Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

mei
/me

, v.i.

come; arrive.

mei a okedongel a chad; mei er tiei, mei me kulekoi, ka mei.

be

v.imp.

be a ta er a telengtengil a tekoi el mengai er a tekoi el mei; be bong, be metengel.

ble

v.past.hypothetical

mera

cont.

mei er a

merekung
/merkung

v.i.pred.

is about to come or arrive.

mermang
/meremang

v.inch.

meremang a merael mei; ngar er a omerolel el mei; dumiang er a dmuil.

mlei
/mle

v.past

came; arrived.

mlei a mla mei me ngar tiang; skoki a mlei er a tutau.
mle a melekoi er a rrekui; Bung a mle tmuu; ng mle mekerang?

mlera

cont.

mlei er a

be kbong

expr.

goodbye; I'm leaving.

me e mong

expr.

pass by; go on; "(in a direction) towards me and then keep going (past me)."

nguu el mei

expr.

bring.

ta el buil er mla me e mong

expr.

one month ago.

Examples:

Ng tutungang, me ke merolang.

> It's getting to be morning, so you'd better be leaving.

Te di mle ta el mengedecheduch.

> They both spoke at the same time.

Ng di mle ngii a ngikel er a omoachel el mlad.

> The fish in the river died on their own.

A lak el sebechem e mouchais me ksikii a sebechel.

> If you can't, let me know and I'll find someone who can.

Te oumesingd el omuchel a rechad el me er a ta el klok.

> People tend to start arriving at one o'clock.

Proverbs:

Ke mera el di medochii el rouar.

> You grab and then you pick it up.

Like telling a joke, you're still telling it yet you laugh like you just heard it.

Ak meruul me kau er a terudel?

> I build it and you destroy it?

May be applied to a person who feels his aims or projects are being destroyed by the actions of another.

Ng ko er a ibuchel er a Ngemai el di kiei me a dekedekel.

> He's like the sea urchins between Ngiwal and Melekeok, on the ocean floor with its cover.

The sea urchin can be seen lying quietly on the lagoon floor, occasionally with a leaf like a hat covering its head. Applied to a man who acquires a wife or great wealth without working for it.

A rengud me chodab.

> The heart and assessment.

This might better be translated, "Assessment with knowledge." The mind or head is thought to be the locus of knowledge in Palau, but such knowledge is made useful or is measured with the heart (reng). Chodab, in this context, would appear to mean "to take stock of" or "to measure." In essence, then, the phrase cautions one who seems on the point of making a rash decision to temper his thoughts with his heart.

Ke ko er a kuaol el sbungel er bab me iou.

> You're like a fish bait which can be eaten or pecked from the top and bottom.

You don't know what to do coz chores keep coming in from left and right.

More Examples:

Ngak me a bechik me a rengelekam a mo er a Belau.

> My wife, our kids and I are going to Palau.

A choblong e ke mla mlei.

> If you had left already (instead of procrastinating or complaining or whatever), you'd already be back by now.

Ochoi, ng kmal mle meseked.

> Yes, there were a lot of people at the party.

Ng oldubech a ungelel a ngelekek me ng di merael a mbesel me tia bilek el dekmesang er a ngibes.

> My baby is teething and drooling so much that my shirt is now wet from the drool.

Aki millengmes er a resensei me a merredel er a skuul.

> We respected the teachers and the school principal.

mellemau

, v.s.

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

oumerang

, v.i.

believe; trust.
oumerang a ngar er ngii a klaumerang er ngii, oumerang er a chelid.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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