A tekoi er a Belau

Palauan

Austronesian

FamilyAustronesian Speakers~17K ScriptLatin CountriesPalau Official inPalau (alongside English) Vitalityvulnerable ISO 639-3pau

Palauan (Tekoi er a Belau) is an Austronesian language with ~17K speakers — co-official with English in the Republic of Palau (Western Pacific). Sole representative of its branch within Western Malayo-Polynesian. Latin orthography developed by missionaries 19th c. Influenced by Japanese (1914-1944 mandate era) — daiber "telephone" from Japanese denwa, etc. Polite-speech levels; complex possessive system.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Palauan

Water

ralm

ɾalm

Fire

ngau

ŋau

Sun

sils

sils

Moon

buil

buil

Star

btuch

bətuʔ

Night

klebesei

kləbəsəi

Rain

chull

ʔulː

Wind

eolt

ʔeolt

Earth

chutem

ˈʔutɛm

Stone

bad

baːd

Mountain

rois

ɾois

Sea

daob

ðaopʰ

Mother

delak

ðɛlak

Father

demak

ðɛmak

Daughter

ngalek el redil

ŋalɛk ɛl rəðil

I

ngak

ŋak

You

kau

kau

We

kid / kemam

kið / kəˈmam

Name

ngakl

ŋakl

Person

chad

ʔad

Head

bedul

bəˈðul

Eye

mad

mað

Ear

ding

ðiŋ

Nose

iis

iːs

Mouth

ngor

ŋor

Tooth

uingel

uiŋel

Tongue

chur

ʔur

Hand

chim

ʔim

Foot

oach

oaʔ

Heart

reng

ɾɛŋ

Bone

chiuis

ʔiˈuis

Blood

rasech

raˈsəʔ

Poop

dach

ðaʔ

Love

bltikerreng

bltikɛrːɛŋ

Tree

kerrekar

kɛrːɛkar

Dog

bilis

biˈlis

Cat

katuu

katuː

Fish

ngikel

ŋiˈkel

Bird

suebek el charm

suəbək əl ʔarm

Butterfly

bangikoi

baŋiˈkoi

Egg

ngais

ŋaːis

Horse

uos

uos

House

blai

blai

Milk

milk

milk

Salt

sar

sar

Rice

beras

bəˈras

Chocolate

tsiokkolet

tsiokːolet

Iron

deel

dɛːl

Book

hong

hoŋ

Eat

mengang

mɛŋaŋ

Drink

melim

mɛlim

Sleep

mechiuaiu

məʔiwajəw

One

tang

taŋ

Two

erung

ʔəˈruŋ

Three

edei

ʔəˈðej

Four

euang

ʔəˈwaŋ

Five

eim

eim

Hundred

dart

ðart

Hello

alii

aliː

Thank you

sulang

sulaŋ

Good

ungil

ʔuŋil

New

beches

bəˈʔɛs

Red

bekerkard

bəkərˈkard

White

becheleleu

bəʔɛlɛˈlɛw

Black

bechachas

bəʔaˈʔas

Green

mellemau

məlːəˈmaw

Blue

mellemau

məlːəˈmaw

Coffee

kohi

kohi

Sugar

sukal

sukal

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Austronesian

Meaning PalauanIlocanoWarayCebuanoMaranaoOld TagalogHiligaynon
Water ralm /ɾalm/ danum /danum/ tubig /tubiɡ/ tubig /tubiɡ/ ig /iɡ/ ᜆᜓᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /tubiɡ/ tubig /tubiɡ/
Fire ngau /ŋau/ apoy /ʔaˈpoj/ kalayo /kalajo/ kalayo /kalajo/ apoy /apoj/ ᜀᜉᜓᜌ᜔ /apuj/ kalayo /kalaˈjo/
Sun sils /sils/ init /ʔinit/ adlaw /ʔadlaw/ adlaw /adlaw/ alongan /aloŋan/ ᜀᜇᜏ᜔ /araw/ adlaw /adlaw/
Moon buil /buil/ bulan /bulan/ bulan /bulan/ bulan /bulan/ bolan /bolan/ ᜊᜓᜏᜈ᜔ /buwan/ bulan /bulan/
Star btuch /bətuʔ/ bituen /bituˈen/ bitoon /bituʔon/ bituon /bituˈʔon/ bito-on /bitoʔon/ ᜊᜒᜆᜓᜁᜈ᜔ /bituʔin/ bituon /bituˈʔon/
Night klebesei /kləbəsəi/ rabii /raˈbiʔi/ gabʼi /ɡabˈʔi/ gabii /ɡaˈbiʔi/ gagawiʼi /ɡaɡawiʔi/ ᜄᜊᜒ /ɡaˈbi/ gab-i /ɡabˈʔi/
Rain chull /ʔulː/ tudo /ˈtudo/ uran /ˈʔuɾan/ ulan /ˈʔulan/ oran /ʔoran/ ᜂᜎᜈ᜔ /ulan/ ulan /ˈʔulan/
Wind eolt /ʔeolt/ angin /ˈʔaŋin/ hangin /haˈŋin/ hangin /haˈŋin/ angin /aŋin/ ᜑᜅᜒᜈ᜔ /haˈŋin/ hangin /haˈŋin/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Palauan
Ak ousbech el melakl a suit el ak milsa er a stoang el kmeed er a hotel
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 で 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
我 想 试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 里 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with languages in the same classification

Gusto nako sulayan ang suit nga nakita nako sa tindahan atbang sa hotel
Au via vakatovolei e dua na ivakatagedegede ka au raica e na sitoa e na otela
Makemake au e hoʻāʻo i kahi kamaʻa aʻu i ʻike ai ma kahi hale kūʻai ma mua o ka hōkele
Kayatko a padasan ti suit a nakitak iti tiendaan sangbay ti hotel
Palauan
Ak ousbech el melakl a suit el ak milsa er a stoang el kmeed er a hotel

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