Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

betok

, v.s.

many; numerous; plenty; abundant.
betok a obdois; betekngang, betok a kall, diak le kesai, iltekngel a kall.

bebetok

v.s.redup.

just more than enough.
bebetok a telkib el betok.

beltok

beltok a betok; beltok er a kall a ungil.

betekngei
/betekngang

v.s.inch.

accumulating; increasing in number.
betekngei a mla mo betok; betekngang, betekngei a udoud.

rebetok

v.s.

many (required before noun referring to human beings).
rebetok a betok, rebetok el ngalek; rebetok el chad.

toklechad

slang

many people.

rebetok el chad

expr.

many people.

rebetok el sensei

expr.

many teachers.

See also:

Synonyms:

Examples:

A Satsko a ulumulak er a Toki el kmo a John a ngar er ngii a betok el ududel.

> Satsko told Toki a lie (saying) that John has lots of money.

Ng tiluchakl er a rael el mo omes er a laion el lulekodir, e mlo mechas a rengul er a lebetik a betok el bee el ketitech er ngii.

> He left the road to look at the lion he had killed, and he was surprised to find a swarm of bees.

Aki mle chadecheduch er a betok el mondai.

> We talked about lots of problems.

A rengalek a mileche a betok el komi er a sers.

> The children left lots of trash in the garden.

A Droteo a kmal medenge a betok el belkul a tekoi.

> Droteo really know a lot of proverbs.

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a killii a derudm el medel a betok el tekoi.

> Like one who has eaten the thorny puffer fish, full of many things.

The thorny puffer fish is sometimes gulped by the wide-mouthed grouper fish. The puffer, expanding and extending its thorns in the grouper's mouth, renders the latter rather "full of things" and completely helpless. Groupers in this predicament are occasionally caught by fishermen. The idiom is applied to anyone who faces more problems, more work, or more sweethearts than he can cope with.

Kom ko er a mekebud el betok e di telechem.

> You're like sardines, very many but only enough for one wrapped piece of fish.

Fish are properly wrapped individually in a leaf for cooking, but sardines are so small that a bunch of them may be wrapped together to make up only one small bundle. The idiom may be applied to a numerous but weak enemy or to a clan that is large but ineffective as in raising money for its members, or for a large group of workers who do not accomplish very much.

More Examples: