Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

cheldingel

, n.

finger; appendage (of hand, foot, etc.).
cheldingel a cheldngelel a chim me a ouach; cheldingel a eim er a bitang; cheldngelel a tuu.

chelebed

, n.

hitting object; whip, club, bat.
chelebed a klalo el usbechall er a omengelebed, cholebedii a chetelaol, cholebed, chelebedel.

chisil

, n.

banana blossom.
chisil a bngal a tuu; chisil a tuu.

chisil a tuu

expr.

banana blossom.

More Examples:

Ng locha ngar er ngii a chisil a cheluch er se el isiobing.

> There might be a few drops of oil in the bottle.

dellomel

, n.r.s.

plant (already growing).
dellomel a delalem; mla medalem, chetemek a dellomel a lius er ngii. A rebebil er a rechad a ousbech el melalem a tuu me a lechub a meduu me a lechub a lius el oliochel er a chutem.

kall

, n.a.s.

food.
kall a rokui el dongang; ongraol me a odoim me a kliou; kukau, ngikel, tuu a kall, kelel.

kelek

n.poss.1s

kelem

n.poss.2s

kelel

n.poss.3s

kelel a kall el ngii a oukall; kelel el iedel.

kelam

n.poss.1pe

keled

n.poss.1pi

keliu

n.poss.2p

kelir

n.poss.3p

kall er a Sina

expr.

Chinese food.

kall er a mekemad

expr.

C-rations.

kelek el udong

expr.

my noodles.

kelel a charm

expr.

food or feed for animals.

kelem el tuu

expr.

your banana.

See also: , , ,

Examples:

Ak blechoel el meruul a kelel a Droteo.

> I always prepare Droteo's food.

Ng soal el menga ngera el kall?

> What food does he/she like to eat?

Ng dimlak a kall.

> There wasn't any food.

A Kukumai a ngiluu a kall el mo er a reokiak.

> Kukumai brought the food to the guests.

Aika el kall a mla mo medeel er kemam.

> There's gotten to be too much food for us.

Proverbs:

Msebechii a kelel Ngersuul.

> Weigh the food of Ngersuul.

Don't overdo things/Keep things in proper proportion/This is too much for me or us to deal with. According to folk history, Koror once sent a very large force of warriors against the tiny village of Ngersuul (Ngchesar in central Palau). When the force was seen offshore, the people fled to a sheltered hill and one of the village club leaders shouted to the enemy, "Why don't you weigh the food of Ngersuul?" suggesting that Koror either pick on a village its own size or send a more equivalent-sized force. The idiom expresses nicely the ideal of balanced opposition characterizing appropriate competition in Palau.

Olbed, e kall.

> A stone platform, yet food.

A man of Airai in central Palau, apparently during a period of hostilities, brought to his home from the lagoon all manner of shell food still attached to coral boulders. In the security of his own yard, he removed the shell foods and eventually with the stones he was able to construct a stone platform for his home. A lot in Airai, supposedly where this platform stood bears the name, Olbed-e-kall.

More Examples:

Ak mo omechar a kelam el beras me a kansume.

> I'm going to the store to buy rice and canned meat.

Ng mle ua ngera kall?

> How was the food ?

Ak dirrek el milruul a kelam el sub el malk.

> I also made chicken soup for us.

Ildisir a rechad el meruul a kall er tia el skuul.

> Number of cooks at this school

A bechik a milruul er a kelam el aho.

> My spouse made us some sweet porridge soup.

kliou

, n.

sweet food or dessert (usually, prepared especially for guests); one's favorite child (usually, youngest).
kliou a olengel; kliou a umesingd el merekos el kall; delul; seboseb me a tuu a kliou.

tuu

,

/uploads/pics/6604.jpg, n.

banana.
tuu a kmod; dellomel el kall a rdechel.

tuak

n.poss.1s

tuam

n.poss.2s

tual

n.poss.3s

tual a dellemelel el tuu.

tumam

n.poss.1pe

tuad

n.poss.1pi

tumiu

n.poss.2p

turir

n.poss.3p

Examples:

Ak mo kmang aike el tuu me se el ringngo.

> I am going to eat up those bananas and that apple.

Ak milengang aike el tuu me se el ringngo.

> I was eating those bananas and that apple.

Ak mo kolii se el ringngo me aike el tuu.

> I am going to eat up that apple and those bananas.

Ak milengang er se el ringngo me aike el tuu.

> I was eating that apple and those bananas.

A buik a milecheed ra delongelel a tuu; a biskang a cheleed ra delongelel a bad.

> The boy was stuck precariously in the banana tree; the spear is stuck precariously in the coral rocks.

Proverbs:

Ng mla mkelii a tual.

> He cut down his own banana.

A man supplies fertilizer (money) for a banana tree that, eventually, provides fruit (gifts of food). The cycle, in this saying, is compared with that of the food-money cycle of a marriage in which the wife's clan provides food and service, while the husband's clan provides occasional payments of money. If a banana tree is cut down before it bears fruit, the cycle is interrupted. Hence, a man who marries incestuously within his own clan and thereby inhibits the foodmoney cycle.

Ke ko er a tuu er a Cheangel.

> You're like the Ngcheangel banana (meduch a ngerel).

You're all talk and no action).

More Examples:

Mngai a bebil er a marek el tuu.

> Take some ripe bananans.

Ak mo melobech a llel a tuu el mo koeas.

> I'm going to cut down banana leaves for compost.

Bult a tuu el oba a ochadu.

> Turn the bananas with tongs.

Mlecha bebil er a chemadech el tuu.

> Put the other uncooked bananas in the frying pan.

Mlecha sese er a tuu er a ongerdechidel.

> Put some banana in the frying pan.

tuu

, n.

red oyster shell money (high in value and used among women only).
tuu a chesiuch el cheled.

uid

, n.

glue; resin; fuel for lamp.
uid a olbidel el kmard a le milkolk; mekerdii a uuid; mekard a olbidel.

udel	n.poss.3s	udel a uuid er ngii; udel a meduu; udel a babier.
muduid	v.s.	sticky; adhesive.
udel a meduu	expr.	resin of breadfruit.
udel a tuu	expr.	resin of banan tree.
See also:

cheldngelel	n.poss.3s
cheldngelel a chim	expr.	finger.
cheldngelel a oach	expr.	toe.
cheldngelel a tuu	expr.	banana (connected to or separated from a bunch).

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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