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:

Ak mochu merek el mesuub.

> I'm about to finish studying.

Ng mlo merek el chull er a chelsel a ta el sikang.

> It finished raining in an hour.

Te mlo merek el mengedub a resechelik er a chelsel a ta el sikang.

> My friends finished swimming in an hour.

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.

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

> Wilbur finished talking and the lambs came out.

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:

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.

Ng tela rekil a ochedam?

> How old is your opposite sex sibling?

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 merrengem?

> How old is your younger 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:

A Kukumai a ngiluu a kall el mo er a delal.

> Kukumai brought the food to her mother.

Ak remurt el mo er a tuangel.

> I'm running to the door.

Ke kot el mo omengur.

> You go ahead and eat first.

Kau ng blak a rengum el merirem er a renguk el ua a omoachel el mo medirt er a blsechel a kleald?

> Do you intend to disappoint me like a stream that goes dry in the summer?

A Rubak a rirellii a rengul a Faraoi el mo medecherecher.

> The Lord made the king stubborn.

Proverbs:

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 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 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.

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.

More Examples:

A remesesuau a di mesesuau el mo er a kodall.

> Idiots will always stay idiots until death.

Morael el mo er a stoang e mocherar a ta er a malk el mei bo lodoim er a kebesengei.

> Go to the store and buy a chicken for dinner tonight.

Aika el bilas lesileseb a rechad er Belau a leko ng olangch el mo er a beluulechad.

> The ships that were burned is a message to the world not to mess with Belau.

Mongiil el mo marek.

> Wait till they are cooked.

Chedam/chedil, ak ousbech a udoud el mo er a daingak.

> Father/mother, I need money to go to college/university.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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