Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

blai

, n.

house; household; family; members of family; enclosure; container.

blai

a

teleketek

e

cheldool

le

kiei

er

ngii

a

rechad;

blai

a

osechelel

a

delengchokl.

blik

n.poss.1s

blim

n.poss.2s

blil

n.poss.3s

blil

a

blai

el

ngii

a

oublai

er

ngii.

blimam

n.poss.1pe

blid

n.poss.1pi

our (inclusive) house, household, etc.

blid

a

blai

el

kid

a

oublai

er

ngii.

blimiu

n.poss.2p

blirir

n.poss.3p

babelblai

n.

(a wealthy person's) house.

babelblai

a

blai

el

ilteet;

meteetel.

blil a beras

expr.

sack/container for rice.

blil a cheluch

expr.

any container for gasoline, cooking oil, etc..

blil a dangs

expr.

dance hall.

blil a ngal

expr.

termites' nest.

blil a ngikel

expr.

aquarium.

chad er a blai

expr.

members of the family.

See also:

OUBLAI

Examples:

A

blai

er

a

Ngerchemai

a

meseseb

el

me

er

a

eou.

> Building in Ngerchemai burns down.

A

blik

a

ngar

er

a

bita

er

a

skuul.

> My house is next door to (or across the street from) the school.

A

Cisco

me

a

lechub

a

Tony

a

me

er

a

blik.

> Either Cisco or Tony is coming to my house.

A

blirir

a

mesisiich.

> Their family is healthy.

A

rechad

er

a

blik

a

teai.

> There are eight people in my family.

Proverbs:

Ke

ko

er

a

otaor

el

di

omtitechakl

el

diak

a

blil.

> You're like a floating log without a resting place.

You have no fixed abode.

Kom

chameiu

el

blai.

> You're getting involved with someone too closely related.

Possibly derived from an incident in which a coconut syrup maker was incestuously involved with his wife's sister.

Ng

ko

er

a

uul,

el

teleu

a

blil

e

oleker

er

a

chull.

> Like the uul [Cettria cantans?] with its house open, calling for rain.

The uul may be heard to call out usually just before it rains; some say that it is calling for rain. This seems foolish, since the bird constructs its house with an opening at the top that will let rain in. A person who makes a decision or starts some action without adequate preparation is likened to the uul.

More Examples:

Tia

el

blai

a

kmal

miltemall

er

a

soldau

er

a

Merikel

er

se

er

a

lolai

er

a

skojo.

E

a

rechad

er

a

Siabal

a

kmal

luluusech

er

ngii

er

se

er

a

lekot

el

kmerd

a

resoldau

er

a

Merikel

el

mlo

melai

er

a

skojo.

> The building was heavily damaged during the pre-invasion bombardment and was a Japanese strong point during the America assault on the airfield.

E

se

el

okrokr

a

kbekbel

sei

al

ngar

er

ngii

a

mesil

er

a

dengua

me

a

delmerab

el

ngar

er

ngii

a

berotel

el

babier

me

a

mesil

er

a

dengki

me

a

blil

a

batteri.

> A thick-walled bunker section held a transmitting-material storeroom, a generator room, and storage battery room.

A

blik

a

dechor

er

a

bita

er

a

skuul.

> My house is next to the school.

Ak

mla

er

a

blai.

> I was at the house.

Aika

el

bechachau

el

blil

a

bata

binats

el

butiliang

a

chomngatech

me

ng

sebeched

lousbech

el

kob.

> The empty peanut butter jars can be washed and used as drinking glasses.

mad

, n.

eye; face; point; edge; front; area or space (directly) in front of; entrance; point of access; aperture; title given to messengers.

mad

a

klekedellel

a

chad

el

omes;

olab

a

ues;

klidm,

chelsul

a

mad,

bsechel

a

mad,

medal.

medak

n.poss.1s

medam

n.poss.2s

medal

n.poss.3s

medal

a

mad

er

ngii.

medemam

n.poss.1pe

medad

n.poss.1pi

medemiu

n.poss.2p

mederir

n.poss.3p

el mo er a medad

expr.

in the future.

mad el chur

expr.

laughing or smiling face.

mad el kekerei

expr.

expression of a child.

mad el ngalek

expr.

expression of a child.

medal a bedul

expr.

forehead.

medal a beluu

expr.

representative of the village; center of village.

medal a blik

expr.

in front of my house.

See also:

CHELSUL

A

MAD

Examples:

Tia

a

mekngit

el

ngar

er

a

medal

a

Rubak

e

mo

ongesechii

a

rengul.

> This is evil in the Lord's sight, and it will make him angry.

Ak

mo

er

a

osongel

er

a

medak.

> I will go to an appointment for my face.

Ke

kmal

mengas

a

medad

er

a

seked.

> You really embarrass us in public.

Ng

seroll

a

medam?

> Can't you see straight?

Ke

mo

biusech

a

medam

er

a

rechedam.

> Be attentive to the needs of your relatives.

Proverbs:

Ng

di

ua

dorael

er

a

medal

a

oles.

> It's as if we were walking on the blade of a knife.

i.e., we're treading on dangerous ground; if we make one wrong move, we're finished.

Ng

ko

er

a

ngkelel

a

iusech

el

dimengel

a

medad

er

ngii

> Like a fish in deep, clear water, eaten only with the eyes.

Fish are not easily caught in clear water. The idiom applies to that which may be admired but not obtained, like an expensive item or another man's beautiful sweetheart.

Ng

ko

er

a

Chelebesoi

er

a

Ngeriil

el

mad

er

a

diak

lebngel.

> He's like Chelebesoi of Ngeriil, dead in a fishtrap not his own.

A man named Chelebesoi (also the name of a fish) was robbing another man's fish trap when a head-hunting party came by and removed his head. He lost both his head and his reputation. The idiom may apply to one who gets hurt while trying to do someone else's job.

Se

el

obutek

a

medak.

> When my eyes are closed.

When one dies the eyes are "closed"; hence, to be dead. The term for "death" is mad as is the term for "eye," (mad; madak: "my eye"). Some sources suggest that the term for death refers to the closed eyes of a dead person.

Ngelek

el

medad.

> Child of the front.

A child (or adult) who performs well when being supervised, but who shirks duty otherwise.

More Examples:

Ak

ulureor

er

a

kesus

e

ng

mad

a

dengki.

> I was working last night when the power went out.

Ng

diak

kblekall

er

a

mekngit

el

reng;

ak

bai

mengull

er

a

Demak,

e

kemiu

a

imings

a

medemiu

er

ngak.

> I am not possessed by a devil; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

Mtetkii

a

medal

> point to his or her eyes, or face.

Ak

chetitau

a

bedengek

e

melemalt

a

chiuk

e

meklou

a

medak.

> I'm brown skinned with straight hair and big eyes.

Ngka

el

rubak

a

di

mle

siesorech

e

mad.

> This old man stayed stiff and contorted as he died.

rebai

, n.

backyard; area or space in back (of a building).

rebai

a

diak

le

medal;

diak

le

ngelong

er

a

blai;

rebai

er

a

blai.

rebil

n.poss.3s

rebil

a

rebai

er

ngii

el

blai.

rebil

n.poss.3s.

rebil

a

dechil;

smecher

a

ourebai

er

a

blai.

ourebai

v.i.

walk by the rear of house; defecate (in bushes, etc., in back of house).

ourebai

a

chemei

e

mengemochem,

smecher

a

di

ourebai

er

a

blai.

rebai er a blik

expr.

in back of my house.

Proverbs:

Ke

ko

er

a

bisech

er

a

bai

el

dechor

er

a

rebai

e

diak

dousbech

er

ngii.

> You're like the bisech plant in the backyard which has no purpose.

A person who isn't trusted so he/she is not needed.

Bisech

rebai

el

tekoi.

> Backyard taro stuff.

Bisch (Alocasia macrorhiza), a taro, can often be found growing near the garbage heap behind the traditional Palauan house. Because of this contamination, taro growing in this location was not eaten, nor were the leaves used as food wrappers. Hence, any valueless decision, action or object; a useless idea.

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.

More Examples:

A

blil

omeliokl

a

ngara

rebai

er

a

blai.

> The area for steaming/cooking taro and tapioca is at the back of the house.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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