Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

bai
/abai

village meeting house; guest house; community house.
bai a ongdboll; tbiil a llach er ngii; bai er a klobak; a bai a ongdboll er a beluu, orekuul, blil a kldibel, bailbeluu; bai er a remeau; oremuul, bai er a rengeasek, merael a kakerous el omeruul er a chelsel a ngellakel me a sius, me a klautok me a ngloik er a chesel.

bil

n.poss.3s

bai er a rubak

expr.

bai for old men only.

kebtot el bai

expr.

twin bai; two bais adjacent to each other.

See also:

Examples:

Ng bai soak a kohi er a tii.

> I like coffee more than tea.

Kede bai mo odngelii er a kebesengei?

> Shall we visit her tonight?

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a ngklel a bai er a Chol: a Medederiik

> Like the name of the bai at Chol: "Empty."

A bai in the northern community of Chol is (or once was) called Medederiik, meaning "deserted" or "empty." The idiom may apply to a person without possessions, a poor man.

Ke ko er a bisech er a bai el dechor er a rebai e diak dousbech er ngii.

> You're like the bisech plant in the backyard which has no purpose.

A person who isn't trusted so he/she is not needed.

Ngalek a bai.

> Child of the clubhouse.

In former times, when Palauan women would sometimes serve as companions to the men of clubs in villages other than their own, a woman occasionally became pregnant. While pregnancy during this service, or as a result of it, was considered bad form, a child so conceived was not considered "illegitimate" but was differentiated in degree by this idiom.

Ng ko er a ngklel a bai er a Ngerekabesang: a Telkakl

> Like the name of the community house at Ngerekabesang: "Buttressed."

At Ngerekabesang in Koror (central Palau) there is a community house (bai) called Telkakl, which means "to buttress" or "to be buttressed." Some of the older bai in Palau were thus supported with beams from the ground to the eaves, and the implication has been added that a bai so supported must be very full of important possessions. This idiom is used of a person who is wealthy, or of one's self, meaning that one has cash on hand.

More Examples:

Ngar ngii a chelitakl er a Bai er a kebesengei el ungil el oderengesall.

> There is singing at the clubhouse tonight that is good to hear.

Bai di beches el ouchais el kmo ng chetim el mong e lak ko bong e mouuchel er a rengum.

> Be honest and say you don't want to go instead of going and then regretting it.

Ng locha bai ungil doruul a cheluch er Belau.

> I think we should make coconut oil.

Dimlak kisterir er a chelsel a bai.

> I didn't see them in the men's club house.

Ak omdasu e a rechad er a Irrai a bai ungil el meruul a omelai el oleng er a ngii di el chad el mo er a skozio.

> I think people in Airai should make toll booths at the airport and collect fees.

bai

, mod.

comparatively; by comparison, instead; rather. Also used in conditional sentences to contrast two events.
bai a omuchel a bebil er a omengedecheduch, bai ungil me ko mlei; bai ba morael, bai molekoi e kuleki kung; bai de kasmesumech er tiang e bo de kebii.