Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

cheklul

, n.poss.3s

saliva or other lump in throat.

nguim a cheklul

expr.

swallow a lump in one's throat due to nervousness or anticipation.

melim

, v.t.

drink.
melim a omerkakl a ralm; soak el melim a mengur; ngilmii, nguim a rrom.

ngilmii

v.pf.3s

ngilmii a melim er ngii.

ngilelmii

v.pf.3s.past

nguim

v.pf.3p.inan.

nguim a melim; mla nguim a kar.

ngilim

v.pf.3p.inan.past

melemelim
/melelmelim

v.t.redup.

drink slowly; sip.
melelmelim a mekekokil el melim; diak lorreched el melim.

mengim

v.erg.

mengim a nglim el mla mengim el mo diak; nguim, ngelmel a mengur.

nglim

v.r.s.

(beverage) drunk.
nglim a mla mengim; mengur a nglim; mla mo diak; te mla nguim

See also:

Examples:

Ak ngilim a biang el rokui.

> I drank up all the bottles of beer.

Ak ngilelmii a biang el rokir.

> I drank up the whole bottle of beer.

A bocha lemeched a rengum e ke melim a bodes er a bngal a kerrekar.

> Whenever you get thirsty, you drink nectar from the flowers in the trees.

Ke melim a ngerang?

> What are you drinking?

Proverbs:

Melim e menga er a ngar er a ucharm.

> To eat and drink by the mast tip.

The ucharm (bird) is the hardwood tip at the top of the canoe mast. The person to whom the idiom is applied is accused of thriving on gifts from other places. Particularly it may be applied to persons of a highranking village who rather expect that visitors in canoes from other villages will come provisioned with gifts-thus, those who watch for the canoes. Sometimes the idiom goes: Ngkora chad ra Oreor, "Like the man of Koror," with reference to the high ranking community of Koror in central Palau.

More Examples:

John, ke kuk meral di uleiitel a imelek el oisur me ng dikea lesebechek el ngilmii.

> John, you've poured my drink so full that I will not be able to drink it all.

Me dorael el mo melim a rrom.

> Lets go drink alcohol.

Ak melim a ralm.

> I'm drinking water

E ngara soam el melim?

> And what do you want to drink?

Kede ousbech a kor el melim a ilumel.

> We use cups to drink.

ngau

, n.

cooking fire; labor pains.
ngau a mekeald el diich; ngau er a ngeliokl; chelum el ngau, ngeuil a olbidel.

nguik

n.poss.1s

nguim

n.poss.2s

nguil

n.poss.3s

nguil a ngau er ngii; nguil a klengoes; nguil a cheroll.

ngumam

n.poss.1pe

nguid

n.poss.1pi

ngumiu

n.poss.2p

ngurir

n.poss.3p

Examples:

Ng mede a ngau.

> The fire is (just) dying out.

A ngau a dilubech er a delemerab er ngak.

> The fire started in my room.

A techel a charm a kirel mo medul er a ngau e mekang el obengkel a diak a omkukel el blauang me a mechuached el dellomel.

> The meat is to be roasted and eaten with bitter herbs and with bread made without yeast.

Ng mo ua kerrekar el mla medul er a ngau a rechelel, me a bngal a mosebek er a eolt el mo cheroid.

> They will be like trees whose branches are burned by fire, whose blossoms are blown away by the wind.

Ng mla tmaut a ngau.

> The fire has started up.

Proverbs:

Kmakm mechab: charm er a chab el kmeed er a ngau e diak lemedul.

> Like the insects which stays at ashes of fire but doesn't burn.

You're near a situation which needs immediate attention but you don't lend a hand.

Ke ko er a cheberdord el di ngii el melul er ngii er a ngau.

> You're like a beetle that burns itself by flying into the fire.

You're always getting yourself into trouble.

Ng ko er a meiko er a Tmel, el di mengereel el olsiu er ngii er a ngau.

> Like the blind man of Ngetmel, twisting twine into the fire.

The image is that of a blind elder, warming his frail body beside the fire while twisting strands of fiber into twine against his thigh. Only as he pulls the finished twine away, he pushes it into the flames. The saying may be applied to any utterly pointless activity or dissipation of wealth.

Ke ko er a okared el di ngii el melul er ngii er a ngau.

> You're like a stinkbug that burns itself in the fire.

i.e., you get involved in things that may hurt you.

More Examples:

Tia el ngau er a ingukl a kmal derrir, mngesakl a idungel.

> The fire in the hearth is too big; remove some firewood.

Ulekum e ng beot a kodall, kekeed er a lebo er a ngau.

> If death was so easy, they have done been put to the fire.

Ng mle omtaut er a ngau.

> She started the fire.

Ke mo omtaut a ngau?

> Will you light the fire?

Kede ousbech a mases el omkard a ngau.

> We use matches to light fires.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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