Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

ker

, pro.

where; which.

ker

a

oker;

omding

er

a

belsechel

a

omerael;

oker

er

a

ngakl,

techa

ng

klem?

keril

a

tekoi.

ker

, n.

question.

ker

a

ousibai;

ousbech

er

a

chad

el

diak

el

uldoud

a

ouker

er

ngii;

ouker

er

a

rechad

a

di

ousbech

er

tir

e

diak

el

ungil

el

omekang

er

tir.

kmung
/kmong

, v.i.

used to introduce various expressions of imprecise knowledge in which an event is generally known to have occurred but some specifics are unknown.

ngar

, v.s.

be (located); exist; be alive.

ngar

a

outeliil;

chad

a

ngar;

ngar

er

ngii

a

klengar

er

ngii;

charm

a

ngar.

ngar ngii

cont.

ngar er ngii

ngarker

cont.

ngar er ker

ngar er a bab a rengul

expr.

conceited; disrespectful; proud; arrogant; haughty; snobbish.

ngar er a bab el chad

expr.

one's superior; wealthy/well-to-do person.

ngar er a eou a rengul

expr.

(person is) humble/respectful.

ngar er ngii

expr.

there is.

ngar ker

expr.

where is it.

Examples:

Ng

ungilbesum

el

ngar

er

tilechang?

> Are you comfortable over there?

A

rubak

a

dirk

ngar.

> The old man is still alive.

Aika

el

merkong

el

elolem

el

buil

e

ng

ngar

ngii

a

dellemelem

el

mla

mekang

er

a

beab?

> In the past 6 months have rats eaten your plants?

Ng

ngar

er

ngii

a

melamech

a

dekool

er

kemiu?

> Is there anyone among you who smokes cigarettes.

Ng

ko

er

a

osechel

a

mengur

el

di

ngar

er

a

milkolk

el

mo

er

a

milkolk.

> It's like coconut juice that goes from the dark (of the inside of coconut) to the dark (of the inside of the drinker's mouth). - i.e. It's a matter kept secret or something whose source and use are unknown.

Proverbs:

Melim

e

menga

er

a

ngar

er

a

ucharm.

> To eat and drink by the mast tip.

The ucharm (bird) is the hardwood tip at the top of the canoe mast. The person to whom the idiom is applied is accused of thriving on gifts from other places. Particularly it may be applied to persons of a highranking village who rather expect that visitors in canoes from other villages will come provisioned with gifts-thus, those who watch for the canoes. Sometimes the idiom goes: Ngkora chad ra Oreor, "Like the man of Koror," with reference to the high ranking community of Koror in central Palau.

Ngar

er

a

eseos

e

olengimech

el

mera

dalem.

> From the mature tree the sapling dribbles.

Eseos is a mature tree, dalm is a sapling; olengimech means to drip, drizzle, or dribble. Application is to the similarity of the child to its parents, generally its father.

Ng

kora

osechel

a

mengur,

el

di

ngar

er

a

milkolk

el

mo

er

a

milkolk.

> Like coconut water, passing from darkness to darkness.

Water, drunk from a coconut, passes from the dark of the nut to the dark of the mouth. Some discussions, such as those of village leaders, are secretively passed from mouth to mouth without public discussion.

Ng

ngar

ngii

a

melebisech

er

a

chutem

e

imiit

> Are there any who spear at the ground and miss?

Used to describe something that is easily accomplished.

More Examples:

Ngar

er

ngii

a

kerik.

> I have a question.

A

orekemel

ngii

el

udoud

a

diak

di

lultuil

er

a

klungel

el

meliuekl,

ng

mo

uldak

er

a

rengelel

a

omelsechel

me

a

ngeiul

el

mo

er

a

Beluulechab

el

ngar

er

a

debii.

> The value of such stone money is not only the sheer size of the discs, but the physical and treacherous labor of carving them, and then transporting them back to Yap via outrigger canoe.

Ngar

er

ngii

a

keliu

er

a

kebesengei?

> Do you have food for tonight?

Ng

ngar

er