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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 (Mark 9:17)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 9:17:
- Uma: “One of the many people said: ‘Teacher, here’s my child, I brought him for you (sing.) to heal. He can’t talk for he is indwelt by an evil-spirit.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Someone from the crowd answered, he said, ‘Sir, I have brought this my child here to you because he is possessed by a demon that causes him to be dumb.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And one of the many people answered and said, ‘My male child who cannot speak because he is afflicted with a demon, I brought him here to be cured.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “‘Sir teacher,’ said one, answering. ‘I brought koma my child to you (sing.), because an evil-spirit possessed him making him dumb.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “One person answered who was there in that crowd. He said, ‘Teacher, I was bringing my son here to you (sing.) for he is mad/possessed. He really can’t form his words.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)