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 mla mo merek er a subelek.

> I've finished my homework.

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 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 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 obekum?

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

Ke mo merek el oureror er tela el klok?

> what time are you getting off of work?

Ng tela rekil a demam?

> How old is your father?

Ng tela rekil a merrengem?

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

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:

Ng uchul e ng di blechoel el mo meses a eolt.

> That's why the wind always gets strong.

Bo mrei!

> Go home!

A Droteo a meluchel el mo er a ochedal.

> Droteo is carrying out an obligation to his sister.

Te oumesingd el mo meklou a rengalek.

> Children tend to grow up.

A ngelbesel a rengul a urrolii el mo mkidekelii.

> Her lust led her to defile herself.

Proverbs:

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 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.

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 eim el renged el mo dmak e Kerradel.

> Five villages united and called Kerradel.

Bengii a lius el mo er bitang.

> Crack the coconut into halves.

Ng soam el mo er a chelebacheb er a Sabadong?

> Do you want to go to Rock Island on Saturday?

Bai di beches el ouchais el kmo ng chetim el mong e lak ko bong e mouuchel er a rengum.

> Be honest and say you don't want to go instead of going and then regretting it.

Ka mnguu tia el terekill el mo er a blil Dachelbai e msbedii el kmo ng mla er a Ulang el sbedel a Ocherolel a Kitalong.

> Bring this basket of prepared food to Dachelbai's house and tell him that it's from Ulang for Kitalong's house-party.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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