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:

A beab a milsa a medal a sechelil el telemall.

> The mouse saw his friend's injured face.

A Juda er se er a lesang, e ng ulemdasu el kmo ng oteruul el redil e le ng dilkedekii a medal.

> When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had her face covered.

A ngikel a oltetemetom er a medal er a bad.

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

Mngai a dechil a medam!

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

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.

Proverbs:

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.

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.

Ngelek el medad.

> Child of the front.

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

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.

More Examples:

Aika el medam e Ngerkumer ngerang meng di ombesisebusech?

> Why are Ngerkumer's eyes blinking so much?

Ngka el rubak a di mle siesorech e mad.

> This old man stayed stiff and contorted as he died.

Achedil! Mla mad a dengki!

> Oh no! Electricity went out!

Mtetkii a medal

> point to his or her eyes, or face.

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.

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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