Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

di

, mod.

only; just; any.
di a olkael; di kau a mei e diak a ngodech; di tedei el buik a mong; se di kau, se di ngii.

el di mle ngii

expr.

all by himself; on his own.

ngii di lebong

expr.

whatever it is; whatever there may be.

Examples:

Ke ullengeseu er a ngii di el chad er a elecha el sils?

> Did you help anybody today?

Ng di Kot el Ngar er Bab el Dios a diak lekiei a blai el rruul er a rechad.

> But the Most High God does not live in houses built by human hands.

Ng di ngii a chimak el mlo meringel.

> My hand started hurting on its own.

Ng di kot e keroker.

> This is the first and last time (I do this, etc.).

Ng diak a ulaoch er a Chedaol el Llechukl el sebechel a chad el di ngii el smaod.

> No one can explain by himself or herself a prophecy in the Scriptures.

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a meiko er a Tmel, el di mengereel el olsiu er ngii er a ngau.

> Like the blind man of Ngetmel, twisting twine into the fire.

The image is that of a blind elder, warming his frail body beside the fire while twisting strands of fiber into twine against his thigh. Only as he pulls the finished twine away, he pushes it into the flames. The saying may be applied to any utterly pointless activity or dissipation of wealth.

Ng ko er a tengadidik el di melekoi el suebek.

> Like the kingfisher, chattering while taking to wing.

The kingfisher, a restless, bullying bluebird, may be heard to chatter loudly when flying up from the ground or from a perch. The saying applies to one who suddenly spouts instructions to a group, then leaves, or to a leader at a meeting who impatiently interrupts a discussion with a burst of pronouncements, then ends the meeting.

Ke ko er a katuu el di kau el di melecholb er kau.

> You're just like a cat washing yourself.

i.e., you have to do everything yourself because your relatives are neglecting their obligations to you.

Ke ko er a okared el di ngii el melul er ngii er a ngau.

> You're like a stinkbug that burns itself in the fire.

i.e., you get involved in things that may hurt you.

Ng ko er a kedarm el di metirem e metord.

> He's like the chambered nautilus whose shell is very fragile.

When provoked, he gets easily irritated or angered. The Palauan believes that the chambered nautilus lives in the sea at great depth and, at the slightest touch against a rock, its shell is broken and it drifts to the surface where it dies. The saying may be applied to a poor sport, one who angers easily or who reacts badly when the victim of a prank.

More Examples:

Ng soal mo meses a eolt er a klukuk, ngii di lak lsal kmal mo mesisiich.

> it is likely that it will be windy tomorrow, lets just hope it doesnt get too strong.

Ochoi, Ng di mle ta el bo kuloik.

> Yes, but I only danced once.

Ng diak lebo lechull. Ng di kebodel a eanged.

> It won't rain. It's just cloudy today.

Ochoi, ng di ungil.

> Yes, it's correct.

Ak di meruul a kall e merekong.

> I only cook the food.

medengei

, v.s.t.

know (person or thing); understand; memorize.
medengei a ngar er ngii a klaodengei er ngii; medengelii a tekoi.

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:

Me krellii.

> Let me fix it.

A rebek el charm a ko er a kmal ungia a rengrir me te ko er a di mle chellaod.

> All the animals were starting to be really glad and they were somewhat comforted.

A Droteo a mle er a elii, adang diak?

> Droteo arrived yesterday, didn't he?

Ng techa a mle harau?

> Who paid?

Ngera me ke di mesumech e dmanges?

> Why do you ask me to give (someone) a message for you and then come yourself?

Proverbs:

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 ko er a Beriber me a Chemaredong.

> It's like the case of Beriber and Chemaredong (who for a long time lived in adjacent caves unaware of each other's existence but who finally discovered each other and began to share their surpluces).

People wasting things and not sharing or cooperating as they should. Cooperative reciprocity among equals should be patterned on that exemplified by these two men. Beriber, who harvested coconut syrup, and Chemaredong, who was an expert fish trapper, lived in two small caves near the village of Oikuul in Airai (central Palau). These caves are side by side, separated by a natural wall about one foot thick. However, for a long time the neighbors did not know that the other existed. Finally, they discovered one another, and from that time on they engaged in mutually profiitable exchange of their surpluses in fish and syrup. An elder source said that this is more than a proverb (blukul a tekoi) and referred to it as ollach idnger, the "law of neighborliness."

Ng ko er a beab er a Ngerard, el kma a lisiu me a lisam.

> It's like the rat of Ngerard, which eats up all your coconuts and (then) all of ours.

It's a decision, plan etc. that will backfire. A pet rat owned by Mad, chief of Ngaraard, ate the coconuts of most of the chief's neighbors, then, still hungry, ate the chief's own coconuts.

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.

Ng ko er a Ngerechebal, el ka lsingd er a Imeliik me a ka lsingd er a Ngerekebesang.

> He's like Ngerechebal Island, which is neither closer to Imeliik nor closer to Ngerekebesang.

i.e. He's indecisive or not clearly taking sides. A person who is "on the fence," changeable and indecisive. The saying may also be applied to a partly westernized Palauan.

More Examples:

Ke mera el ko er a aika el char er a Kosiil!

> You are so like them seaweeds at Kosiil!

Aika el bechachau el blil a bata binats el butiliang a chomngatech me ng sebeched lousbech el kob.

> The empty peanut butter jars can be washed and used as drinking glasses.

A resechal me a redil er a Ngeremlengui a ungil ongbiall le te kladikm er a siukang.

> The men and women from Ngeremlengui are ideal spouses because they are well-versed in customs and traditions.

Kede ousbech a kanadarai el omelecha a ralm me a lechub a kall er ngii.

> We use basins to put water or food in.

Mary a oureacher a saks me a sportsiuus.

> Mary is wearing socks and sport shoes.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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