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:
Aki
mo
oldubech
er
a
mlai.
> We will push the car.
Ak
kileed
el
merot
er
a
mlai.
> I almost got run over by a car.
Techa
a
ngar
er
a
chelsel
a
mlai?
> Who is inside the car?
Ng
mla
bangk
a
taia
er
a
mlik.
> My tire's gone flat.
A
Droteo
a
tilechelii
a
mlik.
> Droteo('s car) hit my 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.
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.
More Examples:
Ak
osiik
er
a
mlik.
> I am looking for a car.
Ng
mla
er
ngii
a
teluchel
el
mlai
er
a
bita
er
a
did.
Dimlak
a
metemall
el
chad.
> There was a crash by the bridge. Nobody got hurt.
A
mlik
a
lilengir
a
tonari
er
ngak
e
nguu
el
tuchelii
a
iedel.
> My neighbor borrowed my car and drove it into a mango tree.
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.
Kmal
di
medechel
a
eru
el
buil
el
kungkad
er
a
mlik.
> I only have two months to pay off for my car.

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