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:

A chull a mla mo merek.

> The rainy season has ended.

Ng di mlo merek el mengedecheduch a Wilbur e a ngelekel a sib a tmoech.

> Wilbur finished talking and the lambs came out.

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 a chei er a chelsel a bebil el sikang.

> The tide went out in a few hours.

Ng locha bekord el tela a rekil a rubak.

> I wonder what the approximate age of the old man may be.

Proverbs:

Rekil-ngebard

> Year-west.

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

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.

More Examples:

Ng tela rekil a ochellem?

> How old is your younger brother? (only said by a male)

Ng tela rekil a udelem?

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

A mechas er a ureram a mo merek el oureor. Aki oba el mo omengur.

> Lady at work is retiring. We are taking her out for lunch.

Aki mlo er a chelbacheb er tia el mlo merek el sandei.

> We went to the rock islands last week.

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.

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:

Ng mlo er a stoa el mo omechar a klalo.

> He went to the store to buy something.

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

> All interested persons are invited to submit comments.

Ng ko er a bebeot a rengul a Droteo er a omerael el mo er a Hawaii.

> Droteo is rather undecided about travelling to Hawaii.

A Droteo a ko el mocha er a Guam.

> Droteo should just be arriving in Guam.

Ng millekoi a Wilbur el mo er a Charlotte er a lsal mechesang a Charlotte el melabek er a blil.

> Wilbur spoke to Charlotte while Charlotte was very busy mending her web.

Proverbs:

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.

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 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.

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.

More Examples:

Ke choilii a ralm el omrechorech er ngii e mochu oldebodeb a billum.

> Wait for the water to boil and then put in the tapioca.

Ak mlo er a McDonalds el mo omechar a kelel a ngelekek er a sueleb.

> I went to McDonalds to buy my son his lunch.

Ailecha el itotech a ungil mecherdoched el mo er a makit.

> Those emperor fish should be fried and be sold at the market.

Bengii a lius el mo er bitang.

> Crack the coconut into halves.

Omerollam el mo er a chelbacheb, aki ngilasech er a meched. Aki ngeltengat el dimlak lobeu a brobera.

> On the way to the rock island, we ran over the shallows. Good thing the propeller stayed intact.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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