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 ngak el engelak.

> I got myself into hot water.

Ng mla mecherar a mlil meng di chelitang kung a rrat er ngii.

> He's bought his car so he's bicycle is now left unused.

Ngera me ke di mesumech e dmanges?

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

Ak di beches el dmu er kau.

> I'll tell you frankly/bluntly.

Aike el omesubem er a demam el rokui a di mo delebesel.

> All those things you learned from your father won't work or won't be of any use.

Proverbs:

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.

Ng ko er a mur er a Ngchesar, el di klukuk el di klukuk.

> It's like the feast of Ngchesar, postoned till tomarrow, then the next, and forever.

You keep sayng tomorrow, tomorrow. You're lucky there's a tomorrow. Presumably, in the past the village of Ngchesar in central Palau tried and tried again to schedule a mur, the largest, villagewide feast conducted in Palau. But for various reasons the feast was forever postponed. The saying applies to the risk of procrastination.

Ng ko er a cherellel a beab el di ta e keroker.

> It's like the birth of a rat with one offspring per mother.

It's something that happens just once, something I put up with only once. According to this saying, the rat bears but one litter. Hence the application "once is enough" about an act that bears no repeating.

Ng ko er a chad er a Ngerechelong, el di bita el mo dechor er a debsel a lei.

> Like the people of Ngerechelong, standing together on the base of the coconut tree.

The mound or hump that forms at the base of the coconut tree is said to represent the highest ranking village clan. The leader of that clan is spoken of as "standing on the mound." In the idiom, it is suggested that the people of Ngerechelong (northern Palau) would all like to be leaders-all standing on the mound at the same time. The idiom may be applied where too many people try to direct an operation; too many leaders.

Ke di lotkii a Chelechang, e diak mletkii a Cherechar.

> You think only of Present, not of Future.

Chelechang (Present) and Chrechar (Future) were brothers. Present was the favorite of his mother. These are the words of Future reprimanding his mother. The idiom is used of those who inadequately plan for the future.

More Examples:

Ng mera el belbelsuchel a Lukes el di kiei e kuimd a cheiul me ng ko er a belbelsuchel!

> Lukes looks really weird because she is just cutting her hair and it's all messed up.

Ochoi, Ng di mle ta el bo kuloik.

> Yes, but I only danced once.

Kmal di soad a mereched e beot el sisebel a udoud. Ng diak domdasu er a ngar er a medad el taem.

> We like it quick and easy money making schemes without thinking for the future.

A daitorio er a beluad a di chemau a siungel me a kerremelel a daob.

> Our president is focused on conserving and protecting the sea life.

A rsul a babii a kma el kirel di tang.

> The stabbing of the pig should only take once.

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:

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?

A ideliseb e ng mle Sabadong.

> The day before yesterday was Saturday.

Becherie me uriul.

> Leave it until later.

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 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

Proverbs:

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

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."

Ngak a ngit me kau a ngoi?

> I receive it and you ask for it?

A man asks for and receives that which he needs from a second party. A third party, learning of this, asks the first party for it. Used as implied or generally about any unreasonable request

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.

Ke ko er a kuaol el sbungel er bab me iou.

> You're like a fish bait which can be eaten or pecked from the top and bottom.

You don't know what to do coz chores keep coming in from left and right.

More Examples:

A sechelik me a telungalek er ngii a mo er a omerael.

> My friend and his family are going on a trip.

A ulak el ochedak a kuk kmo ngak er remera el ochedak le ng blechoel me duum er a bek el chelsenguk.

> My attached (not blood) sister cares for me more than my real sisters because she always helps with all of my cultural obligations.

A delal a mesesuau me ng kmal di ua ingii.

> Her mother is an idiot and she is just like her.

Kede mochung er a rolel me ke mo diak chomdu tekingem.

> If we go at it, yoy won't be able to say anything.

A Mary me a Lily me a Betty a outelau.

> Mary, Lily, and Betty are wearing earrings.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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