Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

e

, conj.

and; (and) then or consequently; (if...,) then; while; but.
e a omechoel; omuchel e omech a bebil er a tekoi, e sechelei, toktang echad er a chei; e ngerang?

eng

cont.

e ng

Examples:

Te mla er a skuul e milrael el mo er a chelechol.

> They were at the school and then walked to the beach.

Ng ko el techa a mellomes a rengul el sebechel el mechur a eabed, e okellakl me ng ruebet a chull?

> Who is wise enough to count the clouds and tilt them over to pour out the rain?

Tia a mekngit el ngar er a medal a Rubak e mo ongesechii a rengul.

> This is evil in the Lord's sight, and it will make him angry.

Merko e lak doilil.

> Let's not play anymore.

Omko ak kilie er a Merikel, e ak medenge a tekoi er a Merikel.

> If I had lived in America, then I'd know English.

Proverbs:

Oba tet e luut

> To take a handbag and return.

Applied to a person who "never gets anywhere," a low achiever.

Omechiib e melemedem

> Exposing and concealing

The grass skirt in Palau consists of a front and back panel. While being worn, the strands of the skirt may become matted and tangled. To correct this, particularly when sitting down, the woman may run her fingers under and through her skirt, lifting and combing the strands. In so doing the woman affords the spectator a brief, erotic glimpse. The idiom may be applied in answer to a severe critic, asking the critic not to reveal all of the victim's failures. In a related sense, a family member may ask another not to make all of the family problems public.

Msisichau e a tutau a kmedang.

> Be strong, morning is nigh.

Keep a stiff upper lip - things will improve (lit. morning is approaching). Encouragement to the depressed to take heart.

Ng ua kukau el omertort a ditel e chemoes.

> Like taro, though the leaves are tall, still immature.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is mature only when the leaves produced by the plant are small. When the plant produces its largest leaves the tuber in the ground is still quite small. The saying may be applied to a person who, while yet young and inexperienced, is proud and boastful.

Ng kekerei e sechal

> Small, but a man

One physically small, or a child, who does the work of a strong man.

More Examples:

Lak di momuit er tia el butiliang e moitel a imelem er a kob.

> Don't just take a drink from the bottle and pour your drink in a cup.

Te mera el betok a ngerir e diak a chimorir.

> A lot of talk but no action.

Klukuk e ng ongetela el ureor?

> What day is tomorrow?

Diak lungil se el molim a rrom e momekall, ng mekull.

> Its not wise to drink alcohol and drive, its agaisnt the law.

Ke choilii a ralm el omrechorech er ngii e mochu oldebodeb a billum.

> Wait for the water to boil and then put in the tapioca.

e

, mod.

contentless word (used with name when addressing someone).

Examples:

Ak di olteterau a iasai e mecherar a mlik.

> I'm just selling vegetables a little at a time, and then I'll (be able to) buy my car.

A klengeltengetel a Droteo e ng miltik a dart el kluk.

> Droteo had the good fortune to find a hundred dollars.

Lak lesebek a rengum e ng kmal diak a rolem e bo mad.

> Don't worry; there's really no way you're going to die.

Ak ileko er a blim e ng di ke mle dibus.

> I came to your house, but you were out.

A di kkilungii a renguk el telkib el meketeket e ng ultebechel el ngar er ngii a mo ungil el kudesuii.

> Whenever I was just patient and waited for a little while, I was certain to have a good idea.

Proverbs:

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.

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.

Tuich el kelulau e loubuch er a ralm.

> Firebrand politics extinguished with water.

In a sense this is a response to "Fire brand politics," but it appears to be a fully developed technique none the less. It involves responding to anger with quiet calm and kind words. If it has a character of its own it would be called compromise. Buying the opponent off is approved. J. Useem names this strategy, but was perhaps unaware of the wider significance, For him the phrase pertained to "a small time official who use his authority for his own benefit but shrewdly avoids being detected by superiors." I think that most Palauan political leaders would agree that any political tactitian,knowingly using the strategy of his training, would expect to accomplish as much.

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.

Ngiull e ngedall.

> To accompany and send back.

Used of the people of Ngaraard district, especially Ngebuked villagers, as a reference to cowardice. When the clubhostess system (mongol) was practiced, in which a group of women from one village would be "abducted" (with the consent of village leaders) to serve as hostesses in the men's club of another village, it was customary for the women of Koror to be taken to a men's club in Ngebuked. This involved four trips by the men of Ngebuked past the hostile villages of Aimeliik: (i) to go to Koror to "abduct" the girls at a pre-designated place; (2) to bring the girls "secretly" back to Ngebuked; (3) to take the girls back to Koror for the payment (money payments to the girls' village chief, to the club to which the girls belong, and to the fathers of the more active girls); (4) the final trip home by the men. In each instance, the canoes of Ngebuked would be joined, by prearrangement, by canoes and warriors from Ngeremlengui as an escort past Aimeliik.

More Examples:

Ng diak lsoam el ko er a mo ousueleb me a lechub e ng belsoil er a ta er a taem?

> Do you want to have lunch or dinner sometime?

Ngika el rubak a kilderii a ngelekel el meringel a ochil el loia er a ongelengelel e te merolang el mo remei.

> Her father picked his daughter onto his shoulder as her foot was hurting and they walked home.

Alii, ke moubuu e mokokau.

> Hello,don't trip and take your time.

A euid el klok e ak oubail e songdii a bdeluk.

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

Aki ulturk e remad a bebil er a bngal a chelilai.

> We asked and got okayed to pick some plumeria flowers.

e ng di

, mod.

but.

kele

, mod.

don't ... (because); I wonder if; maybe.
kele a tekoi el kirel a omengelechel; alii ng diak; kele bochu mongesuch; kele morutech er tilecha el kall.

klebesei

, n.

night; tonight.
klebesei a ngeltel a sils el mo lmuut er a ngesechel a sils, milkolk.

le
/e le

, mod.

[contentless linking word]; because.

mei
/me

, v.i.

come; arrive.

mei a okedongel a chad; mei er tiei, mei me kulekoi, ka mei.

be

v.imp.

be a ta er a telengtengil a tekoi el mengai er a tekoi el mei; be bong, be metengel.

ble

v.past.hypothetical

mera

cont.

mei er a

merekung
/merkung

v.i.pred.

is about to come or arrive.

mermang
/meremang

v.inch.

meremang a merael mei; ngar er a omerolel el mei; dumiang er a dmuil.

mlei
/mle

v.past

came; arrived.

mlei a mla mei me ngar tiang; skoki a mlei er a tutau.
mle a melekoi er a rrekui; Bung a mle tmuu; ng mle mekerang?

mlera

cont.

mlei er a

be kbong

expr.

goodbye; I'm leaving.

me e mong

expr.

pass by; go on; "(in a direction) towards me and then keep going (past me)."

nguu el mei

expr.

bring.

ta el buil er mla me e mong

expr.

one month ago.

Examples:

Ng mle ngabtchelid, e ak mlo er a uche er a klaidesachel.

> Fortuitously, I came in first in the race.

Ngak a mle soak el me er tia el iungs.

> I wanted to come to this island.

Ng di mle ngii a butiliang el ulebeu.

> The bottle broke on its own.

Ng mle tela a teng er a Toki?

> What was Toki's grade?

Ng mle sment a ulolel tia el skuul.

> This school had a cement floor.

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a ibuchel er a Ngemai el di kiei me a dekedekel.

> He's like the sea urchins between Ngiwal and Melekeok, on the ocean floor with its cover.

The sea urchin can be seen lying quietly on the lagoon floor, occasionally with a leaf like a hat covering its head. Applied to a man who acquires a wife or great wealth without working for it.

Ng mlenga a telochel a demal me ng uai ngii.

> Like his father, for he ate his father's premasticated food.

Applied to a child by adoption, with the implication that the adopted child resembles his adoptive father

Ng okouik me ng obached, e a lokouim eng diak lobached.

> If it is my lunch it can be divided, if it is yours then it cannot

Two men habitually trapped fish in the same region of the lagoon. One would occasionally ask the other to join him at lunch, the other would always refuse. One day the man who refused arrived with no lunch. When the usual invitation was extended the man refused, saying that, anyway, he had no lunch. The invitation was insistently pressed until the reluctant one gave in. As they split the taro between them the one who shared made the above statement. The idiom is a mild rebuke of a retentive person

A uel el kuk meremang el me omeklatk me ng mo uchul a klengitereng

> When the purple swamp hen appears, it brings remembrance

There is a song (Oumachas) from which this saying derives: Once there was a young couple who made love in a secluded spot in the taro garden. While they were lying together a purple swamp hen darted out of the brush startling the couple. Eventually love cooled, but thereafter whenever the girl saw a purple swamp hen while she worked in the gardens, she recalled her lover. Hence any occurrence that brings back fond memories.

Ke mera el di medochii el rouar.

> You grab and then you pick it up.

Like telling a joke, you're still telling it yet you laugh like you just heard it.

More Examples:

Ng betok a cheldim me a kuk kesengil e beskak a chimo el keremlal.

> You caught a lot of fish so at least give me one red snapper.

Aki millengmes er a resensei me a merredel er a skuul.

> We respected the teachers and the school principal.

A kereker a kmal berrebirt me ng kmal lungil el bo dolai a ilekum.

> The tide is very low so it's a good time to collect clams.

Ngera me ke mesam a chimam, soam el obar?

> Why are you making fist, wanna get smacked?

John, ke kuk meral di uleiitel a imelek el oisur me ng dikea lesebechek el ngilmii.

> John, you've poured my drink so full that I will not be able to drink it all.

melechang

, v.t.

put (into particular position); take (to particular place).
melechang a lochang; ngmai el mechei; loiang, lechengel.

merekui

, v.t.

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

ngikel

,

/uploads/pics/5479.jpg, n.

fish.
ngikel a charm er daob me a ralm el kall; temekai me a meas a ngikel.

obo e

, conj.

but.

omechei

, v.t.

leave around; leave alone; let.
omechei a diak lolai, mecherei, merael e mechei a klalo.

omilt

, v.t.

repeat or rehash (matter).
omilt a omelekl; melekoi a mla medung; omilt a mla memong.

rael

, n.

road; path; way; canal; means; solution; way out (of); way to someone's heart; connection (between families, etc.).
rael a ulekrael el usbechall er a omerael; ledes a rael el mo er a blai; rolel a mlai; ngar ngii a ungil rolel a omengedecheduch, rolel a tekoi.

rolek

n.poss.1s

rolem

n.poss.2s

rolel

n.poss.3s

rolel a rael er ngii.

rolam

n.poss.1pe

roled

n.poss.1pi

roliu

n.poss.2p

rolir

n.poss.3p

Rael Kedam

n.

The mountain range that runs North-South on Babeldaob. In Palauan legend, it comes from Uab's spine. It marks the boundary of many states in Babeldaob. The name literally means the flight path of the kedam.
Ng ikel rois el meliud er a Keiukl me a Desbedall.

rael el beluu

n.

person without a fixed residence.

chad er a rael

expr.

outsiders.

ng diak a rolel e

expr.

there's no way to/have no way to.

ngalek er a rael

expr.

fatherless child; bastard.

rolel a ralm

expr.

ditch.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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