Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

kekerei
/kekeriei

, v.s.redup.

small; young; (eyes) slit; (so) crowded (as to appear smaller).
kekerei a diak leklou; Bung a kekerei er a Chesuch.

mad

, n.

eye; face; point; edge; front; area or space (directly) in front of; entrance; point of access; aperture; title given to messengers.
mad a klekedellel a chad el omes; olab a ues; klidm, chelsul a mad, bsechel a mad, medal.

medak

n.poss.1s

medam

n.poss.2s

medal

n.poss.3s

medal a mad er ngii.

medemam

n.poss.1pe

medad

n.poss.1pi

medemiu

n.poss.2p

mederir

n.poss.3p

el mo er a medad

expr.

in the future.

mad el chur

expr.

laughing or smiling face.

mad el kekerei

expr.

expression of a child.

mad el ngalek

expr.

expression of a child.

medal a bedul

expr.

forehead.

medal a beluu

expr.

representative of the village; center of village.

medal a blik

expr.

in front of my house.

See also:

Examples:

Ke kmal mengas a medad er a seked.

> You really embarrass us in public.

Ng tuobed a chiuosech er a medak.

> My eyes are tearing./I want to cry.

Mngai a dechil a medam!

> Clean the crust from your eyes./Make sure your own house is in order before accusing others.

A ngikel a oltetemetom er a medal er a bad.

> The fish keeps poking his head out of the coral.

A ngalek a ulutingaol er a Toki el kmo a sechelil a Toki mla mad.

> The child lied to Toki (saying) that her friend had died.

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.

Ng ko er a Chelebesoi er a Ngeriil el mad er a diak lebngel.

> He's like Chelebesoi of Ngeriil, dead in a fishtrap not his own.

A man named Chelebesoi (also the name of a fish) was robbing another man's fish trap when a head-hunting party came by and removed his head. He lost both his head and his reputation. The idiom may apply to one who gets hurt while trying to do someone else's job.

Ng di ua dorael er a medal a oles.

> It's as if we were walking on the blade of a knife.

i.e., we're treading on dangerous ground; if we make one wrong move, we're finished.

Ngelek el medad.

> Child of the front.

A child (or adult) who performs well when being supervised, but who shirks duty otherwise.

Ng ko er a ngkelel a iusech el dimengel a medad er ngii

> Like a fish in deep, clear water, eaten only with the eyes.

Fish are not easily caught in clear water. The idiom applies to that which may be admired but not obtained, like an expensive item or another man's beautiful sweetheart.

More Examples:

Ak chetitau a bedengek e melemalt a chiuk e meklou a medak.

> I'm brown skinned with straight hair and big eyes.

Kmal di soad a mereched e beot el sisebel a udoud. Ng diak domdasu er a ngar er a medad el taem.

> We like it quick and easy money making schemes without thinking for the future.

Aika el medam e Ngerkumer ngerang meng di ombesisebusech?

> Why are Ngerkumer's eyes blinking so much?

Achedil! Mla mad a dengki!

> Oh no! Electricity went out!

Ng mla er ngii a chermek el bilis e ng di mla mad.

> I had a pet dog but he died.

oikab
/oisab

, v.s.

improved or better from illness.
oikab a telkib; soak a oikab el betok el udoud, smecher a oikab el mesisiich.
oisab a oikab.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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