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:

Ak kmal medinges me ng soak el mo smecher.

> I'm very full, so I feel as if I'll be sick.

Ng soak el me el obengkek ng diak?

> Do you want to come with me or not?

Tia a rullak me ak kmal mo suebek a renguk er a Fern.

> This is making me very worried about Fern.

Ngara me ke di olibngokl er kau er a rengelekel se el morael.

> Why are you always leaving your children behind when you go out?

Ng kuk oberaod er a chelechol er a rriil, me lak lemechas a rengmiu er a tekoi el kulekoi.

> They would weigh more than the sands of the sea, so my wild words should not surprise you.

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a char er a Kosiil, el lecheraches e ng mong me a lekeriik e ng mei.

> Like seaweed at Kosiil, out with the tide and in with the tide.

Kosiil is a location in the lagoon where the seaweed can be seen to bend in and out with the tide. The idiom is applied to a leader who is too flexible and unreliable. In the short form (Kora char ra Kosiil) it may simply mean, "I'll go along with what you decide."

A uel el kuk meremang el me omeklatk me ng mo uchul a klengitereng

> When the purple swamp hen appears, it brings remembrance

There is a song (Oumachas) from which this saying derives: Once there was a young couple who made love in a secluded spot in the taro garden. While they were lying together a purple swamp hen darted out of the brush startling the couple. Eventually love cooled, but thereafter whenever the girl saw a purple swamp hen while she worked in the gardens, she recalled her lover. Hence any occurrence that brings back fond memories.

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 mlenga a telochel a demal me ng uai ngii.

> Like his father, for he ate his father's premasticated food.

Applied to a child by adoption, with the implication that the adopted child resembles his adoptive father

Mengar me a mecherocher.

> Bitter and salty.

The strategy of "doing things the hard way." When alternatives are available, the appropriate choice is the more difficult one. In voice, expression, and action there is a positive accent on personal ability.

More Examples:

Kom kaukotai el melimet er a chert me lemereched el mo diak a ngmatel.

> You all take turns bailing the boat so that it will be finished quickly.

Aika el kerrekar el mahongani a kmal mera el mla mo metongakl.

> These mahogany trees are getting so tall.

Mera el ungil a katelengel buik se el lousirubak.

> That guy is so darn good when he does jitterbug.

Mekong me a uriul.

> Well see you later.

Ak mera el chubur e le ng kmal diak a kmo ngii.

> I feel sorry for her because no one likes her.

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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