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formal pronoun: common people addressing Jesus
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, the crowd (or individuals within the crowd) addresses Jesus with the formal pronoun, expressing respect.
complete verse (Luke 9:40)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 9:40:
- Nyongar: “I begged your disciples to tell the evil spirit to go away, but they could not do that. It would not go away.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
- Uma: “I requested your (sing.) disciples to cause-to-go-out/expel that evil-one, but they were not able.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “I have asked your disciples here to drive out the demon but they are not able to drive him out.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I begged your disciples that they cure him, but they could not.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “I begged your (sing.) disciples to cause-the evil-spirit -to-leave, but they weren’t able.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “I was asking help for him from your disciples, that they would drive out this one possessing/making-him -crazy but they can’t do it.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
disciple
The Greek that is often translated as “disciple” in English typically follows three types of translation: (1) those which employ a verb ‘to learn’ or ‘to be taught’, (2) those which involve an additional factor of following, or accompaniment, often in the sense of apprenticeship, and (3) those which imply imitation of the teacher.
Following are some examples (click or tap for details):
- Ngäbere: “word searcher”
- Yaka: “one who learned from Jesus”
- Navajo, Western Highland Purepecha, Tepeuxila Cuicatec, Lacandon: “one who learned”
- San Miguel El Grande Mixtec: “one who studied with Jesus”
- Northern Grebo: “one Jesus taught”
- Toraja-Sa’dan: “child (i.e., follower) of the master”
- Indonesian: “pupil”
- Central Mazahua: “companion whom Jesus taught”
- Kipsigis, Loma, Copainalá Zoque: “apprentice” (implying continued association and learning)
- Cashibo-Cacataibo: “one who followed Jesus”
- Huautla Mazatec: “his people” (essentially his followers and is the political adherents of a leader)
- Highland Puebla Nahuatl: based on the root of “to imitate” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
- Chol: “learner” (source: Larson 1998, p. 107)
- Waorani: “one who lives following Jesus” (source: Wallis 1973, p. 39)
- Ojitlán Chinantec: “learner” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Javanese: “pupil” or “companion” (“a borrowing from Arabic that is a technical term for Mohammed’s close associates”)
- German: Jünger or “younger one” (source for this and one above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022). “student” or “special student” (using the traditional German term Gnade)
- Nyongar: ngooldjara-kambarna or “friend-follow” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as apprentice.
In Luang several terms with different shades of meaning are being used.
- For Mark 2:23 and 3:7: maka nwatutu-nwaye’a re — “those that are taught” (“This is the term used for ‘disciples’ before the resurrection, while Jesus was still on earth teaching them.”)
- For Acts 9:1 and 9:10: makpesiay — “those who believe.” (“This is the term used for believers and occasionally for the church, but also for referring to the disciples when tracking participants with a view to keeping them clear for the Luang readers. Although Greek has different terms for ‘believers’, ‘brothers’, and ‘church’, only one Luang word can be used in a given episode to avoid confusion. Using three different terms would imply three different sets of participants.”)
- For Acts 6:1: mak lernohora Yesus wniatutunu-wniaye’eni — “those who follow Jesus’ teaching.” (“This is the term used for ‘disciples’ after Jesus returned to heaven.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
In American Sign Language it is translated with a combination of the signs for “following” plus the sign for “group.” (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“disciples” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor