Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

buil

, n.

moon; month.
buil a klou el chaibibeob el btuch el kmard a le klebesei er a eanged; tab el buil, orakiruu, oidudur.

merek

, v.t.

end; finish.
merek a rrekui; merekong; ng mla mo merek a urreor; rekil a urreor.

merek

, n.

flat part of reef.
merek a chelmoll el kesai a bad er ngii.

merek

, v.t.

talk harshly or meanly to.
merek a oldiu el oungeroel; mla rokengid e merael; kiei el merek er kid.

omerek

, v.t.

spread (blanket, clothes, news, etc.); stretch out (arms, legs); propogate (religion, belief, etc.); cast or toss (e.g. fishnet); flatten and spread out (e.g. earth).
omerek a merek, merekii a bail, merek a babier, berekel.

rak

, n.

year; age; a long while ago (Each Palauan year contains 6 months and corresponds to a period of continuing easterly or westerly winds).
rak a uldekial a 12 el buil; ngar er ngii a 360 el klebesei er a chelsel a ta el rak; kot el rak el ngalek a ta rekil.

rekil

n.poss.3s

rekil a rak er ngii; ildisel a rak el le ngar; tela rekil a ngelekem?

er se el me el rak

expr.

the year after next.

er se el mlo merek el rak

expr.

the year before last.

er tia el me el rak

expr.

next year.

er tia el mlo merek el rak

expr.

last year.

Examples:

Te rua techa tirke el mle kesib a rengul er tir a Dios el 40 el rak?

> With whom was God angry for forty years?

Ng tela a rekim?

> How old are you?

Ng locha bekord el tela a rekil a rubak.

> I wonder what the approximate age of the old man may be.

Ng ieta rak.

> The year is over.

Proverbs:

Rekil-ngebard

> Year-west.

The Palauan year, conforming roughly to fall-winter, when the wind blows generally from the west.

Rekil-ongos.

> Year-east.

The word rak in Palauan is commonly used to mean year (rekil: year of). Actually the traditional Palauan year lasted six months, dividing the solar year into two parts conforming generally to spring-summer and fall-winter. The "Year-east," when the wind blows from the east, is the time of spring-summer.

More Examples:

Ng teruich me a eai a rekil.

> He's 18 years old.

Ng tela rekil a obekum?

> How old is your older brother? (only said by a male)

Ng tela rekil a merrengem?

> How old is your younger sister? (only said by a female)

Ng tela rekil a demam?

> How old is your father?

Ng tela rekil a ochellem?

> How old is your younger brother? (only said by a male)

sandei
/Sangdei

, n., [From English]

week; Sunday.
Sangdei a ongeuid el sils er a ta el sangdei; ulengull el sils.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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