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
20 core words in Palauan
Water
ralm
/ɾalm/
Fire
ngau
/ŋau/
Sun
sils
/sils/
Moon
buil
/buil/
Mother
delak
/ðɛlak/
Father
demak
/ðɛmak/
Eat
mengang
/mɛŋaŋ/
Drink
melim
/mɛlim/
Love
klou el reng
/klou ɛl ɾɛŋ/
Heart
reng
/ɾɛŋ/
Tree
kerrekar
/kɛrːɛkar/
House
blai
/blai/
Dog
bilis
/biˈlis/
Cat
katuu
/katuː/
Hand
chim
/ʔim/
Eye
mad
/mað/
Hello
alii
/aliː/
Thank you
sulang
/sulaŋ/
One
tang
/taŋ/
Good
klou
/klou/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | Palauan | Ilocano | Bunun | Gilbertese | Toba Batak | Central Cagayan Agta | Maranao |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ralm /ɾalm/ | danum /danum/ | danum /danum/ | ran /ɾan/ | aek /aek/ | danum /danum/ | ig /iɡ/ |
| Fire | ngau /ŋau/ | apoy /ʔaˈpoj/ | sapuz /sapuz/ | ai /ai/ | api /api/ | apuy /ʔaˈpuj/ | apoy /apoj/ |
| Sun | sils /sils/ | init /ʔinit/ | vali /vali/ | tai /tai/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ | agew /ˈʔaɡew/ | alongan /aloŋan/ |
| Moon | buil /buil/ | bulan /bulan/ | buan /buan/ | namwakaina /namʷakaina/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bolan /bolan/ |
| Mother | delak /ðɛlak/ | ina /ʔiˈna/ | tina /tina/ | tinau /tinau/ | ina /ina/ | ina /ʔiˈna/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | demak /ðɛmak/ | ama /ʔaˈma/ | tama /tama/ | tamau /tamau/ | ama /ama/ | ama /ʔaˈma/ | ama /ama/ |
| Eat | mengang /mɛŋaŋ/ | mangan /maŋan/ | maun /maun/ | amwarake /amʷaɾake/ | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ |
| Drink | melim /mɛlim/ | uminom /ʔumiˈnom/ | muqun /muqun/ | nima /nima/ | minum /minum/ | uminom /ʔumiˈnom/ | minom /minom/ |
| Love | klou el reng /klou ɛl ɾɛŋ/ | ayat /ʔaˈjat/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ | tangira /taŋiɾa/ | holong /holoŋ/ | ayat /ʔaˈjat/ | kalimo /kalimo/ |
| Heart | reng /ɾɛŋ/ | puso /puso/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ | nano /nano/ | roha /roha/ | poso /poso/ | pusoʔ /pusoʔ/ |
| Tree | kerrekar /kɛrːɛkar/ | kayo /kajo/ | kahu /kahu/ | kai /kai/ | hau /hau/ | kayo /kajo/ | kayo /kajo/ |
| House | blai /blai/ | balay /balaj/ | lumaq /lumaq/ | auti /auti/ | jabu /dʒabu/ | balay /balaj/ | walay /walaj/ |
| Dog | bilis /biˈlis/ | aso /ˈʔaso/ | asu /asu/ | kamea /kamea/ | biang /biaŋ/ | atu /ˈʔatu/ | aso /aso/ |
| Cat | katuu /katuː/ | pusa /pusa/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ | katu /katu/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | kuti /kuti/ | pusa /pusa/ |
| Hand | chim /ʔim/ | ima /ʔima/ | ima /ima/ | bai /bai/ | tangan /taŋan/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Eye | mad /mað/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | alii /aliː/ | kablaaw /kablaʔaw/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | mauri /mauɾi/ | horas /horas/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | kapian /kapijan/ |
| Thank you | sulang /sulaŋ/ | agyamanak /ʔaɡjamanak/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | ko rabwa /ko ɾabʷa/ | mauliate /mauliate/ | salamat /salamat/ | salamat /salamat/ |
| One | tang /taŋ/ | maysa /majsa/ | tasa /tasa/ | teuana /teuana/ | sada /sada/ | isa /ʔiˈsa/ | isa /isa/ |
| Good | klou /klou/ | nasayaat /nasajaʔat/ | masial /masial/ | raoiroi /ɾaoiɾoi/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ | napya /napja/ | mapia /mapija/ |
Word order compared
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