The Hebrew in Genesis 1:2 that is translated as “(the) deep” in English is translated in Luba-Lulua as “a very deep hole in which there is water.” (Source: Jan Sterk)
In the Swabian 2007 translation by Rudolf Paul it is translated as Urmeer or “primordial ocean.”
Cultures and languages equate different parts of the human body with the seat of the mind. Following is a theoretical framework that categorizes different approaches:
“[We] use the word ‘mind’ as a shorthand term for ‘ways of knowing, thinking, and feeling’ of which different cultures, or different periods of the same culture, may have different understandings. (…) Cultural models of the mind and more scientific approaches in philosophy and/or medicine have in various cultures invoked central parts of the human body as the locus of the mind. The major loci have been the abdomen region, the heart region and the head region or, more particularly, the brain region. These three types of conceptualizations can be labeled ‘abdominocentrism’, ‘cardiocentrism’, and ‘cerebrocentrism’ (or ‘cephalocentrism’), respectively. These three labels only intend to capture the idea that the region in question is the main centre, which does not exclude a similar role for body parts in other regions.”
(Source: Sharifian, Farzad et al. (eds.) Culture, Body, and Language: Conceptualizations of Internal Body Organs across Cultures and Languages. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, 2008. p. 3f.)
Equally, and related to that, the seat of emotions is located in many different, culture-specific parts of the body. Bratcher / Nida (p. 78) say: “Though the heart is spoken of in the Bible as the center of intellectual and emotive elements of human experience, in other languages the heart may have no such value. In some languages the corresponding centers are the viscera (Western Kanjobal), the liver (Laka), the stomach (Uduk), the gall (Toraja-Sa’dan) and the head (Anuak), though in the neighboring Shilluk demons may be in one’s head, but the liver and heart are the center of most other psychological activities. Whether one is to use ‘heart’ or some other part or organ of the body depends entirely upon the manner in which in any language such psychological experiences are described.”
The Greek that is often translated in English as “end of the age” or “end of the world” is translated in Amele as “the end of the world time,” in Dobel as “the end of the world as it is now,” and in Luwo as” Day of God’s judgement” (in Matt. 13:39-40) or “as the end of the present world/earth” (in Matt. 13:49; 24:3 and 28:20). (Sources: Joseph Modesto (Luwo), John Roberts (Amele), Jock Hughes (Dobel))
In the German translation by Fridolin Stier (1989) it is translated as “the complete end (or: “the very end”) of the world time” (das Voll-Ende der Weltzeit).
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:24:
Uma: “‘So, at that time, when that time of suffering has passed, all the powerful things in the sky will be shaken. The sun will turn dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will drop from the sky.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘Then in those days,’ said Isa, ‘when those difficulties are finished, the sun will become dark, and the moon will no longer shine.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And after that time of suffering is over, the sun will not shine and the moon also will not glow.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘When that time of hardship is finished, right after that the sun will-become-dark and the moon will not shine.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “When that hardship is ended, the sun will darken and the moon won’t shine either.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “Jisas told them another talk, ‘Look, at that time (when) that big heavy has finished the sun will become dark and the moon will not shine.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:25:
Uma: “‘So, at that time, when that time of suffering has passed, all the powerful things in the sky will be shaken. The sun will turn dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will drop from the sky.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The stars will fall from the sky and the different-kinds in the sky will leave their places.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the stars in the sky will fall, and everything in heaven shall be shaken.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The many-stars will also fall and all that is in the sky will be shaken.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The stars will fall from the sky/heaven, for the whole sky/heavens will be caused to quake/tremble by the strength of the supernatural-power of God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “And then the stars will pluck out of the sky and fall down, and the strong doings that sit in the sky will tremble,’ he said.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 4:5:
Noongar: “Then the Devil took him up. In one moment, he saw everything, all the countries of all the kings of the World.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “After that, the King of Evil-ones carried him going to a high place. In just the blinking of an eye he showed him all the kingdoms in the world,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then Isa was taken by the leader of demons up to a very high place and he showed him all the places/countries in the world in one-shutting of the eye.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Satan took Jesus to a very high mountain and in a wink of an eye he showed him all of the kingdoms here on the earth.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When that was finished, then the Diablo led him to a high place and in-a-moment showed him all the nations in the world.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Another thing Satanas did was he caused Jesus to accompany him to a high mountain. And then he caused him to view in one glance all the kingdoms here under the heavens.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “And when it was done then he took him so that they ascended and went to an area very high up, and then quickly he showed him the big areas of all the great chiefs on earth.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “The Enemy (then) took Jesus along to the top of a certain hill/cliff and showed him in a vision/revelation all the countries.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “Then the malevolent spirit took Yesus to a very high place on top of a tall mountain. Then he quickly showed Him every village where kings ruled in the world.” (Source Enggavoter 2004)
Amele: “And then Seten took Jisas and they (dual) went up the mountain and very quickly he showed Jisas all the ground kingdoms.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 5:19:
Noongar: “But because of the crowd, they could not see a way to carry him inside the house. So they carried him up to the roof. They made a hole in the roof, and lowered his bed into the middle of the people in front of Jesus.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “But they could not all manage to enter, because the people were very crowded/tight. That is why they climbed the stairs carrying their companion going to the top of the house, they took off the roof and they lowered him with his stretcher going in front of Yesus in the midst of the people.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But because of the many people, there was no way for them, therefore they went up on the flat roof of the house and made an opening in the roof. Then they lowered the sick man on his lying-down-place into the center of the people before Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But since the people were so tightly packed there at the house, there was no way to pass that person there. So they went up on the roof and they made a hole in the roof above Jesus, and the hammock where the paralyzed person was lying, they lowered down in the middle of the people where Jesus was.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “but they absolutely couldn’t because-of the crowded-in people. So they climbed-up-with him on the roof and removed some of the roofing. After that they lowered what the cripple was lying on until it/he was set-down in the middle of the people right in front of Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But they couldn’t pass through because it was full of people. Therefore what they did was, they went up on the flat roof of that house and then made a hole in it, for they passed that man they were carrying through it and lowered him down, still on what he was lying on. They lowered him right into the presence of Jesus, there in the middle of that crowd.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “However because the men were pressed together they did not see a road to carry and go into the room of the house. Because of not they took him and climbed up the ladder to the top of the house and pulled open the top of the house and as they held and as he lay in the stretcher they fastened with a vine and let and went down vertically little by little went down went down and as Jisas stood in the middle of the group of men went down vertically and lay in his face (in front of him). ” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:
Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Hiri Motu: “cut the skin” (source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1079)
Garifuna: “cut off part of that which covers where one urinates”
Bribri: “cut the soft” (source for this and the one above: Ronald Ross)
Amele: deweg cagu qoc — “cut the body” (source: John Roberts)
Eastern Highland Otomi: “cut the flesh of the sons like Moses taught” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
Newari: “put the sign in one’s body” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
