Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

blai

, n.

house; household; family; members of family; enclosure; container.

blai

a

teleketek

e

cheldool

le

kiei

er

ngii

a

rechad;

blai

a

osechelel

a

delengchokl.

blik

n.poss.1s

blim

n.poss.2s

blil

n.poss.3s

blil

a

blai

el

ngii

a

oublai

er

ngii.

blimam

n.poss.1pe

blid

n.poss.1pi

our (inclusive) house, household, etc.

blid

a

blai

el

kid

a

oublai

er

ngii.

blimiu

n.poss.2p

blirir

n.poss.3p

babelblai

n.

(a wealthy person's) house.

babelblai

a

blai

el

ilteet;

meteetel.

blil a beras

expr.

sack/container for rice.

blil a cheluch

expr.

any container for gasoline, cooking oil, etc..

blil a dangs

expr.

dance hall.

blil a ngal

expr.

termites' nest.

blil a ngikel

expr.

aquarium.

chad er a blai

expr.

members of the family.

See also:

Examples:

A

beches

el

blimam

a

bilkedecherur

er

a

demak.

> Our new house was built by my father.

A

redart

el

kelebus

a

mesers

er

a

blil

a

kelebus.

> 100 prisoners are being held by the prison.

A

beab

a

sebechel

kmerd

er

a

Ngcheangel

el

ngar

er

a

chelsel

a

blil

a

kall

el

ua

bek

el

beras.

> Rats can get to Kayangel in bags of food such as rice.

A

Ioseb

a

ulemekall

er

a

mlil

el

mo

er

a

blik.

> Joseph drove his car to my house.

A

blim

ng

rruul

er

a

ngarang?

> What's your house made out of?

Proverbs:

Kom

chameiu

el

blai.

> You're getting involved with someone too closely related.

Possibly derived from an incident in which a coconut syrup maker was incestuously involved with his wife's sister.

Ke

ko

er

a

otaor

el

di

omtitechakl

el

diak

a

blil.

> You're like a floating log without a resting place.

You have no fixed abode.

Ng

ko

er

a

uul,

el

teleu

a

blil

e

oleker

er

a

chull.

> Like the uul [Cettria cantans?] with its house open, calling for rain.

The uul may be heard to call out usually just before it rains; some say that it is calling for rain. This seems foolish, since the bird constructs its house with an opening at the top that will let rain in. A person who makes a decision or starts some action without adequate preparation is likened to the uul.

More Examples:

Ngka

el

Ulang

a

mera

el

blil

a

terached!

> That Ulang has really been behaving shamefully.

A

blik

a

smengt.

> My house in concrete.

Se

el

soam

el

mei

er

a

blik

e

ke

omekedong

el

kot.

> When you want to come to my house, call first.

Ke

mla

er

a

blai

er

a

elii?

> Were you at the house yesterday?

Te

mekebelung

el

blai

er

a

rechuodel

el

mei.

> They're from stupid family from eons ago.

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:

A

ngalek

a

ulutingaol

er

a

Toki

el

kmo

a

sechelil

a

Toki

mla

mad.

> The child lied to Toki (saying) that her friend had died.

A

rubak

ousbech

er

a

manrik

el

orreked

er

a

medal

a

biskang

me

ng

sebechel

dormii

mo

ungil.

> The old man is using a vise grip to hold his spear so he can sharpen it.

A

Droteo

a

silebedak

el

kmo

a

demal

a

mla

mad.

> Droteo informed me that his father had died.

Ke

kmal

mengas

a

medad

er

a

seked.

> You really embarrass us in public.

A

ngalek

a

ietu

a

medal.

> The child is about to fall asleep.

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.

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.

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.

Ngelek

el

medad.

> Child of the front.

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

More Examples:

Ak

chetitau

a

bedengek

e

melemalt

a

chiuk

e

meklou

a

medak.

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

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.

Ng

diak

kblekall

er

a

mekngit

el

reng;

ak

bai

mengull

er

a

Demak,

e

kemiu

a

imings

a

medemiu

er

ngak.

> I am not possessed by a devil; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

Aika

el

medam

e

Ngerkumer

ngerang

meng

di

ombesisebusech?

> Why are Ngerkumer's eyes blinking so much?

Ngka

el

rubak

a

di

mle

siesorech

e

mad.

> This old man stayed stiff and contorted as he died.

rebai

, n.

backyard; area or space in back (of a building).

rebai

a

diak

le

medal;

diak

le

ngelong

er

a

blai;

rebai

er

a

blai.

rebil

n.poss.3s

rebil

a

rebai

er

ngii

el

blai.

rebil

n.poss.3s.

rebil

a

dechil;

smecher

a

ourebai

er

a

blai.

ourebai

v.i.

walk by the rear of house; defecate (in bushes, etc., in back of house).

ourebai

a

chemei

e

mengemochem,

smecher

a

di

ourebai

er

a

blai.

rebai er a blik

expr.

in back of my house.

Proverbs:

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.

Bisech

rebai

el

tekoi.

> Backyard taro stuff.

Bisch (Alocasia macrorhiza), a taro, can often be found growing near the garbage heap behind the traditional Palauan house. Because of this contamination, taro growing in this location was not eaten, nor were the leaves used as food wrappers. Hence, any valueless decision, action or object; a useless idea.

Ng

diak

kobetik

rengii

recheroid

e

me

douchi

er

a

rebai.

> Without looking afield, it was cut down behind the house.

From the folk tale concerning Mesubed Dingal, the inventor of the Palauan kite (see also No. 73). After his wife had been kidnapped, he constructed a kite using feathers from all the birds of Palau and he needed also wood from an Edebsungel tree to fashion the body of the bird-kite. After looking all over Palau and being on the point of giving up, he found the tree he needed behind his own house. The saying may be applied to anyone who does things the hard way, or who goes far afield to find something which is close at hand.

More Examples:

A

blil

omeliokl

a

ngara

rebai

er

a

blai.

> The area for steaming/cooking taro and tapioca is at the back of the house.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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