Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

The terriid, a bird, is often seen in the taro garden but, unlike the purple swamp hen which eats taro corms, the terriid seems to eat nothing. The idiom may apply to anyone who works hard without recognition, or to a man frequently in the company of women but with no success as a lover.

Ng

kora

bechars

er

a

Ngerdobotar,

el

di

kiei

me

ng

chelengang

> Like the cockroach of Ngerdobotar, staying on till it became white.

Presumably if a cockroach remains in the darkness for a long time, as one at Ngerdobotar (in Aimeliik) apparently did, it will turn white. Application pertains to a visitor who stays on and on, especially one who is not helpful in the household. Such behavior is not properly human; the person is somehow different, like a white cockroach.

Ng

ko

er

a

chelebed

er

a

Utaor,

el

di

ta

temetemir.

> Like the blow at Utaor, one stroke for all.

A person or perhaps a club of the hamlet of Utaor (a hamlet of either Koror or Chol) offended a major village and, in consequence, the village retaliated by attacking the whole hamlet. The idiom applies to any general statement or punishment that might better be directed toward a particular group or individual

Ng

ko

er

a

derumk,

el

di

merrumk

er

ngii

el

diak

a

ultutelel.

> Like lightning, a big, unnecessary noise.

Lightning rarely strikes in such a way as to cause serious damage in Palau. May be applied to any unnecessary fuss or oratory at a meeting.

Ke

ko

er

a

katuu

el

di

kau

el

di

melecholb

er

kau.

> You're just like a cat washing yourself.

i.e., you have to do everything yourself because your relatives are neglecting their obligations to you.

More Examples:

Kmal

di

soad

a

mereched

e

beot

el

sisebel

a

udoud.

Ng

diak

domdasu

er

a

ngar

er

a

medad

el

taem.

> We like it quick and easy money making schemes without thinking for the future.

Ngar

er

ngii

a

rechad

el

di

meduch

el

mesaod

e

merekong.

> There are people who just know how to talk and thats about it.

A

Ulang

a

mera

el

sekodechelakl,

ng

kuk

milcheliang

el

di

oumondai.

> Ulang is so fiesty, she's back at it arguing again.

Bai

di

beches

el

ouchais

el

kmo

ng

chetim

el

mong

e

lak

ko

bong

e

mouuchel

er

a

rengum.

> Be honest and say you don't want to go instead of going and then regretting it.

Ng

di

ungil

a

kumekedong

er

kau

er

a

ta

er

a

taem?

> Is it OK for me to call you sometime?

diak

, v.s.

is/are not; does not exist; non-existent.

diak

a

bechachau;

diak

a

kall,

diak

a

udoud,

diak

a

chad

er

a

blai.

diadiak

v.s.redup.

dikeang
/di kea
/di keang
/dikea

v.s.inch.

no longer; no more; not... after all.

di

keang

a

mla

er

ngii

e

mla

mo

diak,

udoud

a

di

keang.

dimlak

v.s.past

were not; did not exist; was/were non-existent.

dimlak

a

di

mla

diak,

dimlak

le

medung

er

a

cheldecheduch,

dimlak

rengesii,

dimlak

lemei.

ng diak

mod.

no.

ngdiak

cont.

ng diak

diak a rengul

expr.

inconsiderate; impolite.

mo diak

expr.

run out; stop; disappear; become non-existent.

Examples:

Ng

diak

a

berngel

a

rengul

a

Droteo.

> Nothing stops Droteo from doing things./Droteo isn't easily discouraged.

Ng

diak

a

temek

el

mo

er

a

party.

> I don't have time to go to the party.

A

Droteo

a

diak

lsal

medengei

a

tekoi

er

a

Siabal.

> Droteo doesn't really know Japanese.

Ng

di

ngii

me

ak

kiei

er

a

iemoch

meng

uoi

diak

kudengei

a

ngerang.

> It's as if I live somewhere so far away that I don't know what's going on.

Ngka

a

sebiil

a

btil,

el

diak

a

ngera

el

lodengei.

> He's young and unexperienced (lit. his buttocks are covered with sores) and doesn't know anything.

Proverbs:

Kmakm

mechab:

charm

er

a

chab

el

kmeed

er

a

ngau

e

diak

lemedul.

> Like the insects which stays at ashes of fire but doesn't burn.

You're near a situation which needs immediate attention but you don't lend a hand.

Ng

dimlak

longesimer

a

tekoi

el

chad.

> One for whom the door of words was not closed.

When the secrets of a clan or a profession were being taught by an expert, the house was completely closed and instruction took place in strict, whispered secrecy. the idiom may be applied to a person who, while having the proper status to be knowledgeable, has never learned in closed session; an important but uninformed person. Conversely, an expert or knowledgeable clan his torian is one who "has had the door closed" (mleng a simer).

Ng

ko

er

a

omenga

el

Raus,

el

sosokod

e

di

keang.

> It's like the way they eat in Ngeraus (where food is scarce): as soon as they get to like or enjoy the food, it's gone.

Just as something becomes popular, it becomes unavailable. Ngerraus is a small village in Ngchesar (central Palau). The idiom suggests a person who begins to feel hungry just as the food runs out. The reference is to the meager food resources of a small village. In contemporary Palau the idiom may be applied to some popular import that soon disappears from the shelves of the stores.

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.

A

ralm

a

diak

locheraol.

> Water is without cost.

Palauans bathe frequently; many will not miss a daily bath if at all possible. Bathing places are usually widened areas, natural or artificial (some elaborately paved with stone) in fresh-water streams. The phrase simply reminds another, probably a reluctant child, that he should bathe.

More Examples:

Ng

diak,

ng

diak

bo

er

a

skuul

er

a

klukuk.

> No, I'm going to school tomorrow.

Dimlak

kudengei

el

kmo

kede

kmal

mekedidai

a

rengud.

> I didn't really realize that we are so darn stubborn.

Ngerang

a

sebechem

el

rullii

er

a

delengcheklem

me

ng

mo

diak

msal

kurusii?

> What can you do in your household that would help relieve your stress?

Ng

diak

bai

debo

dongedub

er

a

bdelul

a

chang?

> Why don't we go take a swim at the dock?

Ng

diak

moltobed

aike

el

ngar

er

ngii

a

desal.

> Hey, when you the females, leave the eggs in.

e ng di

, mod.

but.

meau

, v.s.

naked; nude; bare; (young people) untitled.

meau

a

blechetoel;

diak

le

blail,

rengalek

a

di

meau

e

mengedub.

melemotem

, v.t.

clear (trees, land); clear land (for garden).

melemotem

a

omukel;

meledaes;

tomotem

a

kerrekar,

tometemii

a

rael;

temetemel.

merekui

, v.t.

finish (completely; entirely); consume; accomplish.

merekui

a

mochu

merek;

merekui

er

a

urrereel

a

blai;

kmedu

el

mo

merek.

ngii di el

, pro.

any.

se
/sei
/isei

, pro.

that object far from speaker and far from listener.

sei

a

melutk

er

a

cheroid

er

a

mengedecheduch;

ngar

sei;

diak

el

tiang;

sei

er

a

mong

a

skuul.

se el

conj.

when (in the future); whenever.

se el sekum

conj.

if (used in negative sentences).

sel

cont.

se el

er se er a

expr.

when (in the past).

er se er a Sebadong

expr.

last Saturday.

er se er a taem er a mekemad

expr.

during the war.

er sei

expr.

over there; in that place.

mekera isei

expr.

[used to refer to a method of doing something that the speaker has forgotten.]

ngera isei

expr.

thingamajig; thingamabob; whatchamacallit. [used to refer to something whose name the speaker has forgotten.]

se di kau

expr.

it's up to you.

se el soam

expr.

whatever you want; it's up to you.

se el tebel

expr.

that table (over there).

se er a

expr.

conj. when (in the past).

techa isei

expr.

what's-his-name; what's-her-name. [Used to refer to someone whose name the speaker has forgotten.]

tela isei

expr.

[used to refer to a number that the speaker has forgotten.]

Examples:

Se

el

ungil

el

teletelel

a

se

el

mosaod

a

klemerang.

> The good way is for you to explain the truth.

Ng

soal

a

redil

a

chazi

er

se

el

kuabang.

> The woman likes the taste of that guava.

Ak

milengang

aike

el

tuu

me

se

el

ringngo.

> I was eating those bananas and that apple.

Ka

molukl

el

mo

er

se

el

ta

er

a

kingall.

> Please move into another chair.

Kede

ousbech

er

se

el

chaibibeob

el

tebel.

> We are using the circular table.

Proverbs:

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.

More Examples:

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.

Ng

soam

el

ngmai

bebil

er

aika

el

kall

se

el

bo

mrei?

> Do you want to take some of these food home when you leave?

Alii,

ke

mo

kerekikl

se

el

morael

er

a

rael.

> Be careful when walking on the streets.

Ng

milskak

tiang

...

ngera

isei

a

ngklel

el

klekedellel

a

balech

er

a

ngikel.

> He gave me this ... whatchamacallit piece for a speargun.

Ng

mekera

isei

sel

doruul

a

subliual?

> How do we make pumpkin soup again?

ta
/tang

, num.

1 [one] (unit of time; human; counting).

tang

a

ochur

el

chimong

,

ta

el

buil,

ta

el

tekoi,

ta

el

chad.

tal

cont.

ta el

tara

cont.

ta er a

el di ngak el tang

expr.

alone; by myself.

ko el tang

expr.

the very first time; the first time after a long while.

ngii di el tang

expr.

either one; anything.

ta el chad

expr.

one person; (persons) having same mother or father; (persons) of same blood.

ta el rak

expr.

one year.

ta el sils

expr.

one day.

ta er kemam

expr.

one of our relatives (usually, close); one of us.

ta er ngak

expr.

one of my relatives (usually, close).

ta er tir

expr.

one of them.

Examples:

Ng

ko

er

a

ko

el

ta

el

mmermang.

> This is the first time you've been here in ages.

Me

ta

er

a

oluches.

> Give me one of the pencils.

Te

oumesingd

el

omuchel

a

rechad

el

me

er

a

ta

el

klok.

> People tend to start arriving at one o'clock.

A

blai

a

mlukbeches

er

a

chelsel

a

ta

el

buil.

> The house was renovated in a month.

Ka

molukl

el

mo

er

se

el

ta

er

a

kingall.

> Please move into another chair.

Proverbs:

Ng

ta

el

suk

me

ng

diilut

re

Meduu.

> A full basket was dropped in Ngeremeduu bay.

From the folk tale about Obak era Kedesau on his way to a feast being given in honor of his wife by her adoptive father. While crossing Ngeremeduu Bay between Ngatpang and Ngeremlengui, Obak dropped a basket of Palauan money overboard. Despite this terrible loss, he still had the courage and sufficient cash to carry off his visit in high style. The saying may be used to reassure someone, following a loss, reminding them that Obak era Kedesau recovered from an even greater loss.

Ng

ko

er

a

cherellel

a

beab

el

di

ta

e

keroker.

> It's like the birth of a rat with one offspring per mother.

It's something that happens just once, something I put up with only once. According to this saying, the rat bears but one litter. Hence the application "once is enough" about an act that bears no repeating.

Ng

ko

er

a

chelebed

er

a

Utaor,

el

di

ta

temetemir.

> Like the blow at Utaor, one stroke for all.

A person or perhaps a club of the hamlet of Utaor (a hamlet of either Koror or Chol) offended a major village and, in consequence, the village retaliated by attacking the whole hamlet. The idiom applies to any general statement or punishment that might better be directed toward a particular group or individual

Ng

cheiko

e

omekrael

er

a

ta

er

a

cheiko.

> A blind man leading another blind man.

The application is identical to that of the familiar English idiom

Ng

kora

chebiei

el

Cheangel,

el

di

ta

e

chutur

a

ta

el

suk.

> Like the breadfruit of Kayangel, just one rotten piece will spoil the whole bunch.

One bad person can ruin the reputation of a whole group. It is said of the Chebiei variety of breadfruit found at Kayangel atoll that one rotten one will spoil others packaged with it. Similar to "One bad apple spoiled the bushel."

More Examples:

Ng

di

ungil

a

kumekedong

er

kau

er

a

ta

er