I have split my translation of Numbers 21:9 into two parts. This is Part the Second.
The First Part focussed on the symbolism, whilst this part will focus on the linguistics.
Both include the whole verse at the end.
Part 2:
My translation for serpent of brass/bronze serpent as budyiliñ wurru.
I go over my workings out in Part 1, and will re-tread none of this ground here.
KJV: it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
NJB: and anyone who was bitten by a serpent and looked at a bronze serpent survived.
Yidiñ: yiñdyuuñ wuruuŋ badyaalñum, yiñdyuuŋ budyiliñ wawaalñunda, yiŋu dyilibugabi dyanaañ.
In this half of the verse, we have these three words:
1. yiñdyuuñ
2. yiñdyuuŋ
3. yiŋu
Each of these translates into English as anyone/anybody or that person.
For the purposes of this newsletter, this will suffice.
Our purpose here is to discuss the ways wherein they differ.
anyone who was bitten by a serpent = yiñdyuuñ wurruuŋ badyaalñum
badyaalñum is built from two components:
1. badyal = a Verb which means bit.
2. -ñum = the Causal Subordinate Suffix.
badyal is a Transitive Verb, meaning it requires both an Agent and a Patient.
wurruuŋ is the Agent, and yiñdyuuñ is the Patient.
wurruuŋ can ONLY be the Biter, and yiñdyuuñ can ONLY be the Bitten One.
and looked at a bronze serpent = yiñdyuuŋ budyiliñ wawaalñunda
Two components build wawaalñunda:
1. wawal = a Verb which means see/look at.
2. -ñunda = the Dative Subordinate Suffix.
Similar to badyal, wawal is a Transitive Verb. Thus, it requires both an Agent and a Patient.
yiñdyuuŋ is the Agent, and budyiliñ is the Patient.
Thus, yiñdyuuŋ can ONLY be the Looker, and budyiliñ can ONLY be the Looked-at Thing.
survived = yiŋu dyilibugabi dyanaañ
dyilibugabi is a Time word which means the next day.
dyanaañ is the Past Tense Declension of the Verb dyanan, which means stand.
dyanan is an Intransitive Verb. It requires only a Subject.
yiŋu simply DOES.
It CANNOT do anything to something/someone else. It CANNOT have anything done to it.
Whilst yiñdyuuñ and yiñdyuuŋ can interact with the other’s Verb, neither can interact with dyanan.
Within the whole Verse, yiŋu can interact with the Verb dyanan ALONE.
This marks the end of my Yidiñ translation of Numbers 21:4-9.
Numbers 21:9
KJV: And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
NJB: Moses then made a serpent out of bronze and raised it as a standard, and anyone who was bitten by a serpent and looked at a bronze serpent survived.
Yidiñ: Maybaaŋ balgaal budyiliñ wurru dyarraal wiraa wurruu, yiñdyuuñ wuruuŋ badyaalñum, yiñdyuuŋ budyiliñ wawaalñunda, yiŋu dyilibugabi dyanaañ.