Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

chelsel

, n.poss.3s

inside; within.
chelsel a diak el ikr; chelsel a rengul, chelsel a blai.

kall

, n.a.s.

food.
kall a rokui el dongang; ongraol me a odoim me a kliou; kukau, ngikel, tuu a kall, kelel.

kelek

n.poss.1s

kelem

n.poss.2s

kelel

n.poss.3s

kelel a kall el ngii a oukall; kelel el iedel.

kelam

n.poss.1pe

keled

n.poss.1pi

keliu

n.poss.2p

kelir

n.poss.3p

kall er a Sina

expr.

Chinese food.

kall er a mekemad

expr.

C-rations.

kelek el udong

expr.

my noodles.

kelel a charm

expr.

food or feed for animals.

kelem el tuu

expr.

your banana.

See also: , , ,

Examples:

Ng di kea kudenge a ieteklek er aika el kall.

> I don't know what to do with all that food.

Ng chetik a bul a keliu.

> I don't like the smell of your food.

Ng ua ngara a telemtemul a kall?

> What does the food taste like?/How is the food?

A Droteo a ulemeklatk er a bechil me ng meruul a kall.

> Droteo reminded his wife to prepare the food.

A Kukumai a ngiluu a kall el mo er a reokiak.

> Kukumai brought the food to the guests.

Proverbs:

Ng kora kelel a Beachedarsai, el di telkib e diak bollak.

> It's like Beachedarsai's food, though small in quantity, it never runs out.

Something beneficial(money, food, etc) keeps coming in steadily(from unknown source).

Ng ko er a kelel a Beachedarsai, el di telkib e diak bo lak.

> It's like the food of Beachedarsai: though small in quantity it never runs out

i.e., something beneficial (food, money, etc.) keeps coming in steady supply (from an unknown source).

Olbed, e kall.

> A stone platform, yet food.

A man of Airai in central Palau, apparently during a period of hostilities, brought to his home from the lagoon all manner of shell food still attached to coral boulders. In the security of his own yard, he removed the shell foods and eventually with the stones he was able to construct a stone platform for his home. A lot in Airai, supposedly where this platform stood bears the name, Olbed-e-kall.

Ng kora chad era Ngesias, el dongerechii a kall elotoir a kerruk

> Like the man of Ngesias, who left his serving of food to chase a chicken

Refers to a young man of Ngesias who was with a girl in the bush and was on the brink of persuading her to make love when he saw and gave chase to a chicken. Of course, he lost both the girl and the chicken. One may leave one task unfinished and initiate another, failing at both

Msebechii a kelel Ngersuul.

> Weigh the food of Ngersuul.

According to folk history, Koror once sent a very large force of warriors against the tiny village of Ngersuul (Ngchesar in central Palau). When the force was seen offshore, the people fled to a sheltered hill and one of the village club leaders shouted to the enemy, "Why don't you weigh the food of Ngersuul?" suggesting that Koror either pick on a village its own size or send a more equivalent-sized force. The idiom expresses nicely the ideal of balanced opposition characterizing appropriate competition in Palau.

More Examples:

Debii a keled.

> Let's divide our food.

Ngar er ngii a keliu er a kebesengei?

> Do you have food for tonight?

Kede ousbech a oles el melengos a kall

> We use a knife to slice food.

Kede ousbech a kanadarai el omelecha a ralm me a lechub a kall er ngii.

> We use basins to put water or food in.

Mruul a kall.

> Cook or prepare the food.

kets

, v.s., [From Japanese]

stingy.

kliou

, n.

sweet food or dessert (usually, prepared especially for guests); one's favorite child (usually, youngest).
kliou a olengel; kliou a umesingd el merekos el kall; delul; seboseb me a tuu a kliou.

mad

, v.i.

die; (electricity, etc.) go out; go numb.

mad a mo diak a telil; kodall, medei, mla mad, diak el outeliil, kodellel.

mesil

, n., [From English]

machine; motor; engine.
mesil a klalo el merasm a mamed; klekedall el usbechall er a meruul el klalo; mesil er a dengki; mesil el mesib; meselengel.