Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

di

, mod.

only; just; any.
di a olkael; di kau a mei e diak a ngodech; di tedei el buik a mong; se di kau, se di ngii.

el di mle ngii

expr.

all by himself; on his own.

ngii di lebong

expr.

whatever it is; whatever there may be.

Examples:

Ngara me ke di mekekokau el merael?

> Why are you walking so slowly?

Ng di mle ngak el engelak.

> I got myself into hot water.

Ke ko er a terriid el di teloi er a klab e mengerem.

> You're like the terriid bird which stays among the taro plants but goes hungry (i.e. you're surrounded by girls but can't make it with any of them).

Ng diak a ngara el soal, e ng di soal a biang.

> He doesn't want anything but or except a beer.

Ak di ourureng er a taem er a Siabal.

> I feel nostalgic about the Japanese times.

Proverbs:

Ke ko er a kedam el suebek e ak di oba okum.

> You're a flying kite, but i hold the guide string.

No matter how much you play around, you always come back to me.

Ke ko er a katuu el di kau el di melecholb er kau.

> You're just like a cat washing yourself.

i.e., you have to do everything yourself because your relatives are neglecting their obligations to you.

Ng ko er a omenga el Raus, el sosokod e di keang.

> It's like the way they eat in Ngeraus (where food is scarce): as soon as they get to like or enjoy the food, it's gone.

Just as something becomes popular, it becomes unavailable. Ngerraus is a small village in Ngchesar (central Palau). The idiom suggests a person who begins to feel hungry just as the food runs out. The reference is to the meager food resources of a small village. In contemporary Palau the idiom may be applied to some popular import that soon disappears from the shelves of the stores.

A isnged a di kmeed e diak dengetemii.

> Our nose is close (to the mouth), but cannot be licked.

i.e. we shouldn't be too sure of, or overconfident in, ourselves. The nose is very close to the mouth, but, no matter how reassuringly available, it cannot be licked by the tongue. The idiom cautions those who are careless with their possessions to be less assured about wealth.

Ng ko er a omelkesel Ngirakerisil, el di diak lecheldereder a mlil.

> Like Kerosene, poling his canoe with no obvious destination

Under the German administrator Winkler before World War I, a Palauan named Ngirakerisil (Mr. Kerosene) was employed as a canoe operator. Daily he would take the tireless administrator to a different part of Palau to inspect the various economic programs (largely coconut planting) instituted by the now legendary Winkler. The operator, least of all, could predict where they would be going next. The idiom is applied to any aimless person or action; indecision; a changeable person.

More Examples:

Aika chemais a kmal di milengemais er a kesus; kele lengar ngii a secher.

> The crickets were really chirping last night; maybe someone is sick or died.

A ochellek a di tang.

> I have one younger brother. (Can only be said by a maile).

A remesesuau a di mesesuau el mo er a kodall.

> Idiots will always stay idiots until death.

Aika el chemelek el kebui a mera el di moalech.

> My chewing pepper leaves are withered.

Ngka el rubak a di mle siesorech e mad.

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

diak

, v.s.

is/are not; does not exist; non-existent.
diak a bechachau; diak a kall, diak a udoud, diak a chad er a blai.

diadiak

v.s.redup.

dikeang
/di kea
/di keang
/dikea

v.s.inch.

no longer; no more; not... after all.
di keang a mla er ngii e mla mo diak, udoud a di keang.

dimlak

v.s.past

were not; did not exist; was/were non-existent.
dimlak a di mla diak, dimlak le medung er a cheldecheduch, dimlak rengesii, dimlak lemei.

ng diak

mod.

no.

ngdiak

cont.

ng diak

diak a rengul

expr.

inconsiderate; impolite.

mo diak

expr.

run out; stop; disappear; become non-existent.

Examples:

Ngara meluches a medam me ng di kea bo mechiuaiu?

> What's keeping you from falling asleep?

Ng diak lobult a churak.

> I'm not changing my mind./I'm sticking to my decision.

A chad el diak lemeduch el mengikai a mo remos.

> Anyone who doesn't know how to swim will drown.

A blik a di kea lengar er sei.

> My house is no longer located here.

Ng diak a ungil el kerrekar el ourodech a mekngit el rodech, el ka mekngit el kerrekar el ourodech a ungil rodech.

> No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

Proverbs:

Ke di lotkii a Chelechang, e diak mletkii a Cherechar.

> You think only of Present, not of Future.

Chelechang (Present) and Chrechar (Future) were brothers. Present was the favorite of his mother. These are the words of Future reprimanding his mother. The idiom is used of those who inadequately plan for the future.

Ng dimlak longesimer a tekoi el chad.

> One for whom the door of words was not closed.

When the secrets of a clan or a profession were being taught by an expert, the house was completely closed and instruction took place in strict, whispered secrecy. the idiom may be applied to a person who, while having the proper status to be knowledgeable, has never learned in closed session; an important but uninformed person. Conversely, an expert or knowledgeable clan his torian is one who "has had the door closed" (mleng a simer).

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.

Ng ko er a omelkesel Ngirakerisil, el di diak lecheldereder a mlil.

> Like Kerosene, poling his canoe with no obvious destination

Under the German administrator Winkler before World War I, a Palauan named Ngirakerisil (Mr. Kerosene) was employed as a canoe operator. Daily he would take the tireless administrator to a different part of Palau to inspect the various economic programs (largely coconut planting) instituted by the now legendary Winkler. The operator, least of all, could predict where they would be going next. The idiom is applied to any aimless person or action; indecision; a changeable person.

A isnged a di kmeed e diak dengetemii.

> Our nose is close (to the mouth), but cannot be licked.

i.e. we shouldn't be too sure of, or overconfident in, ourselves. The nose is very close to the mouth, but, no matter how reassuringly available, it cannot be licked by the tongue. The idiom cautions those who are careless with their possessions to be less assured about wealth.

More Examples:

Ng diak klsakl, ak di mesaik.

> There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just lazy.

Ng diak, ng diak lsebechem el longir a babilengek.

> No, you can't borrow by book.

Alii, tilecha el delibuk a diak lemesisiich. Ng obechakl a chert.

> Hey. That knot's no good. The boat will float away.

Ng diak el ngerang, ng kmal betekngang a tellemall er a beluu.

> The reason is, there are too many crimes in the society.

Ulang, diak molengull e ke kmal mla mo churusai.

> Ulang, can't you stop as you are getting annoying.

e ng di

, mod.

but.

meau

, v.s.

naked; nude; bare; (young people) untitled.
meau a blechetoel; diak le blail, rengalek a di meau e mengedub.

melemotem

, v.t.

clear (trees, land); clear land (for garden).
melemotem a omukel; meledaes; tomotem a kerrekar, tometemii a rael; temetemel.

merekui

, v.t.

finish (completely; entirely); consume; accomplish.
merekui a mochu merek; merekui er a urrereel a blai; kmedu el mo merek.

ngii di el

, pro.

any.

se
/sei
/isei

, pro.

that object far from speaker and far from listener.
sei a melutk er a cheroid er a mengedecheduch; ngar sei; diak el tiang; sei er a mong a skuul.

se el

conj.

when (in the future); whenever.

se el sekum

conj.

if (used in negative sentences).

sel

cont.

se el

er se er a

expr.

when (in the past).

er se er a Sebadong

expr.

last Saturday.

er se er a taem er a mekemad

expr.

during the war.

er sei

expr.

over there; in that place.

mekera isei

expr.

[used to refer to a method of doing something that the speaker has forgotten.]

ngera isei

expr.

thingamajig; thingamabob; whatchamacallit. [used to refer to something whose name the speaker has forgotten.]

se di kau

expr.

it's up to you.

se el soam

expr.

whatever you want; it's up to you.

se el tebel

expr.

that table (over there).

se er a

expr.

conj. when (in the past).

tela isei

expr.

[used to refer to a number that the speaker has forgotten.]

tia isei

expr.

what's-his-name; what's-her-name. [Used to refer to someone whose name the speaker has forgotten.]

Examples:

A blik a di kea lengar er sei.

> My house is no longer located here.

Se el blai a meteet er a chemachel.

> That family is well-known to have resources in betel nut.

A Droteo a melamech a dekool se el losuub.

> Droteo smokes cigarettes when(ever) he studies.

A Sally a menguiu er se el hong.

> Sally is reading that book.

Te ulemuchel el mo melai er se el bukl el beluu.

> They started out to invade the hill country.

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.

More Examples:

Se el kokil ribsakl a sils.

> When the sun sets slowly.

Alii! Kom kerkikl se el bo moumenged me ng diak mtemall a ochaieo e ng mekull.

> Dont mess with the spotted eagle ray when you go fishing as they are sacred.

Ngkang techa isei el mle er a blai?

> Who was it that came to the house?

Se el soam el mei er a blik e ke omekedong el kot.

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

Ng locha ngar er ngii a chisil a cheluch er se el isiobing.

> There might be a few drops of oil in the bottle.

ta
/tang

, num.

1 [one] (unit of time; human; counting).
tang a ochur el chimong , ta el buil, ta el tekoi, ta el chad.

tal

cont.

ta el

tara

cont.

ta er a

el di ngak el tang

expr.

alone; by myself.

ko el tang

expr.

the very first time; the first time after a long while.

ngii di el tang

expr.

either one; anything.

ta el chad

expr.

one person; (persons) having same mother or father; (persons) of same blood.

ta el rak

expr.

one year.

ta el sils

expr.

one day.

ta er kemam

expr.

one of our relatives (usually, close); one of us.

ta er ngak

expr.

one of my relatives (usually, close).

ta er tir

expr.

one of them.

Examples:

A chesimer a ulebok er a ta er a resensei el mengelekolt er a klas.

> The door was opened by one of the teachers to cool down the classroom.

Te oumesingd el omuchel el me a rechad er a ta el klok.

> People tend to start arriving at one o'clock.

Ng ko el ta el leme chull.

> It's the first time it's rained in a long while.

Te liluches aike el siasing er a chelsel a ta el sikang.

> They drew those pictures in an hour.

Te mle ungil a rengrir er a chelsel a ta el sikang.

> They were happy in an hour.

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a chelebed er a Utaor, el di ta temetemir

> Like the blow at Utaor, one stroke for all

A person or perhaps a club of the hamlet of Utaor (a hamlet of either Koror or Chol) offended a major village and, in consequence, the village retaliated by attacking the whole hamlet. The idiom applies to any general statement or punishment that might better be directed toward a particular group or individual

Ng kora chebiei el Cheangel, el di ta e chutur a ta el suk.

> Like the breadfruit of Kayangel, just one rotten piece will spoil the whole bunch.

One bad person can ruin the reputation of a whole group. It is said of the Chebiei variety of breadfruit found at Kayangel atoll that one rotten one will spoil others packaged with it. Similar to "One bad apple spoiled the bushel."

Ng cheiko e omekrael er a ta er a cheiko.

> A blind man leading another blind man.

The application is identical to that of the familiar English idiom

Ng ko er a cherellel a beab el di ta e keroker.

> It's like the birth of a rat with one offspring per mother.

It's something that happens just once, something I put up with only once. According to this saying, the rat bears but one litter. Hence the application "once is enough" about an act that bears no repeating.

Ng ta el suk me ng diilut re Meduu.

> A full basket was dropped in Ngeremeduu bay.

From the folk tale about Obak era Kedesau on his way to a feast being given in honor of his wife by her adoptive father. While crossing Ngeremeduu Bay between Ngatpang and Ngeremlengui, Obak dropped a basket of Palauan money overboard. Despite this terrible loss, he still had the courage and sufficient cash to carry off his visit in high style. The saying may be used to reassure someone, following a loss, reminding them that Obak era Kedesau recovered from an even greater loss.

More Examples:

Ak mesobil. Ng dirkak a tang me ng bechiil.

> I'm single. I have never been married.

A ochellek a di tang.

> I have one younger brother. (Can only be said by a maile).

Morael el mo er a stoang e mocherar a ta er a malk el mei bo lodoim er a kebesengei.

> Go to the store and buy a chicken for dinner tonight.

Ak mo mesab er a ta er a blungek. Ng kmal klou a omesab er chelechang.

> I'm going to harvest one of my taro square. It is now big harvest season time.

A rsul a babii a kma el kirel di tang.

> The stabbing of the pig should only take once.

telkib

, v.s.

a little; a bit; part of piece of.
telkib a diak le klou; kekerei; telkib el kall.

di telkib

expr.

only a little; just a bit.

el telkib

expr.

for a while.

telkib a bebetok

expr.

a shade too much.

telkib el betok

expr.

a bit too much.

telkib el kekesai

expr.

just barely not enough.

telkib el kesai

expr.

not enough.

telkib el taem

expr.

a short while; a short time.

telkib er a Ngiual

expr.

part of the village of Ngiual.

telkib er a kall

expr.

part of the food.

telkib er a lius

expr.

small piece of coconut.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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