mlai, n.canoe; car; automobile; transportation.
mlai
a
olidiuul
er
a
beluu
me
a
daob;
mlai
a
oltak
a
rechad
me
a
uleklool.
mlikn.poss.1s
mlimn.poss.2s
mliln.poss.3s
mlil
a
mlai
er
ngii
el
chad.
mlimamn.poss.1pe
mlidn.poss.1pi
mlimiun.poss.2p
mlirirn.poss.3p
blil a mlaiexpr.garage.
mlai er a Siabalexpr.Japanese car.
Examples:
Ng
kmal
klou
a
cherrodech
el
kirel
a
cherredechel
a
mlai.
> There are a lot of complaints about the noise from cars.
A
Droteo
a
oumeduch
er
ngii
er
a
omeruul
el
mlai.
> Droteo pretends that he knows how to repair cars.
A
Droteo
a
uai
a
decham
er
a
omeruul
el
mlai.
> Droteo fixes cars as well as you.
Ak
milsa
a
mlai
el
ldilsechii
tirke
el
chad.
> I saw the canoe that those men carved.
Ak
kileed
el
merot
er
a
mlai.
> I almost got run over by a car.
Proverbs:
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.
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.
Ng
ko
er
a
omelkesel
Ngirakerisil,
el
di
diak
lecheldereder
a
mlil.
> Like Kerosene, poling his canoe with no obvious destination
Under the German administrator Winkler before World War I, a Palauan named Ngirakerisil (Mr. Kerosene) was employed as a canoe operator. Daily he would take the tireless administrator to a different part of Palau to inspect the various economic programs (largely coconut planting) instituted by the now legendary Winkler. The operator, least of all, could predict where they would be going next. The idiom is applied to any aimless person or action; indecision; a changeable person.
More Examples:
A
bechil
a
sechelik
a
diak
lesebechel
el
omekall
a
mlai
er
chelechang.
> My friend's wife can't drive now.
Ak
ulemekall
el
mo
er
a
stoang
e
ng
mo
diak
a
eolt
er
a
taia
er
a
mlik.
> I was driving to the store when I got a flat tire.
Ak
mera
el
metitur
el
omekall
aika
el
mlai
er
a
Siabal.
> I really don't know how to drive these Japanese cars.
Ng
ua
ngerang
a
bedengel
a
mlim?
Ng
mellemau
adang
ng
bekerkard?
> What is the color of your car? is it blue? or is it red?
Ke
meduch
el
omekall
a
mlai?
> Do you know how to drive a car?

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