Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

buk

, n.

corner; angle; joint; node.
buk a bkul a ngii di le ngerang, bkul a chim, bkul a beluu.

bkul

n.poss.3s

its corner; angle; joint; node.
bkul a ongemulel a chim me a uach; bkul a uach, bkul a chim, bkul a beluu.

bkebkuul

v.s.

having many nodes; rough-edged; (shin of leg) have bumpy surface.
bkebkuul a betok a bkul; bkebkuul el deb, bambuu.

bkul a bambuu

expr.

node of bamboo.

bkul a beluu

expr.

cape; promontory.

bkul a deb

expr.

node of sugar-cane.

See also: , ,

Examples:

A ekebil a kchiliuii a buk er ngii.

> I read the girl's book.

Ng ker a lebilskau a buk er ngii a Ruth?

> Where did Ruth give you the book?

A chiul a me mengoir er a bkul a ochil.

> Her hair reaches down to her knees.

A dolech a me kirel a bkul a ochik.

> The tide reaches as high as my knees.

Ak medengelii a chad el milcherar tia el buk.

> I know the person who bought this book.

Proverbs:

Bkul a kesol.

> Elbows of turmeric.

Turmeric (kesol) was an important source of yellow and red dye, used as a cosmetic and sometimes traded as a valuable. Strands of turmeric were highly valued and carefully tended. The turmeric plant multiplies by forming new tubers more or less detached from the original plant. The idiom refers to tubers that are close to the original and refers to "children of the same mother."

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.

More Examples:

Mketmokl a buk er kemiu.

> Put your books away.

Mnguu a buk el loia er a eungel a tebel.

> Put the book under the table

Be mngai a buk er kemiu

> ?ome and get your books

A chad er a laibreri a oungerachel aike el rokui el buk me a babier el ngar er a laibreri.

> A librarian's job is to take care of all the books and documents in the library.

Motebedii a buk er kau er a ochur.

> Take out your math book.

deb

,

/uploads/pics/10688.jpg, n.

sugar cane.
deb a merekos el dellomel el tuobed a sukal er ngii, debengel.

debengel

n.poss.3s

meringet

, v.t.

chew (food); crush (rock, sugar cane, etc.).
meringet a klekedall el meringet; ringetii; reminget a kall; uingel a meringet; chesubech a diak loringet.

ringetii	v.pf.3s	ringetii a meringet er ngii.
rirengetii	v.pf.3s.past
reminget	v.pf.3p.inan.	reminget a meringet; reminget a kall, ringetii a chemelel.
riringet	v.pf.3p.inan.past
meringet	v.erg.
rengetall /rengotel /ringetall	v.a.s.	is to be chewed or crushed. rengetall a kirel el meringet; ringetii a kall, rengotel, reminget; rengetel. rengotel a rengetall; ringetall. ringetall a kirel el meringet; ringetii a chemelel; reminget a kelel.
rringet	v.r.s.	chewed; crushed. rringet a mla meringet; kelel a rringet, ringetii, reminget.
meringet a bad el mesil	expr.	rock-crushing machine.
meringet a deb el mesil	expr.	sugarcane-crushing machine.
See also: ,
Synonyms: , ,

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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