young man

In the translation into Purari, Jesus addresses the dead man as “younger brother.” (Source: David Clark)

avoid and pass by on the other side of the road

The Rennellese translation uses one specific term — haka tihitihi — in Luke 10:31 that encompasses the meaning of “to avoid and pass by on the other side of the road.” This was a particularly fitting translation because it “has a strong negative component. The example people gave was ‘moving to the other side of the road if a child has defecated on the road.’” (Source: David Clark and Nico Daams)

age of Samaritan woman at the well

In Kuy the term the woman uses for what is translated in English as “sir” implies that she was older than Jesus (see verse 4:11), and the term Jesus uses for what is translated in English as “woman” in verse 4:21 reflects this, as he addresses her as “younger aunt.”

Mary / Martha / Lazarus (relative age)

Many languages have terms for siblings that define whether one is younger or older in relation to another sibling.

In Fuyug, Tae’, Batak Toba, and Mandarin Chinese, Martha was assumed to be the older of the two sisters because she is mentioned first. (Sources: David Clark [Fuyug] and Reiling / Swellengrebel)

Navajo (Dinė) translates accordingly but for a different reason: “since Martha seemed to take the responsibility of the housework, she was probably the older of the two” (source: Wallis 2000, p. 103f.) whereas in Mandarin Chinese he is the younger brother.

In Fuyug, Lazarus is assumed to be the oldest sibling on the grounds that he died first, whereas in several Thai translations he is described as the youngest of the three. (Source: David Clark)

sell houses

In Fuyug society houses are not being sold (such as in Acts 4:34) so the Fuyug translation says that “riches” are being sold instead.