teach

The Greek that is translated as a form of “teach” is translated with some figurative phrases such as “to engrave the mind” (Ngäbere) or “to cause others to imitate” (Huichol). (Source: Bratcher / Nida)

In Noongar it is translated as karni-waangki or “truth saying” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

human head hair

The Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew that is translated as “hair” in English is translated in Tzeltal as stsotsil sjol (Tzeltal de Oxchuc y Tenejapa) / stsotsel sjol (Tzeltal Bachajón): “blanket for the head.” (Source: Slocum / Watkins 1988, p. 35)

See also hair (body hair) and hairy (like Esau).

complete verse (1 Corinthians 11:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 11:14:

  • Uma: “For example if a man has long hair, usually we say it isn’t at all fitting.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (incl.) know that from the beginning it is shameful if a man has long hair,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because beginning from a long time ago, we (incl.) know that it’s shameful for a man to have long hair like a woman.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Even according to the original thinking of people, we understand that it is fitting if a woman’s head is headclothed. Because if a man’s hair is very-long, he is caused-shame, but if by-contrast a woman’s hair is very-long, that’s what makes-her -more-beautiful, because that’s what God gave her as a covering for her head.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Is it not so that our common-knowledge/custom is that it is shameful for a man to cause his hair to be long,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “You see how it is what people everywhere do, it being apparent that men say it is shameful if his hair is long.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Corinthians 11:14

11:14a Doesn’t nature itself teach you

Surely the very nature of things shows you (plur.)
-or-
You (plur.) can see

11:14b that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

that if a man has long hair it is shameful/dishonorable,
-or-
that if men have long hair it brings them shame,

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