I wrote this Translation and Commentary with the intention of releasing this in individual parts. However, I recently began a new hobby - reading my own SubStack newsletters. They’re decent.
The only issue I found is that they’re too short.
I then considered realeasing them all in one go, but ran into a snag: Email length.
Typically, I turn on wifi in order to receive all the latest SubStacks, and then turn it off to avoid becoming terminally online. I can then read all my SubStacks offline. For this reason, I have split this in twain.
You don’t know it yet, but you already know part of this passage. You’ll see it next time.
(I did not plan it this way.)
The Fwe language is native to the Zambezi region of Namibia, and across the border in the Imusho, Sinjembela and Mutomena areas of Zambia. The Western boundary of the Fwe language is the Kwando River, which is also the border between Zambia and Angola.
The former name for the Zambezi region is the Caprivi Strip. You can see this on regional maps of Southern Africa. It’s that weird isthmus that hangs off the edge of Northern Namibia.
Fwe belongs to the Niger-Congo language family, the largest in the world (in terms of number of languages). Languages in this family are very difficult to classify – because they keep talking to each other.
Languages similar to Fwe include Shanjo, Mbalangwe, Subiya and Totela, with Shanjo being Fwe’s closest relative.
The Few language has around 15,000 speakers, and though this seems small, the language has a high vitality. Gunnink predicts that Fwe will settle into comfortable multi-lingualism for the short- to medium-term future.
An official Fwe Bible was being prepared when Gunnink wrote her grammar. I did not use this in my research.)
When writing this series, I did something I had not done before.
I began reading my own SubStack Posts (starting with the tail end of the Obadiah series).
They’re decent.
Here is my Fwe translation. If you want to read the whole passage all at once, you’ll have to open your own bibles.
Fwe.
18. Shake bantu bakakane namuzimbe nebwe nanja iye kafwi kucizyarwe árāra;
19. Haiba mbwananuke nayendaure hanje nenkori, námuŋati aracenesiwa – amwararihira enako, mani abūkite. Asa.
20. Shake muntu amuŋate murobe kapa mukentwe necishamu, okuteye afwise omwika nanje; eye arateresiwa.
21. Ashihar’ omwika zyuba kapa mabire, kary ararih’ omurandu: kakury omuntu cecintu. Asebeza.
22. Shake bakwesi bantu barwa nabamudama omusumba, iye amurēte mudana, nashashiremani: omukwame wakwe amwarahangura, narariha owina báwáàtura báàturi.
23. Shake amudamadame, waracincanina buhar’ obuharo,
24. Rinshw erinsho, rin’ erino, anj’ enja, tend’ etende,
25. citumbuk’ ecitumbuka, ciraby ecirabi, mubar’ omubara. Asanza.
Exodus 21:18
KJV: And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
Fwe. Shake bantu bakakane namuzimbe nebwe nanja iye kafwi kucizyarwe árāra;
if people argue with each other = shake bantu bakakane
shake = if
bantu = people
bakakane = they argue with each other
bantu people is the Plural of muntu person.
-ntu also appears in runtu pupil (eye), buntu humanity and cintu/zintu thing/things.
The Hebrew uses anasheem (אנשים) men.
Hebrew eesh (אים) = Fwe mukwame.
and one hits the other with a stone or a fist = namuzimbe nebwe nanja
namuzimbe = and he hits him
nebwe = with a stone
nanja = with (his) hand
The n- at the start of each word is called the Comitative Prefix.
Depending on context, it translates to English and or with.
Fwe has two words for stone cwe and bwe. They take the Plural forms macwe and mabwe respectively.
There are also kañundwe small pebble, mufwe sharpening stone and cifwe Fwe language and culture.
namuzimbe and he hits him has four components:
1. n- = and.
2. a- = he.
3. mu- = him.
4. zimbe = if hit/if swell.
The base verb kuzimba means both to hit and to swell.
Many arguments come from about from swollen egos.
so that he dies not, but is bedbound = iye kafwi kucizyarwe árāra
iye = so that
kafwi = he does not die
kucizyarwe = on his mat
árāra = as he lies
Fwe is a tonal language with a complex system of Tonal Harmony. I found this too difficult to wrap my head around. As a result, I avoid Tone Markers.
This sentence is one exception. This is why:
árāra = as s/he sleeps.
arāra = s/he sleeps.
árāra as he lies down comes from kurāra to lie down, to sleep.
English to spread a bed = Fwe kyuzara.
This is only one consonant away from ruzyara fingernail, claw.
The second man is clinging onto life with his fingernails. His clenched fists look more like claws to the small children gathered around what could become a death bed.
Exodus 21:19
KJV: If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
Fwe. Haiba mbwananuke nayendaure hanje nenkori, námuŋati aracenesiwa – amwararihira enako, mani abūkite. Asa.
if he stands up and walks outside with his staff = haiba mbwananuke nayendaure hanje nenkori
haiba = if
mbwananuke = he gets up
nayendaure = and he walks around
hanje = outside
nenkori = with a walking stick
mbwananuke has four components:
1. mbo- = Near Future.
2. a- = he
3. nanuk = stand up.
4. -e = if.
Fwe has two Future Tenses: Near and Remote.
The difference is simple. The Near Future will take place today; the Remote Future will, at the earliest, take place tomorrow.
nayendaure has four components:
1. n- = and.
2. a- = he.
3. yendaur = walks around.
4. -e = if.
yendaura to walk around comes from yenda to walk.
Other derivations include: buyendaozi walking too much, yendayenda to continue walking or to walk back and forth, yendesa to guide and ruyendo journey.
the one who struck him will be acquitted = námuŋati aracenesiwa
námuŋati = he who struck him
aracenesiwa = will be made clean
acquitted comes from Hebrew nawkaw (נקה) be empty/be clean.
In Old Testament Law, there is a difference between Moral Uncleanness and Ritual Uncleanness. The difference between the two can be quite jarring to a modern reader.
aracenesiwa has four components:
1. a- = he. [Deleted].
2. ara- = Remote Future.
3. cenes = to clean.
4. -iwa = be made.
You can put two vowels next to each other in Fwe, but it is generally to be avoided.
Here, we simply delete the first vowel.
Another strategy is to combine the vowels into a consonant.
We see an example thereof earlier: mbo + a = mbwa.
námuŋati has five components:
1. n- = and.
2. á- = he, who.
3. mu- = him.
4. ŋat = beat.
5. -i = Near Past.
Fwe has a Near Past and a Remote Past.
Events in the Near Past took place today, and anything in the Remote Past took place, at the latest, yesterday.
Fwe has several verbs that correspond to English to beat.
I chose ŋata because it points to the following
ŋatuka to crack, to tear.
ŋatauka to be full of scratches.
and
ŋatura to tear.
ŋataura to cut in strips.
Our man got quite the thorough drubbing.
he will pay him for the loss of his time = amwararihira enako
amwararihira = he will pay him for it
enako = (period of) time
amwararihira has five components:
1. a- = he.
2. mu- = him.
3. ara- = Remote Future.
4. rih = pay.
5. -ira = for.
The formal name for –ira is the Applicative Suffix.
It almost, if not always, translates to the English for.
In addition, it has four forms, depending on both Vowel and Nasal Harmony.
I have only guessed that –ira is the correct form here, so it could be wrong.
until he is thoroughly healed = mani abūkite. Asa.
mani = until
abūkite = he is healthy
asa = he digs.
abūkite has three components:
1. a- = he.
2. būk = wake up.
3. -ite = Stative.
Typically, Stative implies a sense of (relative) permanence.
The man has recovered enough that he is no longer falling in and out of consciousness every fifteen minutes.
The orginal Hebrew ends with a samek (ס), or /s/ sound.
asa he digs is the closest I could get.
It also signifies how much he has recovered.
The Hebrew translates thoroughly be repeating the verb. Here, I combine the two.
This passage contains a total of 3 Sameks. We will see how I translate the remaining two.
Exodus 21:20
KJV: And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Fwe. Shake muntu amuŋate murobe kapa mukentwe necishamu, okuteye afwise omwika nanje; eye arateresiwa.
if someone beats his servant, male or female, with a rod = shake muntu amuŋate – murobe kapa mukentwe – necishamu
shake = if
muntu = someone (lit. a person)
amuŋate = beats
murobe = his young man
kapa = or
mukentwe = his woman
necishamu = with a stick
murobe and mukentwe come from muroba young male/teen and mukentu woman/wife.
They both end in the Suffix –e his/her.
nechishamu has two components:
1. ne- = with.
2. cishamu = stick.
I chose cishamu for stick because the same word can become English tree.
/shamu/ also appears in mushamu medicine.
and the slave dies at his hands = okuteye afwise omwika nanje;
okuteye = so that
afwise = he causes to die
omwika = the slave
nanje = with his hand
Fwe has two words that correspond to English slave, these being mwika and cinkombwa.
You can make the case for using either of the two.
mwika starts with mu-.
This occurs almost exclusively with humans, for example:
musa = thief.
muramu = brother-in-law.
musumba = pregnant woman.
cinkombwa begins with ci-.
This appears on many human nouns with derogatory meanings, for example:
cidakwa = alcoholic.
cikebenga = criminal
ciyazi = traitor.
Other common ci- Nouns include the names of diseases, undesirable/dysfunctional body parts and useless/harmful animals.
Not all ci- Nouns have negative meanings, the main example being language names, such as ciburu Afrikaans and cikuwa English.
he shall surely be punished = eye arateresiwa
eye = he
arateresiwa = he will be punished
arateresiwa has five components:
1. a- = he
2. ara- = will
3. ter = pay tax
4. -es = cause.
5. -iwa = be made.
es + iw = a forceful command, often to indicate a punishment.
acquitted or punished comes from Hebrew nawkam (נקם) avenge, take vengeance, punish.
I could not find a direct equivalent to any of these, so I used tera pay tax instead.
This is one syllable away from terera be soft/slippery.
Due to original sin, we are naturally inclined towards sin and hard-heartedness towards God.
The laws in the Old Testament are supposed to help soften our hearts.
Compare these two segments:
1. okuteye afwise = so that he cause to die
2. eye arateresiwa = he will be punished
okuteye is a variant of the iye in Verse 18.
The conjunctions okuteye and iye are interchangeable
English he = Fwe eye/iye.
The Pronouns eye and iye are interchangeable.
Here are the two alternatives:
iye afwise omwika nanje;
iye arateresiwa
OR
okuteye afwise omwika nanje;
eye arateresiwa
You can decide for yourselves which you prefer.
In addition, Fwe iye = English he/she/it and so that.
Exodus 21:21
This phrase has several examples of how two vowels can react when there’s a space between them.
KJV: Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
Fwe. Ashihar’ omwika zyuba kapa mabire, kary ararih’ omurandu: kakury omuntu cecintu. Asebeza.
if the slave lives for a day or two = ashihar’ omwika zyuba kapa mabire
ashihar’ = if s/he lives
omwika = the slaves
zyuba = a day
kapa = or
mabire = two
should survive or continue comes from the Hebrew awmad (עמד) take one’s stand, arise, defend, attend and stand still – among many others.
ashihare has four components:
1. a- = he.
2. shi- = if
3. har = live
4. -e = if
Fwe –bire = English two.
zyuba day becomes mazyuba days.
Therefore English two days = Fwe mazyuba mabire.
I omit the mazyuba for brevity.
he will pay no penalty = kary ararih’ omurandu
kary = it is not
ararih’ = he will pay
omurandu = fine
kary comes from kari is not.
You need it when making any negative statement in the Future Tense.
The alternative form tari fulfils the same function.
arariha has three components:
1. a- = he.
2. ara- = will.
3. riha = pay.
omurandu fine and omuntu person both begin with the Augment Prefix o-.
I discuss this below.
because the man is property = kakury omuntu cecintu
kakury = because
omuntu = the person
cecintu = is property
omuntu has three components:
1. o- = Augment.
2. mu- = Class 1 Prefix.
3. -ntu = Person.
Fwe has many Noun Classes. I will explore this in greater detail when I get to the last few verses.
cecintu has three components:
1. ce- = it is (the).
2. ci- = Noun Class 7 Prefix.
2. -ntu = property (lit. thing).
The formal name for ce- is the Noun Class 7 Definite Copulative Suffix.
Fwe has two systems of Copulative Prefix: the Basic and the Definite.
In English, the normal translations thereof are it is and it is the respectively.
However, in many cases, the Basic Copulative and the Noun Class Prefix are identical.
For example, the Class 1 Basic Copulative and Noun Class Prefixes are both mu-:
muntu = a person AND it is a person.
If you add the Augment, you get:
omuntu = a person.
With the Definite Copulative, you get
ndomuntu = it is the person.
The Hebrew verse ends in a samek (ס).
I translate it with asebeza he/she works.
The slave works – whether this particular law works is another question.
Sources:
Gunnink, Hilde, A grammar of Fwe: A Bantu language of Zambia and Namibia (Berlin: Language Science Press 2022)
(I used Gunnink’s 2018 PhD Thesis/Dissertation, which seems to be the main basis for this book).
Google and Wikipedia, to my shame.