Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

elechang
/chelechang
/elecha
/chelecha

, n.

now; just now; today; these days.
elechang a chelecha el sils; elecha el dekasoues; chelecha el taem; chelecha el de katekoi.

mei
/me

, v.i.

come; arrive.

mei a okedongel a chad; mei er tiei, mei me kulekoi, ka mei.

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 tangk a omerolel el mo mui.

> The tank is getting filled.

Ng rulleterir el mo meruul er a bleob el okesiul ngike el kot el charm el miltemall er a saider e ngdi ng silobel.

> The beast told them to build an image in honor of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived.

Ng mochu er ngii a chull.

> It's about to rain.

A Toki a milengetakl er a Droteo el mo er a bulis.

> Toki persuaded Droteo to go to the police.

Ak olab a ilumel el mo er a party.

> I'm bringing drinks to the party.

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 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.

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:

Mongiil el mo marek.

> Wait till they are cooked.

Choi, ak di omes er a eanged me a lsa el mo mekngit e ak merael.

> Yes, if the weather gets worse, I'll leave.

Ak remurt el mo er a tuangel.

> I'm running to the door.

Ng locha ngar er ngii a techelled el mo mesisiich er tia el iakiu.

> Maybe we have a chance to win this baseball game.

Momes el mo marek a bitang.

> Watch till the other side is brown.

omilt

, v.t.

repeat or rehash (matter).
omilt a omelekl; melekoi a mla medung; omilt a mla memong.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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