Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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:

A Droteo a melecholb er a bedul.

> Droteo is bathing upstream.

A Droteo a millutk el bedul a kboub.

> Droteo pointed to the wall.

Ng dirk mellomes e ng sokol el mo bad.

> It is still light out but he feels like going to sleep.

A resechal a rengrir a bad.

> xx.

Ng kedorem a ngii di el bad?

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

Proverbs:

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.

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.

More Examples:

A rubak a mo bad er a bir.

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

A Yigo a ngar er a mo bedul a diluches.

> Yigo is located on the north side of the island.

Akoi! Tia el klechad ng mo bedul ker.

> Ah! Where this life going.

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?

bedul

, n.

head; leader.
bedul a bdelul; bdelul a chad, bingsbedul, bdelul a beluu; bedul er a omoachel

bdeluk

n.poss.1s

bdelum

n.poss.2s

bdelul

n.poss.3s

bdelul a bedul er ngii; bdelul a chad bdelul a beluu, bdelul a cheldebechel; bdelulachang.

bdelmam

n.poss.1pe

bdelud

n.poss.1pi

bdelmiu

n.poss.2p

bdelrir

n.poss.3p

bdelul a chang
/bdelulachang

expr.

end of jetty; landing pier.
bdelulachang a olekerodel, omekuul er a mlai, bilas; kerodel.

bdelul a cheldebechel

expr.

group leader.

bdelul a omerael

expr.

tour leader.

btil a bedul

expr.

back of head.

mekngit a bdelul

expr.

stupid.

tedobech a bdelul

expr.

crazy.

See also: ,

Examples:

A lluich el ngikel a mle blurech a bdelul er a dachelbai el chad er a chei.

> 20 fish were speared in the head by the skillful fisherman.

A lluich el ngikel a uleburech a bdelul er a dachelbai el chad er a chei.

> 20 fish were speared in the head by the skillful fisherman.

A Toki a rirurt el bedul a skuul.

> Toki ran in the direction of the school.

Ng bleu a bdelul.

> He cracked his head.

A bdeluk a merengelang.

> I'm getting a headache.

Proverbs:

A bdelul okdemelem a cheloit er a Emerert.

> Your mother's brother's head is discarded at Emerert.

In head-hunting days villages on the same side-haven as Koror, or otherwise allied, would visit Koror last with heads taken in raids or ambush after visiting several allied villages for dances and money collections marking a successful hunt. By and large, the purpose of head-hunting was economic, with money paid the men of the successful raiding club at each allied village where the heads would be displayed. The collection went to the coffer of their village chief. By the time the warriors reached Koror, then, the heads would often be quite odorous and unpleasant (economically useless). So they would be discarded at a place called Emerert in Koror. From the standpoint of any male ego the mother's brother (okdemaol; okdemelem: your mother's brother) is always significant, since one such individual usually acts as guardian and financial advisor for the younger clan member. The idiom, then, is used by the people of Koror to insult persons of other, generally hostile, villages.

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.

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.

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.

Ng rirebet er a laidang le lobeu a bdelul.

> He or she fell off a ladder and cracked his or her head.

A euid el klok e ak oubail e songdii a bdeluk.

> At 7:00 a.m. I dress and comb my hair.

bedul

, n.poss.3s

direction; area/space facing onto; upstream.

dmolech

, v.s.

deep.
dmolech a dolech, diak le meched; dmolech a chei, klou a dolech.

mad

, n.

eye; face; point; edge; front; area or space (directly) in front of; entrance; point of access; aperture; title given to messengers.
mad a klekedellel a chad el omes; olab a ues; klidm, chelsul a mad, bsechel a mad, medal.

medak

n.poss.1s

medam

n.poss.2s

medal

n.poss.3s

medal a mad er ngii.

medemam

n.poss.1pe

medad

n.poss.1pi

medemiu

n.poss.2p

mederir

n.poss.3p

el mo er a medad

expr.

in the future.

mad el chur

expr.

laughing or smiling face.

mad el kekerei

expr.

expression of a child.

mad el ngalek

expr.

expression of a child.

medal a bedul

expr.

forehead.

medal a beluu

expr.

representative of the village; center of village.

medal a blik

expr.

in front of my house.

See also:

Examples:

Ke mo biusech a medam er a rechedam.

> Be attentive to the needs of your relatives.

Bok a medam!

> Pay attention!/Be alert!

A beab a milsa a medal a sechelil el telemall.

> The mouse saw his friend's injured face.

Lak lesebek a rengum e ng kmal diak a rolem e bo mad.

> Don't worry; there's really no way you're going to die.

Ng seroll a medam?

> Can't you see straight?

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a ngkelel a iusech el dimengel a medad er ngii

> Like a fish in deep, clear water, eaten only with the eyes.

Fish are not easily caught in clear water. The idiom applies to that which may be admired but not obtained, like an expensive item or another man's beautiful sweetheart.

Ng ko er a Chelebesoi er a Ngeriil el mad er a diak lebngel.

> He's like Chelebesoi of Ngeriil, dead in a fishtrap not his own.

A man named Chelebesoi (also the name of a fish) was robbing another man's fish trap when a head-hunting party came by and removed his head. He lost both his head and his reputation. The idiom may apply to one who gets hurt while trying to do someone else's job.

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.

Ngelek el medad.

> Child of the front.

A child (or adult) who performs well when being supervised, but who shirks duty otherwise.

Ng di ua dorael er a medal a oles.

> It's as if we were walking on the blade of a knife.

i.e., we're treading on dangerous ground; if we make one wrong move, we're finished.

More Examples:

Aika el medam e Ngerkumer ngerang meng di ombesisebusech?

> Why are Ngerkumer's eyes blinking so much?

Kmal di soad a mereched e beot el sisebel a udoud. Ng diak domdasu er a ngar er a medad el taem.

> We like it quick and easy money making schemes without thinking for the future.

Ak chetitau a bedengek e melemalt a chiuk e meklou a medak.

> I'm brown skinned with straight hair and big eyes.

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

> The spear hit the turtle in the chest.

Ng mla er ngii a chermek el bilis e ng di mla mad.

> I had a pet dog but he died.

olechull

, n.

cushion for head when carrying.
olechull a iluodel el melik er a telechull er a bedul; olechellel.

omail

, n.

skull.
omail a chiuesel a bedul, omilel a bdelul a chad.

omilel	n.poss.3s	omilel a omail er ngii.
omilel a bedul	expr.	skull.

olechellel	n.poss.3s
olechellel a bedul	expr.	top of head (above forehead); soft spot on baby's head.
See also:

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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