TODAY'S CHAMORRO WORD : PULAN

simondrax.com

PULAN : the moon / to watch over / month

This word shows our connection with the very big family of Austronesians!
The following all mean "moon."

CHAMORRO	PULAN
YAPESE	PUUL
ILOKANO	BULAN
CEBUANO	BULAN
INDONESIAN	BULAN
PALAUAN	BUIL
FIJIAN	VULA

Pulan is indigenous Chamorro, and related to hundreds of other Pacific languages, as seen above.  Because the moon "watches" over us at night, the same word for "moon" is used for "watch over."

Since the moon goes through a cycle (new moon to full moon to new moon again), ancient people started to mark time with the phases of the moon.  The word "month" comes from "moon," and so pulan is also used in Chamorro for "month."

Ma'lak i pilan.  The moon is bright.

Såhe i pilan.  It's a new moon.

Pulan i patgon!  Watch the child!

På'go na pulan. This month.

Åmbres i pilan yanggen sumåhe / guåha na triste sumåhi-ña

kuåstaria i kilisyåno / yanggen guåha piniti-ña.

Ya dalai nene / ya ti un siesiente

i manåddung / i manåddung siha na inigong!

(Even the moon when it waxes / at times is sad

what must be the person / who carries some pain.

How could it be, sweetheart / that you don't sense

the deep / deep groaning!)

With pulan, you get THREE for the price of ONE : moon, watch over, month.