brothers

“Brothers” has to be translated into Naro as “younger brothers and older brothers” (Tsáá qõea xu hẽé / naka tsáá kíí). All brothers are included this way, also because of the kind of plural that has been used. (Source: Gerrit van Steenbergen)

This also must be more clearly defined in Yucateco as older or younger (suku’un or Iits’in), but here there are both older and younger brothers. Yucateco does have a more general word for close relative, family member. (Source: Robert Bascom)

brother (older brother)

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “brother” in English is translated in Kwere as sekulu, in Elhomwe as mbalaawo´, and in Mandarin Chinese as gēgē (哥哥), both “older brother.”

Note that Kwere also uses lumbu — “older sibling” in some cases. (Source for Kwere and Elhomwe: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext; Chinese: Jost Zetzsche)

See also older brother (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (Genesis 37:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 37:12:

  • Kankanaey: “There was one-occasion that the siblings of Jose went to Sekem to go pasture their animals there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “One day while Joseph’s elder brothers went to Shechem to graze sheep,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “One day back-then, the siblings of Jose went to Shekem in-order to-watch-over the animals of their father.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “One day Joseph’s older brothers went to take care of their father’s sheep and goats that were eating grass near Shechem.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 37:12

Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem: Now is transitional. His brothers refers to Joseph’s brothers. Pasture … flocks means to guard, tend, or care for the sheep and goats while they graze. The murderous events that took place in Shechem (see chapter 34) seem to have been forgotten. Note how Good News Translation opens this episode with “One day when…” and makes verse 13 the main clause.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .