechor er a oliochel er a chutem el omii er a chetemel a ta me a ta er a rechad.

meringet

, v.t.

chew (food); crush (rock, sugar cane, etc.).
meringet a klekedall el meringet; ringetii; reminget a kall; uingel a meringet; chesubech a diak loringet.

uel

,

/uploads/pics/6649.jpg, n.

turtle.
uel a ta er a bedengel a charm er a daob; a chelibel uel a mo toluk. A uel a charm er a daob; ng mo meklou. Ng ngar er ngii a chimal me a ochil. Ng dirrek el ngar er ngii a ukebel el bereked a chelibel er ngii. A uel a kall. Ng dirrek el klalo a chelibel Kede ousbech el mo toluk.

uel el chad

n.

persistent person.

bad el uel

expr.

sound asleep.

uel el chad

expr.

man who reaches sexual climax slowly.

Examples:

Ng techang a mildechemii a uel el mulemes er a resechal el omtanget er a chelibel.

> Who caught the turtle that you saw the boys who are polishing its shell?

Ak oucharm a uel.

> I keep turtles as pets.

A lomtanget er ngii a resechal a chelibel a uel.

> The thing that the boys are polishing is the turtle shell.

A chelibel a uel a diak kudengei el kmo ng techa a ulemtanget er ngii.

> The turtle shell, I don't know who was polishing it.

A chelibel a uel a kulemes er a resechal el omtanget er ngii.

> The turtle shell, I was watching the boys who were polishing it.

Proverbs:

Lak bo mua chad er a Ngerchemai el miltom er a uel el metom ra mlai.

> Don't be like the man from Ngerchemai who lost both the turtle and the canoe.

Don't bite off more than you can chew...don't be selfish.

A uel el kuk meremang el me omeklatk me ng mo uchul a klengitereng

> When the purple swamp hen appears, it brings remembrance

There is a song (Oumachas) from which this saying derives: Once there was a young couple who made love in a secluded spot in the taro garden. While they were lying together a purple swamp hen darted out of the brush startling the couple. Eventually love cooled, but thereafter whenever the girl saw a purple swamp hen while she worked in the gardens, she recalled her lover. Hence any occurrence that brings back fond memories.

Ng ko er a uel, el suebek e mekebekabes a ochil.

> Like the purple swamp hen, flying off with its legs hanging down

The purple swamp hen (uek; other sources name another bird, sechou [heron]) is careless about its legs when it flies, letting them dangle in flight instead of neatly tucking them up like other, more trim flyers. The saying applies to persons who do sloppy work or carelessly leave a task half finished

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.

More Examples:

Eya, ngke el uel el oba teuang ak miltom er ngii.

> I lost the turtle that takes four people to subdue.

Ak meruul er a cheluit el uel.

> I'm making the turtle soup in coconut milk.

A medal a biskang a tilaut er a ulul a uel.

> The spear hit the turtle in the chest.

umad

, n.

end of roof of house (at front and back).
umad a klekedellel a blai me a bai ngar er a bita me a bitang e kaisiuekl ngii me a chado.

umedal	n.poss.3s	umedal a umad er ngii; umedal a bai.
bad el umad /badelumad	expr.	crossbeams supporting floor at ends of bai. badelumad a klekedellel a bai el klisichel a ulaol.

ringetii	v.pf.3s	ringetii a meringet er ngii.
rirengetii	v.pf.3s.past
reminget	v.pf.3p.inan.	reminget a meringet; reminget a kall, ringetii a chemelel.
riringet	v.pf.3p.inan.past
meringet	v.erg.
rengetall /rengotel /ringetall	v.a.s.	is to be chewed or crushed. rengetall a kirel el meringet; ringetii a kall, rengotel, reminget; rengetel. rengotel a rengetall; ringetall. ringetall a kirel el meringet; ringetii a chemelel; reminget a kelel.
rringet	v.r.s.	chewed; crushed. rringet a mla meringet; kelel a rringet, ringetii, reminget.
meringet a bad el mesil	expr.	rock-crushing machine.
meringet a deb el mesil	expr.	sugarcane-crushing machine.
See also: ,
Synonyms: , ,

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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