Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

chei

, n.

ocean; sea; place for fishing.
chei a klou el daob; cheleched, chei a belual a rokui el cheled. Chelecha kede kuk mo er a chei. Me a chei a ngar er ngii a kebokeb, keburs, taoch, demetaoch, lalou, uet, lemau, kereker, chis dailechei, melekesokl, ngeraol, oreall, chiloil, chelemoll, me a daimechesengel.

delach

, n.r.s.

fish guts; intestine; bowels.
delach a diil; delechil; ta el delach a chimo el diil; ngeleketedelach, ngelekel a ta el dil.

diil

, n.

abdomen; womb; stomach.
diil a delach, delel a chad, ngalek a ngar er a chelsel a diil.

dolech

, n.

depth; tide.
dolech a delechel a ralm me a daob, klou a dolech; keriik, dmolech a chei, delechel.

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 el beluu el diak a dibus er ngii.

> It is a big country; it has everything a person could want.

Me ta er a kiklou el sualo.

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

Ak oulengechel er a mangidab se el lebo ldibus el kmo ng mo er ngii a klou el eolt.

> Whenever a spider has disappeared (from its web), I take it as a sign that there will be a big storm.

A bechachau el deromukang a klou a oto er ngii.

> An empty drum makes a large noise (i.e., those who talk a lot really have little to say).

Te oumesingd el mo meklou a rengalek.

> Children tend to grow up.

Proverbs:

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.

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.

More Examples:

Eya, ak urrenges e ng mo er ngii a klou el blengur e le ng tansiobi er a Reklai.

> I heard there is a big party for Reklai's birthday.

Ak oklukl e ongirt. Ng locha klou a terreter.

> I'm coughing and sneezing. There's something going around.

Ka mluut el mo klou a ngerem e ng dimlak krengesau.

> Can you speak a bit louder, i didnt hear you?

A rokui el ngalek a mle ngelekel tia el chimo el beluu. Ng mle klou a klaukerreu.

> All the kids belonged to the village. Everyone cared about each other.

Ng kmal klou a berrius er a omoachel.

> There is a strong current at the river.

ngor

, n.

mouth; voice; sound; bill (of bird); beak.
ngor a klekedall er a chad me a charm el mengang e melim; ngor a melekoi.

ultutelel

, n.

importance; significance; function; meaning; purpose; reason; value.
ultutelel a usbechall er ngii; ngar ngii a belkul, usbechel; skuul ngar er ngii a ultutelel.?

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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