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.

kekeremus

v.s.

very small; tiny.

kekeremus

a

kmal

kekerei;

kekeremus

el

ngalek;

tetengemud.

kekerengel;

kekerengel

a

omengkar

er

ngii;

mengkar

er

a

bangk.

mekekerei
/mekekeriei
/mekerei

v.s.pl.

small; young; (eyes) slit; (so) crowded.

mekekerei

a

kekeriei;

bilas

a

mekekerei

er

a

diall;

diak

le

meklou.

mekekeriei

a

mekekerei.

kekere a rengul

expr.

uncomfortable; impatient.

kekere el blai

expr.

toilet.

See also:

KLEKEKEREI

,

MEKEKIRNGUUL

Examples:

Ng

soam

el

mo

ousbech

er

a

kekerei

el

blai?

> Do you need to use the bathroom?

Proverbs:

A

rengalek

el

sechal

a

di

mekekerei

e

kora

mersaod

el

melbard

er

ter

ra

btil

a

ralm.

> A male child, though small, is yet like a small barracuda that braces against the flowing stream.

The small barracuda (mersaod, a small ai) can be seen bracing, without apparent motion, against the stream, usually where fresh water flows into the lagoon, or where tide water runs off the reef, until suddenly it dashes into the stream to grab a small fish. Then it retreats once more to its place of watchfulness. This watchful, quiet, reserved, almost crafty approach to life is much admired, and parents will encourage their male children with this saying.

Ng

kekerei

e

sechal

> Small, but a man

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

More Examples:

Mla

mo

kirek

el

mochar

a

beches

bilek

le

ng

a

bilek

a

mla

mo

mekekerei.

> I need to buy new clothes because my clothes are already small.

kekerei el blai

, bathroom

expr.

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:

CHELSUL

A

MAD

Examples:

A

ngikel

a

oltetemetom

er

a

medal

er

a

bad.

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

Ng

oburek

a

medal.

> His/her eye is swollen.

A

beab

a

milsa

a

medal

a

sechelil

el

telemall.

> The mouse saw his friend's injured face.

A

ngalek

a

ietu

a

medal.

> The child is about to fall asleep.

Ng

seroll

a

medam?

> Can't you see straight?

Proverbs:

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.

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

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:

Ng

diak

kblekall

er

a

mekngit

el

reng;

ak

bai

mengull