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
ulemekall
er
a
mlil
a
Ioseb
el
mo
er
a
ngii
di
el
beluu?
> Did Joseph drive his car anywhere?
Ng
kmal
klou
a
cherrodech
el
kirel
a
cherredechel
a
mlai.
> There are a lot of complaints about the noise from cars.
A
mlik
a
bekerkard
a
bedengel.
> My car is red.
Ak
kileed
el
merot
er
a
mlai.
> I almost got run over by a car.
Aki
mlo
mengurs
er
a
telemall
el
mlai.
> We were pulling the broken car.
Proverbs:
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.
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.
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.
More Examples:
Ng
mla
ngmasech
er
a
mlai
e
merael
mo
er
a
kmung
ker.
> He climbed into the car and went I don't know where.
A
bechil
a
sechelik
a
diak
lesebechel
el
omekall
a
mlai
er
chelechang.
> My friend's wife can't drive now.
Ke
meduch
el
omekall
a
mlai?
> Do you know how to drive a car?
Kileed
e
ak
merot
er
a
mlai
el
ngar
er
a
rrat
er
ngak.
> I almost got ran over by a car riding my bicycle.
Ngak
me
a
ochellek
a
mirruul
er
a
mlimam
er
a
daob.
> My younger brother and I were making our canoe.

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