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:

A lsoal a rengum el me kmeed er a renguk, e ng di ua chad el soal el merael el mo er a chiloil el ngar er a chelmoll.

> When your heart wants to come close to my heart, it's like a person who wants to travel to the rocks in the reef.

Ta el demei me ke di oltuub er kid. Ngak ak mengedeklem?

> Everytime We come here, you ridicule us. Am I your inferior?

Ng di rasech a bilel.

> His clothes are covered with blood.

Ak merael e ko er a di meleluluut a renguk.

> I'm leaving, but I don't know if I really want to (lit., my heart keeps returning).

Ng di omais el di meau me kede kmal ungil mes a rokui el ilekemellel.

> He just walks around naked so we can all see all of his parts.

Proverbs:

Msisichau e ng di kmeed a meched.

> Be strong, shallows are close

Crossing the lagoon, a canoe is poled in shallow water, paddled in deep. The phrase refers to canoeists tiring after a long paddle over deep water. Applied when someone is about to give up, though better times are ahead.

Ng ko er a kim er a Murael, el di dengarech e oker a chais.

> She's like the clams at Murael, lying face up (and open) and asking for news.

i.e., she just sits at home asking passersby about what's going on outside. Murael is a reef near Ngerechelong where, as elsewhere in Palau, the various kinds of tradacna shell bask, open and feeding, in the shallow lagoon. The saying applies to gullibility combined with high curiosity for news and to persons who simply sit at home, letting the happenings of the community come to them via passing persons.

Ng ko er a chad er a Ngcheangel, el di me chemed er a Ngkesol.

> Like the man of Kayangel, who procured his gifts from Keso

The saying refers to a man from the atoll of Kayangel, some twenty miles north of the main islands of Palau, who, on his way south to visit friends, stopped at an intermediate reef, Kesol, to fish for a present for his host. Refers to a person who, en route to a visit, tries to borrow a present from another guest; any person who suddenly wants to borrow money.

Ke ko er a kedam el suebek e ak di oba okum.

> You're a flying kite, but i hold the guide string.

No matter how much you play around, you always come back to me.

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.

More Examples:

Ng di kea odimed.

> We are about to run out of meat.

Ak milengereel er a bdelul a chang. Ng di mle luut a cheldik.

> I fished at the dock. I only caught squid.

Koi, ke di kie el di mesaod a selaod!

> Argh, You keep talking about what has already been resolved!

Ng ulereched me ng di milsngii e remurt el tuobed.

> He was in a hurry so he just yanked it and ran out.

A rechad el menguteling er a beluad a di meses a ngerir.

> The leaders for our nation speak empty speeches.

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 me a Toki a kmal chauanai.

> Droteo and Toki aren't very well suited for each other.

Ngera me ke di mesumech e dmanges?

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

Me ta er a oluches.

> Give me one of the pencils.

A Mary a oubail a skato me a chelechedal a bail.

> Mary is wearing a skirt and a blouse.

A blil a Toki me a blil a Satsko a milseseb.

> Toki's house and Satsko's house burned down.

Proverbs:

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.

Ak meruul me kau er a terudel?

> I build it and you destroy it?

May be applied to a person who feels his aims or projects are being destroyed by the actions of another.

Ng kora bechars er a Ngerdobotar, el di kiei me ng chelengang

> Like the cockroach of Ngerdobotar, staying on till it became white.

Presumably if a cockroach remains in the darkness for a long time, as one at Ngerdobotar (in Aimeliik) apparently did, it will turn white. Application pertains to a visitor who stays on and on, especially one who is not helpful in the household. Such behavior is not properly human; the person is somehow different, like a white cockroach.

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.

Kau, ke ngelekel a Redechor, me ke di dechor?

> Are you the son of Redechor

is that why you're standing around so much?

More Examples:

Kmal oureng omengang bel chemutii me a sub.

> I'm craving to eat some sweet potato and soup.

Ng mekesai a tekoi er a Belau me ng betok a lleng el tekoi er a bebil er a beluu el lousbech.

> Palauan language is limited and there are many foreign words being used.

Ng kmal mle betok a ultil a ochik er se el omoachel.

> I had many footsteps at the river.

Tia el chelebucheb el kuucholbiungel er ngii a mle chelbechielel a Sue el demak a silkur.

> This chelebucheb that I am wearing was for the marriage of Sue that my father received/earned.

Ak bai mlo er a chei ngak me a demak er a elii.

> I went fishing with my dad yesterday.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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