Proverbs 15: 26-30
A Yeri translation
It was here that I explained the importance of this picture:
A link to the first part of this series will be hidden within the article, if you missed it.
Sources:
Wilson, Jennifer, A Grammar of Yeri: a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea (Buffalo: New York State University 2017
The cheeky Google search
15:26
KJV. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.
Yeri. Wowiagi maren nakouen wan Taliawik: wigal weidɨ asor wan asoren wden.
the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to Yahweh = wowiagi maren nakouen wan Taliawik
wowiagi = minds/foreheads
maren = necrophagous insects
nakouen = they drill into
wan Taliawik = Yahweh’s heart
The Yeri use odɨ wan to have heart to also mean to think. I didn’t want to use it again.
Yeri maren = English any insect that eats dead plants or animals.
I use nakou drill into because one De-Voicing - /k/ to /g/ - is all that separates it from nagou have a strong smell.
God grieves for all who die. Jesus wept when he heard about the death of Lazarus; is this in spite or because he was able to bring him back? Yes.
the words of the pure are pleasant = wigal weidɨ asor wan asoren wden
wigal weidɨ = words that
asor wan = they clean the heart
asoren wden = they clean his
15:27
KJV. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
Yeri. Wdolbɨ nadɨ, wdorkɨdɨ wde lapi: wohekɨwal puyugal hɨrkal, wo tawiaki.
he who wants a lot troubles his own house = wdolbɨ nadɨ, wdolkɨdɨ wde lapi
wdolbɨ = she is hungry
nadɨ = only/very
wdorkɨdɨ = she shakes
wde lapi = her house
Earlier, I talked about the difficulty of finding a Gender for lapi house.
This was not a problem for wde her. The Yeri for him is wden.
If the man or woman own more than one thing, these become weide and weiden respectively.
wdorkɨdɨ has two components:
1. w- = she.
2. dorkɨdɨ = shakes.
dorkɨdɨ has the alternative form dolkɨdɨ.
I mention this because /r/ and /l/ are both Alveolar Approximants.
If you do the above to dolbɨ be hungry, you get *dorbɨ. If you then De-Voice the /b/, you get dorpɨ to fight.
It is possible that these two words come from the same parent word. They look very similar, and one can often lead to the other.
he that hateth bribes will live = wohekɨwal puyugal hɨrkal, wo tawiaki
wohekɨwal = she pushes them away
puyugal hɨrkal = bribes
wo tawiaki = she lives a long time
Yeri puyugal hɨrkal = English big, shiny green rocks.
The singular form puyu hɨrka is what the Yeri call money.
I wonder what Sisyphus would think of this.
wohekɨwal has three components:
1. w- = she.
2. okɨwal = push away, reject.
3. -he- = them.
Yeri tawiaki = English a long time in the future.
15:28
KJV. The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
Yeri. Wan wdɨ wiemar dɨrdɨr pa wnobia: tabi wilau woperiwai marenagwei.
the heart of the righteous learns how to answer = wan wdɨ wiemar dɨrdɨr pa wnobia
wan wdɨ = the heart that
wiemar = clears a garden
dɨrdɨr = sits quietly
pa = then
wnobia = she speaks
pa is the short from of teipa then, later.
If you voice pa, you get ba, which indicates a strong belief in the statement. The righteous always tell the truth.
the mouth of the wicked spews evil = tabi wilau woperiwai marenagwei
tabi wilau = the evil mouth
woperiwai = pours them out
marenagwei = necrophagous insects
woperiwai has three components:
1. w- = she.
2. operi = pours out.
3. -wai = them.
maren has two possible Plurals: maren-agwei and maren-egal.
It should be obvious why I chose the former.
15:29
KJV. The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Yeri. Yotuam wilaum hiro etren Taliawik: wigal worahal niedan.
he hears the prayer of the righteous = wigal worahal niedan
Yotuam wilaum = those wicked ones
hiro etren = they do not see him
Taliawik = Yahweh
wigal = speech
worahal = (of the) worahal
nieda = he hears it
Yahweh is far from the wicked = Yotuam wilaum hiro etren Taliawik
Yotuam wilaum = those wicked ones
hiro etren = they do not see him
Taliawik = Yahweh
The English Demonstrative Pronouns are this, that, these and those.
In Yeri, Demonstratives start with the Root yot-.
These take two sets of Suffix: one for Distance, and one for Gender/Number.
The distances are: Near Speaker –a, Away from Speaker –u, and Far Away from Speaker –ua.
The Gender Number Suffixes are: Feminine -, Masculine –n, Plural –i, and the rare Plural –m.
I use the Rare Plural –m on both yotua that thing far away and wilau bad because they are the one sheep who wandered away from his 99 flock-mates, and you have to go and fetch him.
he hears the prayer of the righteous = wigal worahal niedan
wigal = speech
worahal = (of the) worahal
nieda = he hears it
Why do I bring back the worahal?
He is a bird that cleans gardens. He finds the seeds that have fallen into the crevices between stones, or into a thicket of brambles. He eats them, and if they survive the journey through his stomach, they might fall onto a now bare piece of ground, and it can gain extra nutrients from the guano in which it is surrounded.
15:30
KJV. The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.
Yeri. Wo yewaltɨgɨl wo harɨpei wdɨ wan: hamnagɨ daniba, ti nawia wigal wnabe.
the light of the eyes rejoices the heart = wo yewaltɨgɨl wo harɨpei wdɨ wan
wo = a day
yewaltɨgɨl = in (His) eye
wo = is
harɨpei = a tree
wdɨ wan = to the heart
Yeri wo = English sun, day.
This is the closest I could find to Hebrew maor (מאור) light, luminous body.
The sun is the brightest thing in our solar system, and it is harmful to look at directly. The light that shines out of God’s eye is much brighter, and it heals and makes you whole and stronger, but only as long as you stay in it.
The harɨpei is a tree that grows alongside the river. You cannot use its leaves to make a house.
It is for playing under its shade, when you’re splashing your friends and trying to throw them in. Of course, the river also provides fish to eat.
a good report makes the bones healthy = hamnagɨ daniba, ti nawia wigal wnabe
hamnagɨ daniba = fat bones
ti nawia = they come from
wigal wnabe = a good word
maketh fat or lends strength comes from Hebrew dashen (דשן) to be fat, to fatten.
Of course, this can refer to physical or spiritual fatness.
Following this idea of spiritual richness, it later acquired the meaning to anoint. That said, the earliest appearances of dashen (דשן) carry the meaning of remove ashes.
One Greek translation of dashen (דשן) is chriō (χρίω), which is the root of the word Christ (Χρίστος).