Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

babii

,

/uploads/pics/2939.jpg, n., [From Malay babi]

pig.
babii a charm er a beluu el mekekerei er a kerebou e ng ungil el odoim.

beraom

, n.

fish kept until slightly spoiled and then wrapped and barbequed.
beraom a mla mo mekngit a bul; bediu, beremel a ngikel.

chull

, n.

rain; rainy season.
chull a ralm el ngar er a eanged e ruebet; chellel.

chellek

n.poss.1s

chellem

n.poss.2s

chellel

n.poss.3s

chellam

n.poss.1pe

chelled

n.poss.1pi

chelliu

n.poss.2p

chellir

n.poss.3p

chellang

v.s.inch.

is getting rainy.

chellang a mocha chull, robeta chull; merema chull.

chull

v.s.

rainy.

chellel a meas

expr.

rain which attracts large school of rabbit fish.

chellel a ngebard

expr.

rain coming on west wind.

chellel a ongos

expr.

rain coming on east wind.

chellel a orakiruu

expr.

rain at time of full moon.

menga er a chull

expr.

get caught or drenched in the rain.

See also:

Synonyms: , , , , ,

Examples:

Ng ko el ta el leme chull.

> It's the first time it's rained in a long while.

Ng oumesingd el chull er a ongeai el buil.

> It tends to rain/be rainy in August.

Ak milkaud er a chull.

> I was delayed by the rain.

Ng chull.

> It's raining.

Ng mla omuchel el chull.

> It has started to rain/be rainy.

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a uul, el teleu a blil e oleker er a chull.

> Like the uul [Cettria cantans?] with its house open, calling for rain.

The uul may be heard to call out usually just before it rains; some say that it is calling for rain. This seems foolish, since the bird constructs its house with an opening at the top that will let rain in. A person who makes a decision or starts some action without adequate preparation is likened to the uul.

Ng ko er a chellel ongos el di mengeleu e tmat a deluus.

> Like eastern showers from white clouds, still the raincoat is ripped

During the months of the east wind, During the months of the east wind, roughly January through June, rain often comes from innocent-looking white cloud and is accompanied by brief gusts of wind strong enough to tear the traditional betel-nut-spathe raincoat; hence, an opponent whose strength is greater than anticipated.

A ungil el merreder a ua chull el melemedem er a daob.

> A good leader, like rain, stills the ocean.

Rain falling during an ocean squall often seems to wipe away the winds and still the ocean. A good leader should be able to dispel the problems facing his people. He can calm down disputes and settle problems easily.

More Examples:

Ng klou a chull er tilechang?

> Is it raining hard over there?

Ng mera el sulebelab el chull.

> It's raining heavily and continuously.

Ng chull.

> It's raining.

Ng meketeketang er a lebo el chull?

> Has it been raining long?

Ng sulebelab el chull

> It's raining heavily and continuously.

menga el

, v.t.

(do) again or continually; more (and more); even more; all the more.

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).

A techel a charm a kirel mo medul er a ngau e mekang el obengkel a diak a omkukel el blauang me a mechuached el dellomel.

> The meat is to be roasted and eaten with bitter herbs and with bread made without yeast.

Ng mo kolii a bobai.

> He is going to eat up a particular papaya/some papaya/the papaya.

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?

Ak mo kolii se el ringngo me aike el tuu.

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

Proverbs:

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 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 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.

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.

rebotel

, n.

sea crab.

rebotel	n.	wax apple. rebotel a ta er a bedengel a kerrekar el kall a redechel. A rebotel a dellomel; ng mo meklou el kerrekar. Ng kmeed el mo ua a meklungel a kidel. A redechel a ua a meklungel a redechel a kidel. A llel a kar e a redechel a kall.
menga a rebotel	expr.	make noise or clamor (as if arguing over getting rebotel fruits).

torech

, n.

inedible vine (Ipomoea gracilis).
torech a ta er a bedengel a besebes el kall a llel.

menga a torech

expr.

Palauan money without much value.

uulk
/ulk

, n.

back (of body).
uulk a klekedellel a chad; ngar er a omdael el mo er a idekel a but; ulkel.

ulkek	n.poss.1s
ulkem	n.poss.2s
ulkel	n.poss.3s	ulkel a ulk er ngii; kulukel a ulkel.
ulkam	n.poss.1pe
ulked	n.poss.1pi
ulkiu	n.poss.2p
ulkir	n.poss.3p
menga a ulkel	expr.	(person) who eats a lot but whose stomach does not expand; (person) having "hollow leg".

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

Search for another word: