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:

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

> The fish in the river died on their own.

A klungem a di omeka a klebesei.

> You're getting bigger every day.

Ngara me ke di dechor e omengur?

> Why are you standing up while eating?

Ng mo menged a rechelel a ngii di el kerrekar a Droteo?

> Is Droteo going to cut off branches from a tree?

Ng kedorem a ngii di el bad?

> Is there a sharp stone? Is any stone sharp?

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a terriid el teloi er a klab e di mengerem.

> Like the terriid, in the taro garden but hungry

The terriid, a bird, is often seen in the taro garden but, unlike the purple swamp hen which eats taro corms, the terriid seems to eat nothing. The idiom may apply to anyone who works hard without recognition, or to a man frequently in the company of women but with no success as a lover.

Ke ko er a cherabrukl el di blsiochel e reborb.

> You're just like a lobster (flambuoyant in color but prone to hide under rocks.

You dress up fancy but never go anywhere. Applicable to a person who prides himself on great wealth but does not put it to work; or to one who dresses to the hilt, then stays home. It may once have been applied to villages that were well armed, but peaceful.

A isnged a di kmeed e diak dengetemii.

> Our nose is close (to the mouth), but cannot be licked.

i.e. we shouldn't be too sure of, or overconfident in, ourselves. The nose is very close to the mouth, but, no matter how reassuringly available, it cannot be licked by the tongue. The idiom cautions those who are careless with their possessions to be less assured about wealth.

Ng ko er a kaeb er a Chelong el di bekerurt er a ongor.

> Like a racing canoe of Ngerchelong, fast by word of mouth.

Apparently refers to a canoe race of the past when a club of Ngerchelong lost after having given verbal display of greatness. Refers to the bluff or braggart (all-mouth, no action).

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.

More Examples:

Ng diak kumekall me ak di ngar er a bas.

> I dont drive so I take the bus.

Kede mo er e mo er e ng di rengud a kmal di omdasu er a rechad er a blid.

> No matter where we go, we never stop thinking of our families.

Ng ko er a ngodech a debechiil. Ng mla mo diak e di lkau. Ng di uaia lengar er ngii a bereked er kau er a bek el taem.

> It is weird being married. You're not on your own anymore. It's like something is attached to you all the time.

Ak mera el medakd a telulchoid. Ng di tomall a deleongel e merekong.

> Im scared of gossip. It ruins relationships.

Aika el olsengek a di mla kaiririid.

> My knives have gone missing.

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:

A Droteo a kmal mlo smecher me a lolkakl a chimal e ng di mo medeu.

> Droteo is so sick that when he tries to lift himself up with his arms, they just bend (in weakness).

A resoldau a nguu a ziu el omoes el di mle ta temetemir a remechas me a rengalek.

> The soldiers took rifles and shot the women and children all at once.

Ngara me ke di ouchad er a Siabal er kau?

> Why are you acting like a Japanese?

Tia a bresengt er ngak el me er kau.

> This is my present for you.

Ng techa a dilu er kau me ke me er tiang?

> Who told you to come here?

Proverbs:

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.

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 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.

Ng diak kobetik rengii recheroid e me douchi er a rebai.

> Without looking afield, it was cut down behind the house.

From the folk tale concerning Mesubed Dingal, the inventor of the Palauan kite (see also No. 73). After his wife had been kidnapped, he constructed a kite using feathers from all the birds of Palau and he needed also wood from an Edebsungel tree to fashion the body of the bird-kite. After looking all over Palau and being on the point of giving up, he found the tree he needed behind his own house. The saying may be applied to anyone who does things the hard way, or who goes far afield to find something which is close at hand.

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.

More Examples:

Ngka el Ulang a mera el blil a terached!

> That Ulang has really been behaving shamefully.

Mada mechikung me a uriul.

> Well, bye'see you later.

Me ke mo er ker el stoang?

> Which store are you going to?

Tirka el mengeteklel a beluad a mera el diak lodengei a rengrir.

> Our leaders just don't have any compassion.

Ng mera el soak tia el bilem.

> I so like your dress/shirt.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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