Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

biskang

,

one-pronged fishing spear.
biskang a klekedall er a omenged, usbechall er a burech, oba biskang el omurech a ngikel; biskelengel.

burech

, n.

(action of) spearing.
burech a omurech, mrechii a ngikel el oba biskang, brechel.

tacher

, num.

10 [ten] (animal; nonliving thing).
tacher a ochur el teruich (10); ocherngel a chaibibeob el klalo; tacher el lius; tacher el meradel; tacher el blai.

techerakl

, n.

hook for picking up fish, turtle etc.; place for hanging.
techerakl a klekedall el melecherakl; techereklel a bail.

uel

,

/uploads/pics/6649.jpg, n.

turtle.
uel a ta er a bedengel a charm er a daob; a chelibel uel a mo toluk. A uel a charm er a daob; ng mo meklou. Ng ngar er ngii a chimal me a ochil. Ng dirrek el ngar er ngii a ukebel el bereked a chelibel er ngii. A uel a kall. Ng dirrek el klalo a chelibel Kede ousbech el mo toluk.

uel el chad

n.

persistent person.

bad el uel

expr.

sound asleep.

uel el chad

expr.

man who reaches sexual climax slowly.

Examples:

A lomtanget er ngii a resechal a chelibel a uel.

> The thing that the boys are polishing is the turtle shell.

A chelibel a uel a kulemes er a resechal el omtanget er ngii.

> The turtle shell, I was watching the boys who were polishing it.

Ng techang a mildechemii a uel el mulemes er a resechal el omtanget er a chelibel.

> Who caught the turtle that you saw the boys who are polishing its shell?

A chelibel a uel a diak kudengei el kmo ng techa a ulemtanget er ngii.

> The turtle shell, I don't know who was polishing it.

Ak oucharm a uel.

> I keep turtles as pets.

Proverbs:

Ng ko er a uel, el suebek e mekebekabes a ochil.

> Like the purple swamp hen, flying off with its legs hanging down

The purple swamp hen (uek; other sources name another bird, sechou [heron]) is careless about its legs when it flies, letting them dangle in flight instead of neatly tucking them up like other, more trim flyers. The saying applies to persons who do sloppy work or carelessly leave a task half finished

Lak bo mua chad er a Ngerchemai el miltom er a uel el metom ra mlai.

> Don't be like the man from Ngerchemai who lost both the turtle and the canoe.

Don't bite off more than you can chew...don't be selfish.

A uel el kuk meremang el me omeklatk me ng mo uchul a klengitereng

> When the purple swamp hen appears, it brings remembrance

There is a song (Oumachas) from which this saying derives: Once there was a young couple who made love in a secluded spot in the taro garden. While they were lying together a purple swamp hen darted out of the brush startling the couple. Eventually love cooled, but thereafter whenever the girl saw a purple swamp hen while she worked in the gardens, she recalled her lover. Hence any occurrence that brings back fond memories.

Ng ko er a chad er a Ngerechemai, el metom er a uel el metom er a mlai.

> Like the man of Ngerechemai, who lost his turtle and lost his canoe.

Relates to a fisherman who jumped from his canoe to catch a turtle only to find that his canoe had drifted beyond recovery. Applies to any situation where a person fails at a task, or, aptly, to a situation where a man, through his own foolishness, loses both his wife and his mistress.

More Examples:

Ak meruul er a cheluit el uel.

> I'm making the turtle soup in coconut milk.

A medal a biskang a tilaut er a ulul a uel.

> The spear hit the turtle in the chest.

Eya, ngke el uel el oba teuang ak miltom er ngii.

> I lost the turtle that takes four people to subdue.

brechel	n.poss.3s
brechel a uel	expr.	spearing of turtles.
See also:

techereklel	n.poss.3s	techereklel a techerakl er ngii; omelecherakl er ngii.
techerakl er a uel	expr.	hook for catching turtles.
techereklel a bail	expr.	clotheshanger or clotheshook; pole for hanging clothes.
techereklel a olbidel	expr.	hook for hanging lamp.
See also:

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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