Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

dirrek

, v.s.

also; too; do .. Also; is still the same; remains the same/unchanged.
dirrek a di osisiu; tilecha a ungil me sei me ng dirrek el ungil; ua ingii.

klemedengei

, n.

knowledge (from study; etc.).
klemedengei a klaodengei; ngar ngii a klemedengei er kau er a omerael?

kmo

, v.t.

to like someone dearly; express extra or preferential love, care, attention to one person; love; care for; take care of; favor; give preference to. [Unlike the English word 'love,' the usage of this word tends to imply favoritism.]

mechas

, n.

old woman; titled woman; foreign woman; male's father's sisters; girlfriend; wife.
mechas a chuodel dil, mechesei, mechesil a beluu.

ngak

, pro.

I/me (emphatic).
ngak a melutk er a mengedecheduch; ngak a chad er a Belau; ngak a sechelimiu.

ngalek

, n.

child; baby; anyone younger than speaker; sweetheart; fiance(e); pinkie; small finger.
ngalek a ngelekel a sechal er a delengchokl; ulechell a ngalek er a delengchokl el ngii a ulechell er ngii; mla mo chuodel e ng di ngalek er isei el delengchokl; ngar ngii a ngelsonges er a klisichel el ng ngalek. ngalek a kekerei el chad; ngelekel a demal, ngalektang, ngalekukeruu; ngalek er a skuul.

ngelekek

n.poss.1s

ngelekem

n.poss.2s

ngelekel

n.poss.3s

his/her its child or baby; relatively small size or quantity of.
ngelekel a ngalek er ngii el ilteet.

ngelekam

n.poss.1pe

ngeleked

n.poss.1pi

ngelekiu

n.poss.2p

ngelekir

n.poss.3p

klengalek

n.

childhood.
klengalek a ngalek; reng el ngalek me ng sekebdebid.

ngalekdiul

n.

fatherless child.
ngalekdiul a ngalek er a klsobelial.

ngalekebai

n.

child born of woman serving as community house concubine.

ngalekukeruu

n.

siblings who don't get along with each other.
ngalekukeruu a ta derrir e kakerous a rdemerir; diak el ta rengrir; di kautok e kakoad.

ngelekedbudel

n.

neglected child.

ngelekei

n.

child (term of address to one's child).

rengelekei

n.

term of address by parent to children.

rungalek

n.

term of address by parent to child.
rungalek a okedong er a ngelekel; e rungalek.

ngalek el redil

expr.

daughter.

ngalek el sechal

expr.

son.

ngalek er ngak

expr.

my sweetheart.

ngelekel a diil

expr.

snack, light meal.

ngelekel a ngelekel

expr.

grandchild.

ngelekel a ureor

expr.

small or insignificant task.

See also: , , , ,

Examples:

A Elilai me a Ltelatk a ngelekel a Bkau me a Elibeob.

> Elilai and Ltelatk are Bkau and Elibeob's children.

Ng di kea ak tekingii a ngelekek.

> I'm no longer able to discipline my child by talking to him.

A ngelekel a rruul el diak loleb a tekoi.

> Her child is trained not to interrupt people.

Ng chebuul ngike el ngelekel a chesisebangiau el kulekur a ochil er a chetebtel a kemim.

> This baby bird is so pitiful that I'm tying its foot to the top of the starfruit tree.

A Toki a mengib er a ngelekel er a tut.

> Toki is weaning her child (from the breast).

Proverbs:

Ke mera el ngelekel a ulled.

> Really a child of the back.

A child (sometimes an adult) that behaves well whether its parents are present or not; a child that is good when one's back is turned.

Kau, ke ngelekel a Redechor, me ke di dechor?

> Are you the son of Redechor

is that why you're standing around so much?

Ng kolia a ngelekel.

> He ate his child.

Reference is made again to a form of food-money cycle. When a man marries, his wife's younger brothers and sisters are "children" (ngelekel: his child). The husband and wife strive to engage them in from this particular food-money cycle: Father to daughter (wife's younger sister) -food Daughter to father-money Father to son (wife's younger brother)money Son to father-food and service. The saying may be applied to a man who marries or has sexual relations with his wife's sister, thus interrupting or jeopardizing this food-money cycle. With less strength, the sanction is applied to a man marrying any member of his wife's immediate clan (kebliil).

More Examples:

A ngelekek a milengilt el mo omtechei er a resechelil el mengedecheduch er a omelilt.

> My kid had the honor to speak on behalf of his class on their graduation.

Ak miltik a ngelekel a babiiureomel me ak mildemech a teblong.

> I found a litter of wild piglets and I was able to catch two of them.

Ng diak. Ng smecher a ngelekek.

> No. My child is sick

Ak milsa a ngelekel a debar er a omoachel.

> I saw a duckling at the river.

Ng kirek el mo omechar a klekedellel a ngelekek el mo er a skuul.

> I need to buy my son's supplies for school.

rubak

, n.

elder; old man; chief; foreign man; boyfriend; husband.
rubak a chuodel el sechal; telechull a kebekuul a rubak; ngeasek e telechull a dui a rubak.

ta
/tang

, num.

1 [one] (unit of time; human; counting).
tang a ochur el chimong , ta el buil, ta el tekoi, ta el chad.

tal

cont.

ta el

tara

cont.

ta er a

el di ngak el tang

expr.

alone; by myself.

ko el tang

expr.

the very first time; the first time after a long while.

ngii di el tang

expr.

either one; anything.

ta el chad

expr.

one person; (persons) having same mother or father; (persons) of same blood.

ta el rak

expr.

one year.

ta el sils

expr.

one day.

ta er kemam

expr.

one of our relatives (usually, close); one of us.

ta er ngak

expr.

one of my relatives (usually, close).

ta er tir

expr.

one of them.

Examples:

Te mle ungil a rengrir er a chelsel a ta el sikang.

> They were happy in an hour.

Ng ko el ta el leme chull.

> It's the first time it's rained in a long while.

Te oumesingd el omuchel el me a rechad er a ta el klok.

> People tend to start arriving at one o'clock.

Te miltik a bresengt er tir er a chelsel a ta el sikang.

> They found their presents in an hour.

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

> It finished raining in an hour.

Proverbs:

Ng ta el suk me ng diilut re Meduu.

> A full basket was dropped in Ngeremeduu bay.

From the folk tale about Obak era Kedesau on his way to a feast being given in honor of his wife by her adoptive father. While crossing Ngeremeduu Bay between Ngatpang and Ngeremlengui, Obak dropped a basket of Palauan money overboard. Despite this terrible loss, he still had the courage and sufficient cash to carry off his visit in high style. The saying may be used to reassure someone, following a loss, reminding them that Obak era Kedesau recovered from an even greater loss.

Ng ko er a chelebed er a Utaor, el di ta temetemir

> Like the blow at Utaor, one stroke for all

A person or perhaps a club of the hamlet of Utaor (a hamlet of either Koror or Chol) offended a major village and, in consequence, the village retaliated by attacking the whole hamlet. The idiom applies to any general statement or punishment that might better be directed toward a particular group or individual

Ng kora chebiei el Cheangel, el di ta e chutur a ta el suk.

> Like the breadfruit of Kayangel, just one rotten piece will spoil the whole bunch.

One bad person can ruin the reputation of a whole group. It is said of the Chebiei variety of breadfruit found at Kayangel atoll that one rotten one will spoil others packaged with it. Similar to "One bad apple spoiled the bushel."

Ng ko er a cherellel a beab el di ta e keroker.

> It's like the birth of a rat with one offspring per mother.

It's something that happens just once, something I put up with only once. According to this saying, the rat bears but one litter. Hence the application "once is enough" about an act that bears no repeating.

Ng cheiko e omekrael er a ta er a cheiko.

> A blind man leading another blind man.

The application is identical to that of the familiar English idiom

More Examples:

Rungalek, ka bo mocheuir a ta er a taxi el mei me lotekak el mo er a bdelul a chang.

> My child, go hail me a taxi cab so that I can take it to the dock.

Okedei me a ta el kebesengil a buil.

> Thirty first day of the month.

Ak oureng er a ta er a taem el mo sebeched el kasoues.

> I only wish that we will see each other in the future.

A rsul a babii a kma el kirel di tang.

> The stabbing of the pig should only take once.

Mosischeklii a ngelekem el dongmesii me lesebechel dongmesii a ta er a chad.

> Teach your child to respect themselves so that they can respect others.

tsios

, n., [From Japanese]

condition.

klaodengei	n.	mutual knowledge (of one another); someone's knowledge (of something). klaodengei a klemedengei er ngii; melechesuar, medengei, medengelii.
klaodengei er ngak	expr.	It is my understanding
See also:

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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