Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

klou

, v.s.

big; large; great; old.
klou a diak le kekerei; babii a klou er a katuu.

kiklou

v.s.redup.

a little bigger.
kiklou a telkib el klou; kiklou el blai.

klungang

v.s.inch.

is getting big/growing.
klungang a mla mo klou.

meklou

v.s.pl.

big; large; great; old (required with plural subject).
meklou a betok el klou; meklou el ngikel, meklou el blai, mekllungel; orekerekoang.

klou a chull

expr.

heavy rain.

klou a rengul

expr.

patient; confident.

klou el chad

expr.

adult.

klou er a rengul

expr.

determined.

See also: ,

Examples:

Ng klou a chedengal el chad.

> He's a brave man.

Chelechang el ledu a rechad er a Siria el kmo 'A Rubak a rubak er a bukl e diak lerubak er a oberberek,' e ak mo loia tia el klou el ildois er a cheroel a chimam.

> Now that the Syrians say that God is the lord of the hills and not the lord of the plains, I will give you victory over their huge army.

A Rehina a ulemdasu er ngii el kmal klou el dil e le ng mle oubail er a dores.

> Rehina thought herself to be a big girl because she was wearing a dress.

Te oumesingd el mo meklou a rengalek.

> Children tend to grow up.

Me ta er a kiklou el sualo.

> Give me a basket that's a little bigger.

Proverbs:

Metkul a bkul a Ngirair, e klou el Belau el mo er a Ngerechelong.

> From the Metkul boundary point at Ngirair, Palau is yet huge up to Ngerechelong.

This saying is given two meanings, both negative, pertaining to the people of northern Palau and to Ngaraard particularly: (i) the people of northern Palau are so provincial that they still think Palau is a huge country; (2) the people of northern Palau are the biggest liars (a play on "to deceive," which sounds like Belau [Palau] ). The idiom may be shortened to "Men of the point" (Chad ra bkul), referring to a point of land at Ngirair marking the boundary of Ngaraard. Or the act of patting the elbow (bkul) may carry the same meaning. Actually, the idiom is of fairly recent vintage, pertaining in part to resistance on the part of some of the people of northern Palau to administrative programs instituted by the Japanese.

Ng ko er a debar er a Ngechur, el klungang e me ngal modekriker.

> Like the duck of Ngechur, he became industrious after growing old.

The idiom is applied to a person who has more or less vegetated into maturity and old age and who, already far past his prime, suddenly tries without success to do all the things he might have done when younger. It may be used with reference to an elder who tries to be a dandy.

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