Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

llel

, n.poss.3s

leaf.
llel a llel a kerrekar; lius a ngar er ngii a llel; llel a babier, llel a tuu.

llek

n.poss.1s

llem

n.poss.2s

llam

n.poss.1pe

lled

n.poss.1pi

lliu

n.poss.2p

llir

n.poss.3p

llel a babier

expr.

piece/sheet of paper.

llel a hong

expr.

page of a book.

llel a kerrekar

expr.

leaves of the tree.

llel a lius

expr.

coconut leaves.

See also:

Examples:

Ke di tmak er a llel a omerael.

> Why are you just inviting yourself to go along.

Ng millemolem el moalech a llel a kebui.

> The betel pepper leaves continued to wither.

Kau a ko er a dait el omertort a llel e chemoes.

> You're like a taro plant which has big leaves but is still immature (i.e., you talk big but you don't follow through).

Ng millemolem el moalech a llel a kebui.

> The betel pepper leaves continued to wither.

Ng millemolem a kebui el moalech a llel.

> The betel pepper leaves continued to wither.

Proverbs:

Ke mnga llel a kesuk.

> It's like eating the leaves of the kesuk plant...nonsense.

You're a grown-up who keeps talking nonsense...stupid things.

More Examples:

Aike el beluotel el llel a miich a bo mseseb.

> Burn the heaps of leaves you raked up.

A dingal a kuk meklou er a llel a brak.

> His ears are bigger than elephant taro leaves.

Ka bo mchais a eru er a llel ongael el mei.

> Go pluck two leaves from the Purple Viper's-bugloss tree and bring them back here.

A delak a ulelsisechakl er ngak el mengaus a llel a such el mo oulkou.

> My mom tried to teach me how to weave hats from pandanus leaves.

Ak mo melobech a llel a tuu el mo koeas.

> I'm going to cut down banana leaves for compost.

mellemau

, v.s.

blue; green; black and blue; bruised.
mellemau a bedengel a toachel; a blai a melelemau, oumellemau.

mengang

, v.t.

eat.
mengang a omengur; kolii a kliou; kmang.

koliang

v.pf.inch.

beginning to eat up.

kolii

v.pf.3s

kolii a mengang er ngii; mla kolii a kall el rokir.

killii

v.pf.3s.past

kmang

v.pf.3p.inan.

kmang a mla mekang; klang me ng diak, kolii a odoim, kelel.

kilang

v.pf.3p.inan.past

kekang

v.recip.

eat (each other's food); eat (food) together.
kekang a di du el mengang; kebengur, kolii a kelel, kma a odoim el rokui.

klang

v.r.s.

eaten.
klang a mla mekang; odoim a klang, kmang, kolii el rokir.

mekang

v.erg.

get eaten.
mekang a klang; kolii, mla kma a kall el rokui; mengang, kelel.

mekelang

v.erg.inch.

beginning to get eaten.

mengelkang

v.t.redup.

keep eating.
mengelkang a telkib e mekudem el mengang; melelemtam, kolii, kmang.

menga a kesuk

expr.

young; inexperienced (i.e.; eat inedible leaves as children do).

menga a llel a kesuk

expr.

young; unexperienced.

menga a ulkel

expr.

eat a lot without showing an expanded belly.

See also: , , , ,

Examples:

Ng mla kma a tekingel.

> She ate her words (i.e., she went ahead and did something she said she would never do).

Ng di menga el di mengang.

> He eats continually.

Ng mo kmang a bobai.

> He is going to eat up some/the papayas.

Ak mo kolii se el ringngo me aike el tuu.

> I am going to eat up that apple and those bananas.

Aika el merkong el elolem el buil e ng ngar ngii a dellemelem el mla mekang er a beab?

> In the past 6 months have rats eaten your plants?

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a mengang er a beritengetang el kukau.

> Like eating a forked taro corm.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) generally grows like a single fat carrot. Some corms, however, develop one or more points or forks. The image conveyed by this idiom is that of a man beset by many tasks, trying to decide among them.

Ng ko er a rrull el di mededeod el mengang el merael.

> Like a ray-fish, eating while walking.

The ray-fish does not stop swimming while chewing food it has gathered while weaving along the ocean floor. The saying may be applied to any rude behavior or particularly to the act of walking and eating, which is considered impolite. It can also be applied to a person who is trying to hurry through a job without giving it careful attention.

Ng kora omengelel a Laib, el mengang e melakl

> Eating like laib-while eating, burying.

The laib, a bird with a long, white tail, according to lore eats ripe fruit in season, as other birds do, but also gathers scraps dropped by other birds and buries them. When other birds are hungry, the laib will dig up the scraps and eat them. Hence, one should plan ahead for lean times.

Ng ko er a killii a derudm el medel a betok el tekoi.

> Like one who has eaten the thorny puffer fish, full of many things.

The thorny puffer fish is sometimes gulped by the wide-mouthed grouper fish. The puffer, expanding and extending its thorns in the grouper's mouth, renders the latter rather "full of things" and completely helpless. Groupers in this predicament are occasionally caught by fishermen. The idiom is applied to anyone who faces more problems, more work, or more sweethearts than he can cope with.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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