A tekoi er a Belau
Palauan
Austronesian
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
31 core words in Palauan
Water
ralm
/ɾalm/
Fire
ngau
/ŋau/
Sun
sils
/sils/
Moon
buil
/buil/
Star
btuch
/bətuʔ/
Mother
delak
/ðɛlak/
Father
demak
/ðɛmak/
I
ngak
/ŋak/
You
kau
/kau/
Name
ngakl
/ŋakl/
Eye
mad
/mað/
Hand
chim
/ʔim/
Heart
reng
/ɾɛŋ/
Love
klou el reng
/klou ɛl ɾɛŋ/
Tree
kerrekar
/kɛrːɛkar/
House
blai
/blai/
Dog
bilis
/biˈlis/
Cat
katuu
/katuː/
Eat
mengang
/mɛŋaŋ/
Drink
melim
/mɛlim/
One
tang
/taŋ/
Two
erung
/ʔəˈruŋ/
Hello
alii
/aliː/
Thank you
sulang
/sulaŋ/
Good
ungil
/ʔuŋil/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | Palauan | Bunun | Gilbertese | Ilocano | Central Cagayan Agta | East Futunan | Waray |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ralm /ɾalm/ | danum /danum/ | ran /ɾan/ | danum /danum/ | danum /danum/ | vai /vai/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ |
| Fire | ngau /ŋau/ | sapuz /sapuz/ | ai /ai/ | apoy /ʔaˈpoj/ | apuy /ʔaˈpuj/ | afi /ˈafi/ | kalayo /kalajɔ/ |
| Sun | sils /sils/ | vali /vali/ | taai /taːi/ | init /ʔinit/ | agew /ˈʔaɡew/ | la'ā /laˈʔaː/ | adlaw /ʔadlaw/ |
| Moon | buil /buil/ | buan /buan/ | namwakaina /namʷakaina/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | māsina /maːˈsina/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | btuch /bətuʔ/ | bintuhan /bintuhan/ | itoi /iˈtoi/ | bituen /bituˈen/ | bituen /biˈtuʔen/ | fetu'u /feˈtuʔu/ | bitoon /bituʔon/ |
| Mother | delak /ðɛlak/ | tina /tina/ | tinau /tinau/ | ina /ʔiˈna/ | ina /ʔiˈna/ | tinana /tiˈnana/ | nanay /nanaj/ |
| Father | demak /ðɛmak/ | tama /tama/ | tamau /tamau/ | ama /ʔaˈma/ | ama /ʔaˈma/ | tamana /taˈmana/ | tatay /tataj/ |
| I | ngak /ŋak/ | saikin /saikin/ | ngai /ŋai/ | siak /siˈak/ | sikán /siˈkan/ | au /au/ | ako /ʔako/ |
| You | kau /kau/ | suu /suʔu/ | ngkoe /ŋkoe/ | sika /siˈka/ | sikaw /siˈkaw/ | koe /ˈkoe/ | ikaw /ʔikaw/ |
| Name | ngakl /ŋakl/ | ngaan /ŋaan/ | ara /ˈara/ | nagan /ˈnaɡan/ | ngahan /ˈŋahan/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ |
| Eye | mad /mað/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /ˈmata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | chim /ʔim/ | ima /ima/ | bai /bai/ | ima /ʔima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /ˈlima/ | kamot /kamɔt/ |
| Heart | reng /ɾɛŋ/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ | nano /nano/ | puso /puso/ | poso /poso/ | mafu /ˈmafu/ | kasingkasing /kasiŋkasiŋ/ |
| Love | klou el reng /klou ɛl ɾɛŋ/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ | tangira /taŋiɾa/ | ayat /ʔaˈjat/ | ayat /ʔaˈjat/ | alofa /aˈlofa/ | gugma /ɡuɡma/ |
| Tree | kerrekar /kɛrːɛkar/ | kahu /kahu/ | kai /kai/ | kayo /kajo/ | kayo /kajo/ | la'akau /laʔaˈkau/ | kahoy /kahɔj/ |
| House | blai /blai/ | lumaq /lumaq/ | auti /auti/ | balay /balaj/ | balay /balaj/ | fale /ˈfale/ | balay /balaj/ |
| Dog | bilis /biˈlis/ | asu /asu/ | kamea /kamea/ | aso /ˈʔaso/ | atu /ˈʔatu/ | kulī /kuˈliː/ | ayam /ˈʔajam/ |
| Cat | katuu /katuː/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ | katu /katu/ | pusa /pusa/ | kuti /kuti/ | pūsi /ˈpuːsi/ | misay /misaj/ |
| Eat | mengang /mɛŋaŋ/ | maun /maun/ | amwarake /amʷaɾake/ | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | kai /kai/ | kaon /kaʔon/ |
| Drink | melim /mɛlim/ | muqun /muqun/ | nima /nima/ | uminom /ʔumiˈnom/ | uminom /ʔumiˈnom/ | inu /ˈinu/ | inom /ʔinɔm/ |
| One | tang /taŋ/ | tasa /tasa/ | teuana /teuana/ | maysa /majsa/ | isa /ʔiˈsa/ | tasi /ˈtasi/ | usa /ʔusa/ |
| Two | erung /ʔəˈruŋ/ | dusa /dusa/ | uoua /uˈoua/ | dua /duˈa/ | duwa /ˈduwa/ | lua /ˈlua/ | duha /duha/ |
| Hello | alii /aliː/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | mauri /mauɾi/ | kablaaw /kablaʔaw/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | mālō /maːˈloː/ | kumusta /kumusta/ |
| Thank you | sulang /sulaŋ/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | ko rabwa /ko ɾabʷa/ | agyamanak /ʔaɡjamanak/ | salamat /salamat/ | mālō /maːˈloː/ | salamat /salamat/ |
| Good | ungil /ʔuŋil/ | masial /masial/ | raoiroi /ɾaoiɾoi/ | nasayaat /nasajaʔat/ | napya /napja/ | mālie /maːˈlie/ | maupay /maʔupaj/ |
Word order compared
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