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:
A
kmu
ng
ngar
er
ngii
a
ududek,
e
ak
mecherar
a
bechel
el
mlai.
> If I had money, (then) I'd buy a new car.
Ng
kmal
di
mle
ta
a
klungiolel
el
mlai.
> They were all canoes of equivalent quality.
A
Ioseb
a
ulemekall
er
a
mlil
el
mo
er
aike
el
stoang.
> Joseph drove his car to those stores.
A
mlik
a
bekerkard
a
bedengel.
> My car is red.
A
Droteo
a
milsuub
el
meruul
a
mlai
er
a
demal.
> Droteo learned how to make canoes from his father.
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:
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.
A
Luke
a
silebedak
el
kmo
ng
mla
er
ngii
a
mlai
er
a
rikl.
> Luke told me there was a car outside.
Kmal
di
medechel
a
eru
el
buil
el
kungkad
er
a
mlik.
> I only have two months to pay off for my 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.

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