Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

bong

, n.

drainage ditch surrounding taro patch.

ka

, mod.

contentless word proceeding polite imperatives.
ka a kau; Bung ka mei, ka morael, ka bo ruchei.

mong

, v.i.

go (in a direction not towards either the speaker or listener).
mong a merael mo cheroid; skuul a ngar a mong.

Bong!

v.imp.

Go! Go ahead!.

bocha
/bochang

v.inch.hypo.

may become.

bochung
/bochu

v.hypothetical

is about to go.

bong

v.hypothetical

mlong

v.past

went.
mlong a mla mong; mlo er a skuul.

mochang
/mocha

v.inch.

is beginning to arrive; is just arriving.
mochang a omerolel el mong; locha mochang.

mochung
/mochu

v.pred.

is about to go.
mochung a kmeed el mong; ke mochung? ak mochung.

el mo

expr.

until.

el mo el mong

expr.

(do something) in a continuous fashion; go on or keep on (doing something).

ng mochu er ngii

expr.

there is about to be.

nguu el mong

expr.

take.

Examples:

Ak ousbech a oles el mo meles a ngikel.

> I use a knife to fillet fish.

A Droteo a meluchel el mo er a ochedal.

> Droteo is carrying out an obligation to his sister.

Ng soal el mo (er ngii a) chull.

> It looks as if it's going to rain.

Te oumesingd a rengalek el mo meklou.

> Children tend to grow up.

Ng mo osisiu a omerellel el mo er tirke el rokui el kau a mo soiseb el mo melai a belurir.

> He will do the same to everyone else whose land you invade.

Proverbs:

Ng kora osechel a mengur, el di ngar er a milkolk el mo er a milkolk.

> Like coconut water, passing from darkness to darkness.

Water, drunk from a coconut, passes from the dark of the nut to the dark of the mouth. Some discussions, such as those of village leaders, are secretively passed from mouth to mouth without public discussion.

Metkul a bkul a Ngirair, e klou el Belau el mo er a Ngerechelong.

> From the Metkul boundary point at Ngirair, Palau is yet huge up to Ngerechelong.

This saying is given two meanings, both negative, pertaining to the people of northern Palau and to Ngaraard particularly: (i) the people of northern Palau are so provincial that they still think Palau is a huge country; (2) the people of northern Palau are the biggest liars (a play on "to deceive," which sounds like Belau [Palau] ). The idiom may be shortened to "Men of the point" (Chad ra bkul), referring to a point of land at Ngirair marking the boundary of Ngaraard. Or the act of patting the elbow (bkul) may carry the same meaning. Actually, the idiom is of fairly recent vintage, pertaining in part to resistance on the part of some of the people of northern Palau to administrative programs instituted by the Japanese.

Ng ko er a chad er a Ngerechelong, el di bita el mo dechor er a debsel a lei.

> Like the people of Ngerechelong, standing together on the base of the coconut tree.

The mound or hump that forms at the base of the coconut tree is said to represent the highest ranking village clan. The leader of that clan is spoken of as "standing on the mound." In the idiom, it is suggested that the people of Ngerechelong (northern Palau) would all like to be leaders-all standing on the mound at the same time. The idiom may be applied where too many people try to direct an operation; too many leaders.

Ng ko er a ebedel a Mengellakl el di mochu meleketek.

> Like the clouds of Mengellakl that just pile up

High points like Mengellakl in Palau sometimes create clouds as the moisture-laden air is lifted by the wind to higher cooler altitudes. This saying applies to a situation or a fad that spreads; drinking to excess.

More Examples:

Kom kaukotai el melimet er a chert me lemereched el mo diak a ngmatel.

> You all take turns bailing the boat so that it will be finished quickly.

A demak a ulisechakl er ngak el mengaus a toechel el mo chado.

> My dad taught me how to make thatch roofs.

A delak a ulelsisechakl er ngak el mengaus a llel a such el mo oulkou.

> My mom tried to teach me how to weave hats from pandanus leaves.

Ak oureng er a ta er a taem el mo sebeched el kasoues.

> I only wish that we will see each other in the future.

Omerollam el mo er a chelbacheb, aki ngilasech er a meched. Aki ngeltengat el dimlak lobeu a brobera.

> On the way to the rock island, we ran over the shallows. Good thing the propeller stayed intact.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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