Open johnbent opened 2 years ago
jimgeselbracht@yahoo.com replied,
From the context and a parenthetical translation on the sign, I gather that klaiser means "rail" (as in train rail on railroad tracks). This is from a historical preservation sign in Ngardmau:
Tiang el olsechall el lambang er ngii a B:NR-5:12, a deel el klaiser el mle rolel a train (karrong / me a mle ochil a karrong) me a lakemotib [locomotive] el ngat er a ked er a Ngardmau el mle usbechall er a mla er ngii el urreor er a chidudes er a taem er a Siabal ... Ngar er ngii a bebil er aika el klaiser [rails] el miltemall er a chelsel a mekemad (WW-2).
Any idea where the word comes from? It sounds German, but the German word for rail is "schiene."
palau371@gmail.com replied,
when was the railroad built? i was there and made some pics of this sign, but i cannot see it now.
jimgeselbracht@yahoo.com replied,
The bauxite mining occurred from 1940 to 1943. You can see a photo of the sign here:  http://hellaholler.com/ouchacha/20180323_153313.jpg
jlukesemiwo@gmail.com replied,
I also think "klaiser" refers to the steel tracks... I guess mining carts
tracks...
I know of some in Ngeremlengui and Ngatpang and I hear the older people refer to them as klaiser...
palau371@gmail.com replied,
>> The bauxite mining occurred from 1940 to 1943.
in this case I wouldn't seek its origin in German. it could have sense only if Germans used railroads in Angaur...
in accordance with the Palauan language rules the word can be split as:
1) k<l>aiser;
2) kl-aiser
but I don't know Japanese that's why I cannot propose any Japanese version
jlukesemiwo@gmail.com replied,
What if klaiser came from a German steel company? Then Palauans started
referring to the steel/metal structure as klaiser... And the word stuck
around and was used up to and including the Japan bauxite mining period...
What if it was a company named Glacier? I Googled and there's a Glacier Steel company in the US. :)
J
johnbent@gmail.com replied,
Very smart to think of glacier!
palau371@gmail.com replied,
I would agree with Jelga, because the word really sounds German-style. Kaiser is a German word for 'Emperor'. if there was any Emperor company that made railroads, the name for rails could be reanalyzed as 'something made by kaiser's errand', i.e. klaiser.
klaiser created by jimgeselbracht@yahoo.com on 2018-12-12 14:36:12