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 2 Esdras 4:15

And in like manner the waves of the sea also made a plan and said: This quote frame may be rendered “At the same time the waves of the sea also made a plan, and said to each other.”

Come, let us go up and subdue the forest of the plain: Good News Bible says simply “Let’s conquer the woods.” The verbs Come and go up are used to initiate an action, so Good News Bible leaves them untranslated (compare verse 14). In this context the verb subdue means to “flood” (Contemporary English Version). The forest of the plain may be rendered simply “the forest” (Contemporary English Version; see the comments on verse 13).

So that there also we may gain more territory for ourselves: More territory may be translated “more space” or “more room.”

Contemporary English Version provides the following helpful model for this verse:

• At exactly the same time, the waves of the sea were saying to each other, “Let’s flood the forest, so we can have more room.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.