virgin

The Hebrew and Greek that is mostly translated as “virgin” in English can be translated as “woman that is untouched” in Batak Toba or “a woman with a whole (i.e. unopened) body” in Uab Meto.

“Similar words for ‘girl,’unmarried young woman,’ suggesting virginity without explicitly stating it, are found in Marathi, Apache, or Kituba. Cultural features naturally influence connotations of possible renderings, for instance, the child marriage customs in some Tboli areas, where the boy and girl are made to sleep together at the initial marriage, but after that do not live together and may not see each other again for years. Hence, the closest attainable equivalent, ‘female adolescent,’ does not imply that a young girl is not living with her husband, and that she never had a child, but leaves uncertain whether she has ever slept with a male person or not. Accordingly, in Luke one has to depend on Luke 1:34 to make clear that Mary and Joseph had not had sexual intercourse. A different problem is encountered in Pampanga, where birhen (an adaptation of Spanish virgen — ‘virgin’), when standing alone, is a name of the ‘Virgin Mary.’ To exclude this meaning the version uses “marriageable birhen,” thus at the same time indicating that Mary was relatively young.” (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel, see here)

In Navajo (Dinė), the term that is used is “no husband yet” (Source: Wallis, p. 106) and in Gola the expression “trouser girl.” “In the distant past young women who were virgins wore trousers. Those who were not virgins wore dresses. That doesn’t hold true anymore, but the expression is still there in the language.” (Source: Don Slager)

The term in Djimini Senoufo is katogo jo — “village-dance-woman” (women who have been promised but who are still allowed to go to dances with unmarried women). (Source: Übersetzung heute 3/1995)

In Igbo translations, typically a newly-created, multi-word phrase is used that very explicitly states that there has not been any sexual relations and that translates as “a woman (or: maiden) who does not know a man.” This is in spite of the fact that there is a term (agb͕ọghọ) that means “young woman” and has the connotation of her not having had sexual relations (this is for instance used by the Standard Igbo Bible of the Bible Society of Nigeria for Isaiah 7:14). Incidentally, the euphemistic expression “know” (ma in Igbo) for “having sex” has become a well-known euphemism outside of Bible translation. (Source: Uchenna Oyali in Sociolinguistic Studies Vol. 17 No. 1-3 (2023): Special Issue: Gender and sexuality in African discourses )

In Chichewa, it is translated as namwali which is used to refer to a girl who has reached puberty stage and is ready to get married. Apart from the physical aspect, the word also has social implications in the sense that it is used to recognize the fact that the girl has become responsible enough to make informed decisions and take care of herself and others. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also virgins (Revelation 14:4) and complete verse (Matthew 1:23).

complete verse (Exodus 22:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 22:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “If a man deceives a girl who is still a virgin until (he) sleeps with (her), he should marry (her) and pay dowry.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If a man seduces a girl who is not engaged to anyone, and sleeps with her, he must pay the bribe price and he is to marry her.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘If a man has-seduced a young-lady who is- not yet -pledged-to-be-married/not-engaged, and he had-sexual-relations with her, the man must pay to the family of the woman the payment for taking-a-wife, and then he is-to-marry the woman.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “God spoke again like this, ‘If a man puts pressure on a young woman who hasn’t slept with anyone yet, and they haven’t chosen that woman in advance for marrying anyone else, but that man sleeps with her, he must bring bride-wealth objects to that woman’s father. And when it’s done, then he will marry her.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “«If a man seduce maiden, and they lay with her, let him give father money he must have her as his wife.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “‘If a man persuades a girl/woman to have sex with him, a girl/woman who is a virgin/has never had sex with any man and who is not engaged to be married, he must pay the bride price for her and marry her.” (Source: Translation for Translators)