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
a
ungil
a
bangd
er
a
mlim.
> Your car gives a very smooth ride.
Ak
milsa
a
mlai
el
ldilsechii
tirke
el
chad.
> I saw the canoe that those men carved.
A
mlik
a
bekerkard
a
bedengel.
> My car is red.
Ng
mera
el
ngeltengat
el
mla
nguu
a
mlil.
> He/she is very lucky to get a car.
A
mlai
a
silbechii
er
a
dengkibasira.
> The car hit the telephone pole.
Proverbs:
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.
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:
Aki
kmal
ko
er
a
mle
ungil
merael
e
di
mle
kiul
kisbekl
el
metengel
er
a
dobu
er
a
mlai
el
lilengelakl
el
kmal
bekerurt.
> We were walking fine on the road until a really fast car sped by that abruptly forced us into a ditch.
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?
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.
Ak
ulemekall
er
a
mlai
e
a
rebulis
a
mdechemak
e
le
ng
diak
a
lisens
er
ngak.
> I was driving a car and the police caught me because I don't have a license.
Ng
tuobed
a
cherik
el
tirka
el
chad
er
a
kabelment,
aika
el
mlai
lomekall
a
rengrir
klokir
a
bedengir.
> I'm smirking at the people working for the government, do they think they own these government vehicles when they're behind the wheels.

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