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Language

 

 

ENGLISH

PALAUAN

NOTES

The Sea:

   

Sea water

Daob

Sea water, ocean.

Sea shore

Kederang

Beach, sandy area near the water.  This is applicable only for places that have beaches.

Near-shore

Kereker

Shallow water after sea shore

Where the waves break

Chelmoll

General term for reef where the waves break

Rsaol

A boarder between deep and shallow areas of the sea in the inner reef where waves break.

Deep sea

Ngoaol

Open ocean.

Ocean

Daob

General name for ocean, or sea water.

Waves

Chedesaoch

White-capped waves

Tides

Dolech

Tide, especially when high.

Fishing:

   

Fishing

Omenged

General term for fishing,

omengesokes

To catch fish with long, stationary net.

Line fishing

mengereel

To fish with line( but not trolling)

oungoaol

To fish in open ocean outside the reef

   

Fishes

Ngikel

General term for fish.

Shark

Chedeng

General term for shark. There are different kinds of sharks.

Turtle

Uel

General term for turtle

Hawksbill turtle

Ngasech

Shells from this turtle are used to make Palauan women's money, and comb.

Green turtle

Melob

Shells from this turtle are thin and cannot be used for anything.

Octopus

Bukitang

General term for octopus

     

The Reef:

   

Coral

Badelchei, merangd

General term for corals

Reef

Chelmoll

General area of the reef

 

Rsaol

A border between deep and shallow area of the sea  (near the land)

 

Oreall

Highest part of the reef that dried up first at low tide.

 

Daimechesengel

Shallow areas in the open sea.

 

Dailechei

Area between "kereker" and "chelemoll"

 

Melkesokl

Shallow area between "kereker" and "chelemoll"

 

Chiloil

Big rock in the reef

 

Notes on Pronunciation:

This is a brief outline of some of the spelling and pronunciation issues for Palauan orthography. It should help readers to better pronounce the many Palauan words used in this website. But for a complete discussion, see Josephs (1990: xxxiv-xlv).

• The letters used to spell the consonants are b, t, d, k, ch, s, m, ng, r, and l.

• B is pronounced as b at the beginnings of words and when between two vowels, or before l. Otherwise, it is pronounced as p.

• D is in pronounced like th when between vowels or at the end of a word.

• K, when between vowels, is pronounced more like g.

• Ch is *not* pronounced as "ch," ever. It represents a glottal stop, as in "uh oh." The glottal stop is a letter of equal value to other consonants, as its presence or absence changes the meaning of a word.

• When vowels are doubled, it indicates that the sound is held longer.

 


 

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