Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Palåbran 03/31/09: Ogga'an

Ogga'an (oh-GA'-an): (noun) Morning, dawn. The time between chatanmak and talo'ani.

Note: The pronunciation above is the best I could do, but it's not exactly right. The double-G means that there is also a G at the end of the first syllable, I just don't know how to write that in...

Uses:

"Gof bonitu i egga'an på'go." = "The morning is very beautiful today."
"Ai adai, makmåta yo' gi alas 10 (dies) gi egga'an." = "Oh my goodness, I woke up at 10 in the morning."
"Ogga'an ha' esta åntes di måtto tåtte i bulåcheru." = "It was already morning before the drunkard returned."

Monday, March 30, 2009

Palåbran 03/30/09: Poddong

Poddong: (verb) Fall down, drop, collapse, flunk, stumble and fall, cease to be erect, fail in school grades.

Uses:

"Poddong påpa' i plåtu ya mayamak." = "The plate fell down and broke."
"Adai i neni ya u poddong tåtte." = "Watch the baby so she doesn't fall back."
"Mamoddong tres mångga." = "Three mangoes fell."

Friday, March 27, 2009

Palåbran 03/27/09: Palai

Palai (PA-lie): (verb) To smear, to rub--with grease, ointment, lotion, etc., to grease, to spread--as in butter.

Uses:

"Hu palai i pan nu mayonnaise." = "I spread mayonnaise on the bread."
"Ha palai i nana i tiyon påtgon ni lañan niyok." = "The mother rubbed coconut oil on the kid's stomach."
"Hokkok eyu i pinalai-mu cream cheese." = "Your cream cheese spread is all gone."

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Palåbran 03/26/09: Ilek


Ilek
: (verb) Say, said, stated.

Note: Ilek is a derivative form of the verb ålok (to state). It must be used with a possessive suffix: -hu, -mu, -ña, -ta, -mami, -miyu, -ñiha.

Uses:

"Håfa ilek-mu?" = "What did you say?"
"Ilek-ña si Maria na gaige i yabi gi lamasa." = "Maria said the key is on the table."
"Ti hu gof komprende i ilelek-ñiha." = "I didn't really understand what they were saying."

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Palåbran 03/25/09: Långnga'

långnga': (adjective/adverb) Agape, hold mouth agape.

Note: Most times this word is used to refer to a person being in a daze, acting lethargic, or even to mean "retarded."

Uses:

"På'go ha' makmåta gue', ya fa'na'an långnga' gue'." = "She just woke up and it's like she's in a daze."
"Kalan lumålångnga' yo." = "It's like I'm in a lethargy."
"Måtan långnga' hao!" = "You look stupid!"

Sorry, I know it's not the nicest word, but I guess there are words like this in every language.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Palåbran 03/24/09

rikohi: (verb) Gather, collect, assemble, convene, congregate, bring together.

Uses:

"Ha rikohi i lahi todu i acho' ya ha na'suha." = "The man gathered and removed all the rocks."
"Ma rikokohi i dos famagu'on i hagon ni ka'guas." = "The two children are collecting the leaves with the rake."
"Matago' si Juan na u rikohi i basula." = "John was told to gather the trash."

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Palåbran 03/23/09: Inaflitu

Inaflitu: (noun) Fried food, a dish of anything fried.

Uses:

"Mama'tinas yo' inafliton hineksa'." = "I made some fried rice."
"Gof månnge' i inafliton SPAM." = "Fried SPAM is delicious."
"Hafa ga'ña-mu: Estufao pat inafliton månnok?" = "What do you prefer: Estufao or fried chicken?"

Friday, March 20, 2009

Palåbran 03/20/09: Hågon

Hågon: (noun) Leaf, foliage, frond.

Uses:

"Mambonitu i hagon poinsettia." = "The leaves of poinsettias are pretty."
"Mamopoddong påpa' i hagon i tronku." = "The leaves are falling off the tree."
"Manhågon esta i dinekko'." = "The sprout is bearing leaves."

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Palåbran 03/19/09: Nåya

Nåya: (adverb) Yet, for a while, for a second, for a minute, for a moment.

Uses:

"Nangga fan nåya." = "Please wait for a moment."
"Cha'-mu humanao nåya." = "Don't go yet."
"Mannanangga ha' nåya." = "He's still waiting for it."

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Palåbran 03/18/09: Ina

Ina: (verb) To illuminate; to spot with light; to shine on.

Uses:

"Ha ina i pilan i chalan-ña." = "The moon shined on his path."
"Ma'ina i halomtåno' ni guålåfon gi puengi." = "The jungle was illuminated at night by the full moon."
"Hu ina i makinan kåreta ni kandet." = "I shined the light on the car engine."

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Palåbran 03/17/09: Gimen

Gimen:
(verb) Drink, imbibe, sip, lap, quaff.
(noun) Beverage, drink.

Note: Gimen is also a classification marker, i.e., it's used to form possessives when referring to drinks.

Uses:
(verb)
"Gumigimen yo' coke." = "I was drinking coke."
"Manggimen i famagu'on chugo' kåhet gi ega'an." = "The children drank orange juice in the morning."
"Mama'tinas i nana gimen chokolåti para u fanggimen i famagu'on." = "The mother made some chocolate drink for the kids to drink.

(noun/classifier)
"Kao gimen-mu este?" = "Is this your drink?"
"Guåha esta gimen-hu Dr. Pepper." = "I already have a Dr. Pepper."
"Håfa na klåsen gimen finahan-mu." = "What kind of drinks did you buy?"

Monday, March 16, 2009

Palåbran 03/16/09: Talo'

Talo': (noun) Center, central point of anything, middle.

Uses:
"Gaige i lamasa gi talo' i dos siyas gi sala." = "The table is between (in the middle of) the two chairs in the livingroom."
"Si Juan i talo' na påtgon." = "John is the middle child."
"Si Jose gi akague, si Luis gi agapa', yan hågu gi talo'." = "Joe is on the left, Luis is on the right, and you are in the middle."


Note: In the first sentence, I could have (probably should have) used entalo', which means between or among. :-)

Friday, March 13, 2009

Palåbran 03/13/09: Dimålas

Dimålas: (adjective) Having misfortune, mischance, adversity, or bad luck.

Uses:

"Dimålas si Juan, bula chetnot-ña." = "John is unfortunate, he is full of problems."
"Mandimålas i lalåhi gi gayera." = "The men had bad luck at the cockfight."
"Dimålas gue' gi hinanao-ña." = "He was unlucky on his journey."

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Palåbran 03/12/09: Appleng

Appleng: (adjective) Sprained, dislocated, twisted muscle or bone.

Note: Appleng is also used to mean an improper form of language, or slangy, markedly colloquial form of speech.

Uses:

"Ti siña gue' mamokkat, sa' appleng i patas-ña." = "She can't walk, because she sprained her foot/ankle."
"Hekkua' hafa ilelek-ña si Maria... gof appleng i kumentos-ña." = "I have no clue what Maria was saying... her speech is really incomprehensible."
"Ai! Hu dossok si Juan ya appleng i kalalot-hu på'go." = "Ow! I poked John and now my finger got twisted/sprained."

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Palåbran 03/11/09: Odda'

Odda': (noun) Soil, ground, dirt.

Uses:

"Såffe i edda' gi katsunes-mu." = "Brush the dirt off your pants."
"Mi'edda' i gualo'-ña, maolek ha' manånom." = "His farm has lots of soil (not rocky), it's good for planting."
"Sigi ya un bålle i edda gi patiu." = "Go an sweep the dirt on the patio."

Remember the "vowel harmony" thing: i + odda' => i edda'

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Palåbran 03/10/09: Guåssan

Guåssan: (verb) To cut grass, to cut or trim weeds, to weed using a Chamorro hoe (fusiños).

Uses:

"Munga yo' gumuåssan i santatten guma', sa' puru ha' chå'guan." = "I don't want to weed the back yard, because it's full of weeds."
"Ha guåssan i hatdin-ña." = "She weeded her garden."
"Manmangguåssan i lancheru siha gi gualo'." = "The farmers are weeding at the farm."

Monday, March 9, 2009

Palåbran 03/09/09: Kombida

Kombida: (verb) Invite.

Uses:
"Ha kombida i patgon i mangga'chong-ña todus para i fiestan kumple åños-ña." = "The kid invited all his friends to his birthday party."
"Kao para un kombida si Juan?" = "Are you going to invite John?"
"Ma kombida yo' para i gipot." = "They invited me to the party."

Friday, March 6, 2009

Palåbran 03/06/09: Echong

echong: (adjective) Crooked, curved, bent, arched.

Uses:
"Ai na'ma'ase' eyu na guma', gof echong i atof-ña." = "That house is pathetic, its roof is very bent."
"Måtto gi echong i chinachåk-ña si Juan. " = "The thing that John cut is extremely crooked."
"Kumåkåti si Maria, sa' echong madassai-ña ya ti siña mana'tunas." = "Maria is crying, because her hair cut is crooked and can't be made straight."