| be | v.imp. |
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| ble | v.s.hypo. | |
| mera | cont. | mei er a |
merekung
/merkung | v.i.pred. | is about to come or arrive. |
mermang
/meremang | v.inch. |
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mlei
/mle | v.past | came; arrived.
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| mlera | cont. | mlei er a |
| be kbong | expr. | goodbye; I'm leaving. |
me e mong
/memong | expr. | pass by; go on; "(in a direction) towards me and then keep going (past me)." |
| nguu el mei | expr. | bring. |
| ta el buil er mla me e mong | expr. | one month ago. |
Examples: |
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> The people called the priests and the magicians. |
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> When are you coming? |
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> The river was shallow in a few weeks. |
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> My boat went out of order. |
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> Try to eat more! |
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Proverbs: |
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> He's like Ngerechebal Island, which is neither closer to Imeliik nor closer to Ngerekebesang. i.e. He's indecisive or not clearly taking sides. A person who is "on the fence," changeable and indecisive. The saying may also be applied to a partly westernized Palauan. |
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> It's as if I've submerged my head into Mekaeb (the channel between Peleliu and Agaur). A term to describe a dish that is really salty. |
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> I receive it and you ask for it? A man asks for and receives that which he needs from a second party. A third party, learning of this, asks the first party for it. Used as implied or generally about any unreasonable request |
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> 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. |
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> 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. |
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More Examples: |
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> Aha, see? I told you not to do that, Son. |
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> The money put in for the marriage of Dirasils, which was a keldait, went to her brother, Ngiradaob. |
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> My child, go hail me a taxi cab so that I can take it to the dock. |
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> The first floor contained a guard room, recreation room, hallway, workers room, and an NCO room. |
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> At 6:30 a.m. I take a shower. |
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