formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In Nepali translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and other people with the medium honorific pronoun timīlē (तिमीले) or timīlēharū (तिमीलेहरू). His disciples respond with a high honorific pronoun. (Source: Chitra Chhetri in The Bible Translator 2009, p. 73ff. )

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

See also formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese).

grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “wheat”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).

Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “millet” (Lambya) (source: project-specific notes in Paratext), “food” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext) or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

truly truly - I tell you

The Greek that is often translated in English as “truly, truly, I tell you” or similar is translated in the Russian BTI translation (publ. 2015) as Поверьте Мне (Pover’te Mne) or “trust me.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Amen.

complete verse (John 12:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:24:

  • Uma: “These my words are very true: I may be compared to rice. If rice is not planted in the ground and covered up like a dead-person, it just [will stay] the same. But if it is planted, its fruit will be much.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Truly I tell you, that one grain of seed remains just one grain as long as it is not put in the soil. But when it is put in the soil already, figuratively like it has died and is buried, na then it sprouts and has much fruit.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It is very true what I say to you, that if a seed is not buried in the earth, it cannot have offspring. And if it is buried and it sprouts, it will bear much fruit. I am the same way because if I die, many will be given new life.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Like what happens to a seed. Because this that I tell you is true that if a seed is not planted in order to thus rot and sprout, it will remain-unchanged only-one. But if it is planted and rots, then it will sprout and will bear-much -fruit.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “This is the truth which I am saying to you, an illustration of me is, like planting-seed. As for planting-seed, when it’s planted it’s like it will die because it will rot, but that’s how it will become many. But if it isn’t planted, it’s only by itself.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Truly I tell you that it is necessary that I be killed in order that many will find the new life. It is like a seed of wheat which remains just one seed when it isn’t placed in the ground. But when it is placed in the ground, the seed grows and much wheat is gathered at harvest.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

    • Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:24:
    (In many languages it is necessary to avoid using the word ‘die’ because a dead seed will not grow.)

  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “Truly I tell you, if a grain of wheat is planted, the grain perishes when the plant comes up, but then many grains of wheat are produced. But the grain remains alone if it does not perish and come up as a plant. Also in that manner it is necessary that I die so that my people may multiply.”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “This is the truth. If a seed is going to give its fruit, it is necessary that it be buried in the earth. And when it is buried, first it appears as if it were destroyed, but later it will give its fruit. And thus also it will happen to me when I am buried. ” (Source for this and one above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

Note: “In many languages it is necessary to avoid using the word ‘die’ because a dead seed will not grow.” (Source: John Beekman)

wheat

Two kinds of wild wheat have grown in the open deciduous oak woodland in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent for several thousand years: Einkorn Wheat Triticum monococcum and Emmer Wheat Triticum dicoccum. Both came into cultivation together with barley. Just before the time of the Romans, the Naked Bread Wheat or Hard Wheat Triticum durum started replacing the hulled varieties. This then became the favorite type of wheat for bread and macaroni. Spelt is a sub-member of the Triticum aestivum species.

In New Revised Standard Version, updated edition and some other versions, the generic Hebrew word bar has been rendered “wheat” in Jeremiah 23:28 et al. This is legitimate, since the grain referred to by bar was probably wheat. However, it might be better to say “grain” in these passages.

The most important early wheat for the Israelites was emmer, probably the only wheat known in Egypt, and referred to in Hebrew as chittah. However, according to Hepper (Baker Encyclopedia of Bible Plants: Flowers and Trees, Fruits and Vegetables, Ecology. Baker Book House, 1992), the seven-headed wheat of the Egyptian king’s dream (Genesis 41:5ff.) suggests that there may also have been Triticum turgidum (rivet wheat) in the emmer group. The Hebrew word kusemeth probably refers to a type of emmer wheat that the Egyptians called swt.

Wheat is a type of grass like rice and barley, growing to around 75 centimeters (2.5 feet) in height and having a head with many small grains in rows.

Bread made from wheat was the staple food for the people of ancient Israel, so God punished them by breaking “the staff of bread” (see, for example, Ezekiel 4:16).

If wheat is unfamiliar, translators can transliterate from a major language in non-rhetorical contexts (for example, English witi, Portuguese trigo, French ble or froment, Swahili ngano, Arabic kama/alkama). The transliteration may add a generic tag such as “grain.” The New Testament passages are mostly rhetorical, opening the possibility for a metaphorical equivalent.

Wheat head, photo by Gloria Suess

Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps 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. )