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:

Kede ousbech a ochadu el omchadu a kall.

> We use tongs to pick food.

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

> Kukumai brought the food to the guests.

Aika el kall a mla mo medeel er kemam.

> There's gotten to be too much food for us.

Ng ua ngara a telemtemul a kall?

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

Ak blechoel el meruul a kelel a Droteo.

> I always prepare Droteo's food.

Proverbs:

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.

Msebechii a kelel Ngersuul.

> Weigh the food of Ngersuul.

Don't overdo things/Keep things in proper proportion/This is too much for me or us to deal with. 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:

Ak meriik, e melemed, e meruul a kall, e mengetmokl er a blai.

> I sweep and mop and make food and clean the house.

Kede ousbech a konro el meruul a kall.

> We use kerosene stove to cook food.

Kede ousbech a oles el meles a kall.

> We use a knife to slice food.

Ng tela a cheral a kelek?

> What is the cost of our food?

Kede ousbech a okekall el meruul a kall.

> We use pots to cook food in.

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.

ngebard

, n.

west; west wind; (non-indigenous) pineapple.
ngebard a meklou el beluu el diak el iungs; chad er a ngebard; klalo er a ngebard.

omerous

, n.

distribution.
omerous a bingel; omerusel, omerukel, rousii a babii, remous a beras; rusel a kall.

sesei

, v.s.

a few; a little; some; not enough.
sesei a diak le betok; di kesai; sesei el udoud; sesei el kall.

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.

See also: ,

Examples:

Ak di telkib el sebechek el mengedecheduch.

> I can only talk (with you) a little.

A telkib er a kerrekar a mla motaut.

> Some of the wood has been burned up.

Ak mle telkib el smecher er a elii.

> I was a bit sick yesterday.

A telkib er a kerrekar a kultaut er ngii.

> Some of the wood I burned up.

Ak di telkib el smecher.

> I'm a bit sick.

Proverbs:

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

> Like Beachedarsai's food, only a little but it does not disappear.

Beachedarsai and a friend, one day, went to heaven. On arrival they were very hungry, so they visited one of the gods who provided food for them. The "food" was one tiny piece of taro and a bit of fish. Beachedarsai thought to himself that this would hardly suffice, but he picked up the taro and ate it. As he did so another piece appeared on the plate. He ate the piece of fish and another piece of fish appeared. His friend also ate and on his plate as well a new piece of taro or fish appeared as each was consumed. When they were satisfied, there remained on their plates a piece of taro and fish. The idiom is applied to any small blessing, such as a small but steady income, or Western meals that, in contrast with the Palauan tray full of food, are served in small portions, and so on.

More Examples:

Ng mlo telkib el ngesonges a ududek me ng dimlak kucherar a chemelek el dekool.

> My budget was low, I could not buy cigarettes.

Ak locha di telkib e te odikak.

> Pretty soon they'll disown me.

John, mousubes e ak mla touchakl er a blil a Ngerkumer me ak mo telkib el meoud.

> John, forgive me, I made a stop at Ngerkumer's and may be a run a little late.

Ak telkib el mechad a dingak.

> Im a bit hard of hearing.

Ng telkib el meringel er ngak el menguiu a tekoi er a Belau.

> I have a hard time reading Palauan.

omerusel	n.poss.3s	omerusel a omerous er ngii.
omerusel a kall	expr.	distribution of food.
See also:

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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