Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

klebesei

, n.

night; tonight.
klebesei a ngeltel a sils el mo lmuut er a ngesechel a sils, milkolk.

luk

, n.

silence.
luk a lmuk; diak a tekingel.

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 diak liit el me a Droteo.

> Droteo will definitely come.

Ke mla obes el kmo a Droteo a me er a klukuk?

> Have you forgotten that Droteo is coming tomorrow?

a mekngit el ralm er a sewer el me tuobed er se er a Ongedei me a Ongeuang el Ureor er tia el mlo merek el sandei

> the bad sewer water that came out on Wednesday and Thursday of last week

A Satsko a mle otsir er a test.

> Satsko failed the test.

Tia a delmerab er a Droteo me a Toki.

> This is Droteo and Toki's room.

Proverbs:

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.

Ng ko er a debar er a Ngechur, el klungang e me ngal modekriker.

> Like the duck of Ngechur, he became industrious after growing old.

The idiom is applied to a person who has more or less vegetated into maturity and old age and who, already far past his prime, suddenly tries without success to do all the things he might have done when younger. It may be used with reference to an elder who tries to be a dandy.

Ng ta el suk me ng diilut re Meduu.

> A full basket was dropped in Ngeremeduu bay.

From the folk tale about Obak era Kedesau on his way to a feast being given in honor of his wife by her adoptive father. While crossing Ngeremeduu Bay between Ngatpang and Ngeremlengui, Obak dropped a basket of Palauan money overboard. Despite this terrible loss, he still had the courage and sufficient cash to carry off his visit in high style. The saying may be used to reassure someone, following a loss, reminding them that Obak era Kedesau recovered from an even greater loss.

Ke mera el ngelekel a ulled.

> Really a child of the back.

A child (sometimes an adult) that behaves well whether its parents are present or not; a child that is good when one's back is turned.

Ng okouik me ng obached, e a lokouim eng diak lobached.

> If it is my lunch it can be divided, if it is yours then it cannot

Two men habitually trapped fish in the same region of the lagoon. One would occasionally ask the other to join him at lunch, the other would always refuse. One day the man who refused arrived with no lunch. When the usual invitation was extended the man refused, saying that, anyway, he had no lunch. The invitation was insistently pressed until the reluctant one gave in. As they split the taro between them the one who shared made the above statement. The idiom is a mild rebuke of a retentive person

More Examples:

Ng di bita el mera el mo soal mo er ngii a eolt.

> It seems like there is a possibilty of a typhoon.

Uukel, mera el medecheduch el mengib er se el sengchel.

> Wow, she's so good breaking it down with them hips.

Tia el kumiai el mera kmal meral ometuat me ng merengla a sengchek.

> The boat is hitting the waves hard making my hips sore.

Be mngai a buk er kemiu

> ?ome and get your books

Ng mlo meoud er a tutau me ng di milsngii a riid e obes aika el suelebel.

> He was running late this morning and left without his lunch.

mla

, v.s.

was/were (located); existed.
mla a melekoi er a rrekui el tekoi; mla mong; mla er ker; mla er a skuul.

bla

v.s.hypothetical

mla

aux.

has (done something).

mlar

cont.

mla er

mlara

cont.

mla er a

a lebla er ngii

expr.

if there had been.

mla mo

expr.

has become.

ng mla er ngii

expr.

there has or have been; there was or were.

Examples:

A Toki a mla melakl.

> Toki has been widowed.

Te mla nguu a diul.

> They removed him from power.

A Droteo a silebedak el kmo a demal a mla mad.

> Droteo informed me that his father had died.

A eolt a mla mo diak lsal meses.

> The wind/storm has abated.

A Droteo a mla mo kitsingai er a omelim el rrom.

> Droteo has gotten obsessed with drinking.

Proverbs:

A rekung el daob a mla otitech a rekung el beluu.

> Sea crabs have pushed out land crabs.

Outsiders have taken over the land or titles of local people. An outsider (e.g., adopted child, friend) has become more important than a blood relative.

Ng ko er a chad er a Ngesias, el ngemuu er a mla mokom.

> It's like when the men of Ngesias clamored over what they had lost (after a party of raiders had attacked without warning and taken a head as a trophy).

The men of the Ngesias (Peleliu) village club were sitting near their clubhouse one evening when raiders broke through the brush, shouted wildly, and excaped with the head of one of them. When they recovered their senses, the men jumped to their spears and shouted threats into the darkness of the surrounding brush. Aroused by the commotion, the village chief appeared and ,when appraised of the situation, admonished them to be quiet since the fuss would gain nothing. "Don't cry over spilt milk."

Ng ko er a Ngiramesemong, el omilt a mla me e mong.

> Like Ngiramesemong, rehashing what has been finished.

Pertains to a person who repeatedly reminds another of past favors or continually recalls the mistakes of others. (My sources no longer recalled the episode or story from which this idiom derives.)

Ng mla merekakl a tekingel.

> He swallowed his words.

An inconsistent person, especially one who has stated that he would never do something, then does it.

Ng mla mkelii a tual.

> He cut down his own banana.

A man supplies fertilizer (money) for a banana tree that, eventually, provides fruit (gifts of food). The cycle, in this saying, is compared with that of the food-money cycle of a marriage in which the wife's clan provides food and service, while the husband's clan provides occasional payments of money. If a banana tree is cut down before it bears fruit, the cycle is interrupted. Hence, a man who marries incestuously within his own clan and thereby inhibits the foodmoney cycle.

More Examples:

Kom kmal mera el dengerodek el ngalek el mla chidir a chiklel a belochel me ng medei.

> Unruly kids that have twisted the pigeon's neck so it died.

Alii, ke mla er ker el mei?

> Hello, where did you come from?

Ak mla er a skuul.

> I came from school.

Ng mla er ngii a chermek el bilis e ng di mla mad.

> I had a pet dog but he died.

Aika el kalngebard a mla mo ouuid.

> Cotton trees are ready to be reaped.

nguemed

, v.i.

finish; die out; run out; get used up; get depleted.
nguemed a mo diak; mla nguemed a remechuodel el chad.

omilt

, v.t.

repeat or rehash (matter).
omilt a omelekl; melekoi a mla medung; omilt a mla memong.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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