Mark 2:21-24
A possible Warray translation
I will include the introduction to Warray language in the next post.
First, I would like to apologise to everyone, and especially God, for the overall sloppiness of this section. It just isn’t up to standard. I was already familiar with the Warray language before making this translation.
(While this Image is very cool, I must apologise for using an AI-image. In my defence, I did not create it.)
Sources:
Harvey, Mark, Ngoni Waray Amungal-yang: The Waray language from Adelaide Rive (Australian National University: 1986)
Google Images
Mark 2: 21
KJV. No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filleth it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
Warray. Amala kankuwal puñiyi walppe, puñi kakutjakmaliñu anpikyi, antjili telpuyiñu.
one does not sew a loincloth with raw string = amala kankuwal puñiyi walppe
amala = not
kankuwal = one does not bind
puñiyi = with (unrolled) banyon fibres
walppe = loincloth
“cloak” or “garment” comes from the Greek himation (ιμάτιον) long flowing outer garment, specifically a tunic or cloak.
Warray anmewel = English clothes.
However, in his Grammar, Harvey lists to wear clothes among the list of “European activities”.
puñi refers to the tree Ficus virens.
Women rolled puñi on their thighs to create anpik string.
These were used to make loincloths.
The –yi on puñiyi is the Ergative/Instrumental Suffix. This interacts with kan- in a very interesting way.
kankuwal has two components:
1. kan- = he/she OR thou.
2. kuwal = binds.
amala kanuwal puñiyi has three possible translations:
1. You cannot bind with banyon fibres. (2nd Person kan- + Instrumental –yi)
2. One cannot bind with banyon fibres. (3rd Person kan- + Instrumental –yi)
3. The banyon fibres cannot bind. (3rd Person kan- +Ergative –yi)
the old string tears the new = puñi kakutjakmaliñ anpikyaŋ
puñi = banyon fibre
kakutjakmaliñu = because it stretches
anpikyi = the string does
kakutjakmaliñu has three components:
1. ka- = it.
2. kutjakmaliñ = stretches, will stretch.
3. -u = because.
kutjakmaliñ comes kutjakmal to stretch.
This is only one syllable away from kutjmal to be (more than one person).
After Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit, they realised two things:
1. They were naked.
2. They had separated their will from God.
and it creates a hole = antjili telpuyiñu
antjili = hole
telpuyiñu = opens itself up
Warray antjili = English mouth, gate, lid.
English hole = Warray wili, but this refers to a hole in a construction, e.g. a house or a wall.
The original Greek word is schisma (σχίσμα), whence we get schism.
telpuyiñu has three components:
1. telpu = open.
2. -yiñ = did to itself.
3. -u = because, as a result.
-yiñ is called the Reflexive Suffix, i.e. something you do to yourself.
It belongs to the –ñ Conjugation Class.
This means that its base form is –yi.
Mark 2: 22
KJV. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
Warray. Amala kanŋiwi wikpitpit ankeŋu anpat tjonpoklik: wikpitpityaŋ katulmiñ anpat wikpitpit katjum anpat Ankeŋu wikpitpit anpatlik ankeŋlik.’
no one puts new wine into old skins = amala kanŋiwi wikpitpit ankeŋu anpat tjonpoklik
amala = not
kanŋiwi = you put
wikpitpit = wine
ankeŋu = new
anpat = into cans
tjonpoklik = rotten
I built wikpitpit wine from two components:
1. wik = water.
2. anpitpit = red.
You are no doubt wondering: Hang on a ding-dang minute! Where did the an- at the start of anpitpit go?
It went to the start of the word anwik blood.
wine-skin comes from Greek askos (ασκός) leather bottle, wine skin.
Some of my UK readers may, like me, have a local pub called “The Leather Bottle”.
Originally, the word “bottle” referred to a leather one – and only later a glass one.
anpat tin can was the closest Warray word I could find. If the Warray did have a device specifically for carrying water around, the word appears to have been lost.
Bear in mind, however, that the Warray come from northern Australia, which is a natural rainforest, and the region experiences a monsoon season, so it is arguable whether they needed to carry around a lot of water.
I described the tin can as tjonpok rotten because Warray tjonpe = English mushroom.
Your imagination can do the rest.
because the wine will burst the skins and the wine and skins will be destroyed = wikpitpityaŋ katulmiñ anpat wikpitpit katjum anpat
wikpitpityaŋ = because of the wine
katulmiñ = it will burst
anpat = tin can [x2]
wikpitpit = the wine
katjum = it will die
The Plural forms of katulmiñ it will burst and katjum it will die are kapatulmiñ and kapatjum respectively.
However, Warray rarely marks the Plural on Inanimate nouns.
Curiously, Warray anpat also = English knee.
Proverbs 24: 16 BSB
For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
Jesus fell thrice while carrying the Cross – once for the Father, once for the Holy Spirit, and once for Himself, the Son.
Luke 22: 41-42 BSB
And [Jesus] withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
He was tempted. He stood firm.
instead, new wine into new skins = ankeŋu wikpitpit anpatlik ankeŋlik
ankeŋu = new
wikpitpit = wine
anpatlik = into cans
ankeŋlik = in new
I included the Locative Suffix –lik on both anpat can and ankeŋu new for emphasis.
I placed the words for new at the start and the end. Jesus was God and was with God at the Beginning of Time, and He will come again to signal the End of Time.
The Greek sentence does not have verb, so neither do we.
Mark 2: 23
KJV. And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day; and is his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
Warray. Miral-Wirin kollawalik yuŋuyiñpwuy, akalawu ŋirwat patitlan anlawapam pulanu pwok.
he was walking through the cornfields on the Sabbath = Miral-Wirin kowallik yuŋuyiñpwuy
Miral-Wirin = on the Sabbath
kollawalik = in the grainfields
yuŋuyiñpwuy = he was walking through
Sabbath comes, ultimately, from Hebrew shawbath (שבת) to cease, desist, rest.
I, on the other hand, built Miral-Wirin from two components:
1. Miral = sun (i.e. day).
2. Wirin = Corroboree.
A Corroboree is a meeting between a number of tribes or clans (or some mixture).
This involved both singing and dancing.
Wirin also appears in wirinpum to sing (lit. to hit a Corroboree).
Warray has three words for to dance:
malakpum/malakli = to dance (woman’s style)
nuwal = to dance (man’s style) (lit. to kick).
I created kollawa grain field from two parts:
1. kolal = plain.
2. lawa = flour.
Harvey’s grammar did not include a word for grain.
and the disciples made a path by plucking the ears of corn = akalawu ŋirwat patitlan anlawapam pulanu pwok
akalawu = his
ŋirwat = disciples
patitlan = they were pinching
anlawapam = heads of corn
pulanu = in order to make
pwok = a path
disciple comes from the Greek mathētēs (μαθηητής) student, pupil.
ŋirwat, on the other hands, refers to a ritual where an older person gives their name to a child. Sometimes the two would call each other ñeku ŋirwat my ngirwat.
We do not know the exact relationship involved, but was can probably assume some level of mentorship.
I built anlawapam head of corn from two components:
1. an-pam = head.
2. lawa = flour.
Warray pwok = English path.
The same word also refers to sugar and honey.
Mark 1: 4, 6-8 BSB
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [He] was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. And he began to proclaim: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptise you with water, but He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”
Of course, you can see my translation of this passage here:
And also here:
Mark 2: 24
KJV. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful?
Warray. Nalwiraŋ patjiñ, “Nu, ŋiñaŋu Miral-Wirin kapatjiñ amala katji tjutjukyaŋ?”
and the Pharisees were saying to him, “look! = Nalwiraŋ patjiñ, “Nu
Nalwiraŋ = the Pharisees
patjiñ = were saying (to him)
nu = look!
Pharisee comes from Hebrew pawrash (פרש) to make distinct, to declare.
Thus, Greek Pharisaios (Φαρισαιος) (Man) separated from sin.
I created Nalwiraŋ Pharisee from two components:
1. nal = man.
2. anwiraŋ = different.
“O where oh whither,” I hear you cry out, “soever did the an- in an-wiraŋ go?”
In Warray, an- is the Body Part Prefix. It appears on most nouns referring to body parts. Other examples include:
an-wik = blood.
an-tum = eye.
an-ñel = flesh.
The Pharisees are just us much Sons of Adam as is everyone else. The flesh from which they are made is no different than any other.
Original Sin is as much a part of their DNA as it is of everyone else’s.
The difference between the Pharisees and everyone has no basis in reality, only in self-perception.
why do they do on the Sabbath = ŋiñaŋu Miral-Wirin kapatjiñ
ŋiñaŋu = why
Miral-Wirin = on the Sabbath
kapatjiñ = they are doing
patjiñ has two components:
1. pa- = they did.
2. tjiñ = are saying.
kapatjiñ has two components:
1. kapa- = they do.
2. tjiñ = are doing.
The base form of tjiñ is tjiyi.
Warray tjiyi = English to say, do, call, promise, mean, believe.
It may confuse you that saying, doing and promising are all the same word.
Maybe they expect that you will do what you say you will do.
that which is not lawful = amala katji tjutjukyaŋ
amala = not
katji = that
tjutjukyaŋ = from the law
Warray tjutjuk = English law.
Tjutjuk also refers to the Rituals that turn boys into men.
In general, Law and laws serve two purposes:
1. to decide which behaviours justify violence against a person, and
2. to highlight the difference between groups.
Idealists say that laws exist to protect the poor, and Cynics that they preserve entrenched privileges. Both of these are correct.
Why are the Pharisees angry with Jesus’ Disciples?
a. because their hands are dirty?
b. because they look like gentiles?
I think we all know the more important factor.