Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

mei
/me

, v.i.

come; arrive.

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

be

v.imp.

be a ta er a telengtengil a tekoi el mengai er a tekoi el mei; be bong, be metengel.

ble

v.past.hypothetical

mera

cont.

mei er a

merekung
/merkung

v.i.pred.

is about to come or arrive.

mermang
/meremang

v.inch.

meremang a merael mei; ngar er a omerolel el mei; dumiang er a dmuil.

mlei
/mle

v.past

came; arrived.

mlei a mla mei me ngar tiang; skoki a mlei er a tutau.
mle a melekoi er a rrekui; Bung a mle tmuu; ng mle mekerang?

mlera

cont.

mlei er a

be kbong

expr.

goodbye; I'm leaving.

me e mong

expr.

pass by; go on; "(in a direction) towards me and then keep going (past me)."

nguu el mei

expr.

bring.

ta el buil er mla me e mong

expr.

one month ago.

Examples:

A chiul a me mengoir er a bkul a ochil.

> Her hair reaches down to her knees.

A chad a mla meleseb er a blai el me er a eou.

> Somebody has burned the building down.

Me ng mla er a blil a ongdibel el mesaod a tekoi e melasem el meledaes a rengrir a rechad er a Judea me a rechad er a Gris.

> He held discussions in the synagogue, trying to convince both Jews and Greeks.

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 mle ulsiich a renguk er kau.

> I was proud of you.

Proverbs:

Ng diak kobetik rengii recheroid e me douchi er a rebai.

> Without looking afield, it was cut down behind the house.

From the folk tale concerning Mesubed Dingal, the inventor of the Palauan kite (see also No. 73). After his wife had been kidnapped, he constructed a kite using feathers from all the birds of Palau and he needed also wood from an Edebsungel tree to fashion the body of the bird-kite. After looking all over Palau and being on the point of giving up, he found the tree he needed behind his own house. The saying may be applied to anyone who does things the hard way, or who goes far afield to find something which is close at hand.

Mengar me a mecherocher.

> Bitter and salty.

The strategy of "doing things the hard way." When alternatives are available, the appropriate choice is the more difficult one. In voice, expression, and action there is a positive accent on personal ability.

Ke mera el di medochii el rouar.

> You grab and then you pick it up.

Like telling a joke, you're still telling it yet you laugh like you just heard it.

Ng ko er a chad er a Ngcheangel, el di me chemed er a Ngkesol.

> Like the man of Kayangel, who procured his gifts from Keso

The saying refers to a man from the atoll of Kayangel, some twenty miles north of the main islands of Palau, who, on his way south to visit friends, stopped at an intermediate reef, Kesol, to fish for a present for his host. Refers to a person who, en route to a visit, tries to borrow a present from another guest; any person who suddenly wants to borrow money.

Ngak a ngit me kau a ngoi?

> I receive it and you ask for it?

A man asks for and receives that which he needs from a second party. A third party, learning of this, asks the first party for it. Used as implied or generally about any unreasonable request

More Examples:

Ng mle mekull a kimolamech er a skuul.

> Chewing betelnut was not allowed at school.

Ngika el buik a mera el dachelbai.

> This guy is very well established.

Me dorael el mo melim a rrom.

> Lets go drink alcohol.

Ng mekesai a tekoi er a Belau me ng betok a lleng el tekoi er a bebil er a beluu el lousbech.

> Palauan language is limited and there are many foreign words being used.

Tirka el mechas el oketa milil er a bar a kuk mera el odikel.

> These ladies clubbing are so wild.

melai

, v.t.

bring; take; get; receive; obtain; take (amount of time); lay claim to; take away; remove.
melai a ngmai; nguu; ngeiul.

melechang

, v.t.

put (into particular position); take (to particular place).
melechang a lochang; ngmai el mechei; loiang, lechengel.

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:

Te mla er a skuul e milrael el mo er a chelechol.

> They were at the school and then walked to the beach.

Ng mocha chodechosong e kau a dirk e mechiuaiu?

> The sun is about to be high and you are still lying down?

Ng ngar er ngii a kekere el ududek el silber el sebechek el mo msang.

> I have a small silver coin that I can give him.

Te oumesingd el mo meklou a rengalek.

> Children tend to grow up.

Ng sebechek el mo ngmai a betotek er sel llemau.

> I can dive and pick up something in the bottom of the blue deep ocean.

Proverbs:

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.

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 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.

More Examples:

A eai el klok e ak merael el mo er a skuul.

> at 8:00 a.m. I leave for school.

Aki mlo er a taoch el mo mengduul.

> We went to the mangrove channel to get clams.

Ng soak el mo bechiil er a uchei er a bo lokolem a rekik.

> I want to get married before I turn 60.

Aki dirrek el di milrael el mo er a skuul a lechull me a lsils.

> We did walk to school every day, rain or shine.

Ak mo er a mesei el mo melai a teblo er a brak.

> I'm going to the taro garden to get two yellow taro.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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