happiness / joy

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.

Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions, rejoiced greatly / celebrated, the Mossi translation of “righteous”, and joy.

messenger

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

complete verse (1 Samuel 11:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 11:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “Those people who had come from Jabesh were told to inform their people that, ‘We shall come and rescue you tomorrow and that will be the time when the sun is hot.’ When that message reached the people of Jabesh, they were very happy.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They said to the messengers [lit.: the people who came to do the news], "Speak like this to the people of Jabesh-gilead, ‘At midday tomorrow while the sunlight is burning, your salvation will take place.’ " When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard that news, they were very happy.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They said to the messengers of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tell your (plur.) fellowmen/countrymen that they will-be-saved tomorrow at noon.’ When the messengers told this to their fellowmen/countrymen they (were) very happy.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Saul sent messengers back to the people at Jabesh to tell them, ‘We will rescue/save you by noontime tomorrow.’ When the people of Jabesh heard that message, they were very joyful/happy.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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. )