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
sebechek
el
longir
a
mlim?
> May I borrow your car?
Ng
kmal
a
ungil
a
bangd
er
a
mlim.
> Your car gives a very smooth ride.
A
mlik
a
bekerkard
a
bedengel.
> My car is red.
Mal
ko
er
a
mechetong
tia
el
mlik
me
ng
di
merroakl.
> My car is really getting old and is making rattling noises.
A
rubak
a
olsisechakl
er
a
buik
el
melasech
a
mlai.
> The old man is teaching the boy how to carve canoes.
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:
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.
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?
Ngak
me
a
ochellek
a
mirruul
er
a
mlimam
er
a
daob.
> My younger brother and I were making our canoe.
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.

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