Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

kelekolt

, n.

coldness.
kelekolt a mekelekolt; kerrasem; diak lemekeald; kelekeltel.

merek

, v.t.

end; finish.
merek a rrekui; merekong; ng mla mo merek a urreor; rekil a urreor.

rekir
/rekil

n.poss.3s

its ending; its finish; its completion.

mo merek

v.t.

finish; end.

mo merek

v.i.

end; cease.

mochu merek

v.t.pred.

is about to finish.

See also: , ,

Examples:

Ng sebechel a ngalek el obes e le ng mle ungil a blekerdelel er tia el mlo merek el taem.

> The child may be watched/babysat because he behaved well last time.

Ng mlo merek el meched er a chelsel a bebil el sikang a chei.

> The tide went out in a few hours.

Ng/Te mlo merek el meched a rengrir a remerael er a chelsel a bebil el sikang.

> The travelers stopped being thirsty in a few hours.

Ak mochu merek el mesuub.

> I'm about to finish studying.

A chull a mla mo merek.

> The rainy season has ended.

Proverbs:

Rekil-ongos.

> Year-east.

The word rak in Palauan is commonly used to mean year (rekil: year of). Actually the traditional Palauan year lasted six months, dividing the solar year into two parts conforming generally to spring-summer and fall-winter. The "Year-east," when the wind blows from the east, is the time of spring-summer.

Rekil-ngebard

> Year-west.

The Palauan year, conforming roughly to fall-winter, when the wind blows generally from the west.

More Examples:

A dillir a rechad er a Sina a ko el mirrael er tia el mlo merek el buil.

> The Chinese ship finally sailed out last month.

Ng tela rekil a delam?

> How old is your mother?

Ng tela rekil a ochedam?

> How old is your opposite sex sibling?

Ke mo merek el oureror er tela el klok?

> what time are you getting off of work?

Ng tela rekil a udelem?

> How old is your older sister? (only said by a female)

mong

, v.i.

go (in a direction not towards either the speaker or listener).
mong a merael mo cheroid; skuul a ngar a mong.

Bong!

v.imp.

Go! Go ahead!.

bocha
/bochang

v.inch.hypo.

may become.

bochung
/bochu

v.hypothetical

is about to go.

bong

v.hypothetical

mlong

v.past

went.
mlong a mla mong; mlo er a skuul.

mochang
/mocha

v.inch.

is beginning to arrive; is just arriving.
mochang a omerolel el mong; locha mochang.

mochung
/mochu

v.pred.

is about to go.
mochung a kmeed el mong; ke mochung? ak mochung.

el mo

expr.

until.

el mo el mong

expr.

(do something) in a continuous fashion; go on or keep on (doing something).

ng mochu er ngii

expr.

there is about to be.

nguu el mong

expr.

take.

Examples:

Ak ngmasech el mo er a chetebtel a eabed.

> I will climb to the tops of the clouds.

A rokui el chad er a buai a ongtiall el mo lmuches a uldesuir.

> All interested persons are invited to submit comments.

Ng ngiluu a kall a Kukumai el mo er a ngii di el chad?

> Did Kukumai bring the food to anyone?

Ng di mochu e me a telil.

> He's breathing heavily or gasping for breath (from exhaustion).

Te mla er a skuul e milrael el mo er a chelechol.

> They were at the school and then walked to the beach.

Proverbs:

Metkul a bkul a Ngirair, e klou el Belau el mo er a Ngerechelong.

> From the Metkul boundary point at Ngirair, Palau is yet huge up to Ngerechelong.

This saying is given two meanings, both negative, pertaining to the people of northern Palau and to Ngaraard particularly: (i) the people of northern Palau are so provincial that they still think Palau is a huge country; (2) the people of northern Palau are the biggest liars (a play on "to deceive," which sounds like Belau [Palau] ). The idiom may be shortened to "Men of the point" (Chad ra bkul), referring to a point of land at Ngirair marking the boundary of Ngaraard. Or the act of patting the elbow (bkul) may carry the same meaning. Actually, the idiom is of fairly recent vintage, pertaining in part to resistance on the part of some of the people of northern Palau to administrative programs instituted by the Japanese.

Ng ko er a ebedel a Mengellakl el di mochu meleketek.

> Like the clouds of Mengellakl that just pile up

High points like Mengellakl in Palau sometimes create clouds as the moisture-laden air is lifted by the wind to higher cooler altitudes. This saying applies to a situation or a fad that spreads; drinking to excess.

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.

Ng kora osechel a mengur, el di ngar er a milkolk el mo er a milkolk.

> Like coconut water, passing from darkness to darkness.

Water, drunk from a coconut, passes from the dark of the nut to the dark of the mouth. Some discussions, such as those of village leaders, are secretively passed from mouth to mouth without public discussion.

More Examples:

A orekemel ngii el udoud a diak di lultuil er a klungel el meliuekl, ng mo uldak er a rengelel a omelsechel me a ngeiul el mo er a Beluulechab el ngar er a debii.

> The value of such stone money is not only the sheer size of the discs, but the physical and treacherous labor of carving them, and then transporting them back to Yap via outrigger canoe.

Ng locha bai kirel el lmuut el mo er ngii a bul er a beluu e meruul a skoki el di me soiseb se el mellomes el ua ngar e mong.

> I think there should be a curfew on land and have flights only come in during the day like before.

Ke mekudem el mo er a Oreor me a kuk kesengil e bo mtuchakl el oldingel er a rechedam.

> You visit Koror frequently so at least visit your relatives.

Ak mera el mo oureng er a demak me a delak se el bebil er a taem.

> Sometimes, i really miss my father and mother.

Msiik a belkul aika el tekoi el ngariou e mlusech el mo tekoi er a Belau.

>

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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