amazed, astonished, marvel

The Greek that is translated as “astonished” or “amazed” or “marvel” in English is translated in Pwo Karen as “stand up very tall.” (In John 5:20, source: David Clark)

Elsewhere it is translated as “confusing the inside of the head” (Mende), “shiver in the liver” (Uduk, Laka), “to lose one’s heart” (Mískito, Tzotzil), “to shake” (Southern Bobo Madaré), “to be with mouth open” (Panao Huánuco Quechua) (source: Bratcher / Nida), “to stand with your mouth open” (Citak) (source: Stringer 2007, p. 120), “ceasing to think with the heart” (Bulu), or “surprise in the heart” (Yamba) (source for this and one above: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. ).

In Mark 5:20 and elsewhere where the astonishment is a response to listening to Jesus, the translation is “listened quietly” in Central Tarahumara, “they forgot listening” (because they were so absorbed in what they heard that they forgot everything else) in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, “it was considered very strange by them” in Tzeltal (source: Bratcher / Nida), “in glad amazement” (to distinguish it from other kinds of amazement) (Quetzaltepec Mixe) (source: Robert Bascom), or “breath evaporated” (Mairasi) (source: Enngavoter 2004).

In Western Dani astonishment is emphasized with direct speech. In Mark 1:22, for instance, it says: “Wi!” yinuk, pi wareegwaarak — “They were all amazed, saying ‘Oh'” (source: Lourens De Vries in The Bible Translator 1992, p. 333ff. )

In Low German it is translated as grote Oken maken or “make big eyes” (sometime followed by: un kreegn dat Stillswiegen: “and became silent”) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

See also amazed and astonished.

complete verse (Acts 2:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:12:

  • Uma: “They were all surprised and confused, and they asked one another, they said: ‘What do you think really is the meaning of this?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They were greatly amazed and they were confused/perplexed that’s why they asked each other, they said, ‘What does this mean?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And all the people there, they were very surprised because they didn’t understand what was going on, and it couldn’t be finished, their asking each other, ‘What might this be?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “What does this mean to say?’ they said, questioning-each-other, because they were extremely amazed and their thinking-about-it was difficult.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “All of them there, they were really amazed and their minds/thinking were agitated. They were saying, ‘What does this mean?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)