Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

The ucharm (bird) is the hardwood tip at the top of the canoe mast. The person to whom the idiom is applied is accused of thriving on gifts from other places. Particularly it may be applied to persons of a highranking village who rather expect that visitors in canoes from other villages will come provisioned with gifts-thus, those who watch for the canoes. Sometimes the idiom goes: Ngkora chad ra Oreor, "Like the man of Koror," with reference to the high ranking community of Koror in central Palau.

More Examples:

dorael

melim

rrom.

> Lets go drink alcohol.

Kede

ousbech

kor

melim

ilumel.

> We use cups to drink.

soam

melim

kohi.

> You want some coffee.

Kede

ousbech

oliich

melim

uasech.

> We use spoons to each soup.

ngara

soam

melim?

> And what do you want to drink?

ngau

, n.

cooking fire; labor pains.

ngau

a

mekeald

el

diich;

ngau

er

a

ngeliokl;

chelum

el

ngau,

ngeuil

a

olbidel.

nguik

n.poss.1s

nguim

n.poss.2s

nguil

n.poss.3s

nguil

a

ngau

er

ngii;

nguil

a

klengoes;

nguil

a

cheroll.

ngumam

n.poss.1pe

nguid

n.poss.1pi

ngumiu

n.poss.2p

ngurir

n.poss.3p

Examples:

mede

ngau.

> The fire is (just) dying out.

ngau

dilubech

delemerab

ngak.

> The fire started in my room.

mla

tmaut

ngau.

> The fire has started up.

techel

charm

kirel

medul

ngau

mekang

obengkel

diak

omkukel

blauang

mechuached

dellomel.

> The meat is to be roasted and eaten with bitter herbs and with bread made without yeast.

kerrekar

mla

medul

ngau

rechelel,

bngal

mosebek

eolt

cheroid.

> They will be like trees whose branches are burned by fire, whose blossoms are blown away by the wind.

Proverbs:

okared

ngii

melul

ngii

ngau.

> You're like a stinkbug that burns itself in the fire.

i.e., you get involved in things that may hurt you.

Kmakm

mechab:

charm

chab

kmeed

ngau

diak

lemedul.

> Like the insects which stays at ashes of fire but doesn't burn.

You're near a situation which needs immediate attention but you don't lend a hand.

meiko

Tmel,

mengereel

olsiu

ngii

ngau.

> Like the blind man of Ngetmel, twisting twine into the fire.

The image is that of a blind elder, warming his frail body beside the fire while twisting strands of fiber into twine against his thigh. Only as he pulls the finished twine away, he pushes it into the flames. The saying may be applied to any utterly pointless activity or dissipation of wealth.