Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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:

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.

Ak

merael

el

bedul

a

dimes.

> I'll be going due south.

A

Yigo

a

ngar

er

a

mo

bedul

a

diluches.

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

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:

BINGSBEDUL

,

TABDERRIR

Examples:

A

skuul

a

dechor

el

bedul

a

M-Dock.

> The school faces in the direction of M-Dock.

A

dachelbai

el

chad

er

a

chei

a

milurech

a

bdelul

a

lluich

el

ngikel.

> The skillful fisherman speared 20 fish in the head.

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

euid

el

klok

e

ak

oubail

e

songdii

a

bdeluk.

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

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

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.

More Examples:

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.

Akoi!

Tia

el

klechad

ng

mo

bedul

ker.

> Ah! Where this life going.

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.

Mretechii

a

bdelum.

> Touch your head.

Ak

mlo

ubuu

er

a

cheldukl

bad

el

mengii

a

bdeluk.

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

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:

BAD

,

BEDBEDUUL

Examples:

Bo

er

a

blim

me

bo

bad.

> Go home and sleep.

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.

A

skuul

a

dechor

el

bedul

a

M-Dock.

> The school faces in the direction of M-Dock.

A

Droteo

a

millutk

el

bedul

a

kboub.

> Droteo pointed to the wall.

A

Toki

a

rirurt

el

bedul

a

skuul.

> Toki ran in the direction of the school.

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:

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

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?

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:

CHELSUL

A

MAD

Examples:

Ng

ko

er

a

medal

a

temamuu.

> His or her face is ugly.

Bok

a

medam!

> Pay attention!/Be alert!

A

Droteo

a

silebedak

el

kmo

a

demal

a

mla

mad.

> Droteo informed me that his father had died.

Kemiu

e

rengelekei

a

kmal

chebuul

e

le

ng

mla

mad

a

demmiu.

> You, children, are to be pitied because your father has died.

Ke

kmal

mengas

a

medad

er

a

seked.

> You really embarrass us in public.

Proverbs:

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.

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.

Ngelek

el

medad.

> Child of the front.

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

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.

More Examples:

Aika

el

medam

e

Ngerkumer

ngerang

meng

di

ombesisebusech?

> Why are Ngerkumer's eyes blinking so much?

Kmal