sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation). Likewise, in Toposa all the different bodies of water are all called by one term as well: nya-name̥ (source: Schröder 2026, p. 101).

In Malagasy culture, the sea is perceived as sacred because it was a path taken by the ancestors. That is why the Malagasy word for the “sea” is ranomasina, which literally means “the sacred water.” The word masina actually has two different meanings: “salted” and “sacred/holy.” Salt is used for the conservation of some foods, such as meat or fish, that are to be set aside for later use. In this sense, the Malagasy phrase for “Holy Spirit” has the literal meaning of “Salted Spirit.” (Source: Brigitte Rabarijaona in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 103ff.)

“Sea” (or: “ocean”) is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “water land” and in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac as “very big lake.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 4:23

Then Judas returned to plunder the camp: Good News Bible may be followed here, but it must be clear to the reader that Judas is returning with his men; Judas is not plundering the camp alone. Other possible models are “Judas and his men returned to plunder the enemy camp” and “Judas and his men then went back to the enemy camp and he let his soldiers take [or, seize] whatever they wanted.”

And they seized much gold and silver, and cloth dyed blue and sea purple, and great riches: Sea purple refers to a dye made from Mediterranean shellfish. It was scarce, and cloth dyed with it was expensive. There were different shades, but the most sought after is described as the dark color of congealed blood. Cloth dyed blue and sea purple may be rendered “cloth dyed with a blue color and with a dark blood color.” And great riches may be translated “and other rich plunder” (Good News Bible) or “and other expensive things.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.