Language-specific Insights

footstool

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is typically translated as “footstool” in English is translated as “(put your enemies) underneath your feet like grass” in Enxet. (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)

In Upper Guinea Crioulo it is “(put your enemies) under your feet so you can rest your feet on them.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )

In Whitesands is is “door-cloth.” “This would be that rag at the door that you use to wipe your feet after walking in the dirt or mud. Similar to a doormat. The point of comparison would be that a door rag is so low in value/position compared to the one using it.” (Source: Greg Carlson)

Non-metaphorical ways to translate this include:

  • Chuj: “become ruler above”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “humble (your enemies)”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “give authority to gain the victory over (your enemies)”
  • Morelos Nahuatl: “deliver (your enemies) into your hands”
  • Rincón Zapotec: “make (your enemies) subject to you” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)