New Testament Greek is by Balinese standards an extremely impolite language. Consider, for example, the second person pronoun. When speaking to God, to a nobleman, to a friend, to a pupil, or to a slave, the same word is used. In Balinese this is completely different. In the above examples one would differentiate various social ranks and use terms which, more or less freely translated, mean “adored one” or “he who is borne on the head”, “feet of Your Highness”, “older (or younger) brother”, “little one”, and “you”. (…) In Balinese one has to cope with three vocabularies within the language, each of which, at a moderate estimate, includes some hundreds of words. One employs the ordinary common language (“Low Balinese”) when speaking with intimates, equals, or inferiors; polite terms must, however, be used as soon as one begins to speak to one’s superiors or to strangers; and “deferential” terms are obligatory in all cases when one is so bold as to speak of parts of the body, or the acts, possessions, and qualities of important people. The Balinese sums up the two last named vocabularies under the term alus (“fine”, or “noble”): we say “High Balinese”. (…)
Joseph and Mary are spoken of as Jesus’ parents, and here the familiar words for “father” and “mother” are appropriate. But when Jesus speaks of being “about my Father’s business” (vs. 49), thus indicating who His true Father is, He uses the High Balinese word adji “father”.
New Testament Greek is by Balinese standards an extremely impolite language. Consider, for example, the second person pronoun. When speaking to God, to a nobleman, to a friend, to a pupil, or to a slave, the same word is used. In Balinese this is completely different. In the above examples one would differentiate various social ranks and use terms which, more or less freely translated, mean “adored one” or “he who is borne on the head”, “feet of Your Highness”, “older (or younger) brother”, “little one”, and “you”. (…) In Balinese one has to cope with three vocabularies within the language, each of which, at a moderate estimate, includes some hundreds of words. One employs the ordinary common language (“Low Balinese”) when speaking with intimates, equals, or inferiors; polite terms must, however, be used as soon as one begins to speak to one’s superiors or to strangers; and “deferential” terms are obligatory in all cases when one is so bold as to speak of parts of the body, or the acts, possessions, and qualities of important people. The Balinese sums up the two last named vocabularies under the term alus (“fine”, or “noble”): we say “High Balinese”. (…)
In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger son, who feels himself less than a slave, speaks to his father in High Balinese; the elder son may use the intimate Low Balinese. When, however, the latter severs himself from the intimate family community, he uses High Balinese to express his contempt, thus placing a gulf between himself and his father.
Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “steppe”
Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Matumbi uses various term: lubele (desert, sandy place without water) — used in John 11:54, lupu’ngu’ti (a place where no people live, can be a scrub land, a forest, or a savanna) — used in Mark 1:3 et al.), and mwitu (a forest, a place where wild animals live) — used in Mark 1:13 et al.) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
Chichewa Contemporary translation (2002/2016): chipululu: a place uninhabited by people with thick forest and bush (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:24:
Uma: “‘Ee Yesus, Nazaret person! What do you (sing.) want to do to us? Maybe you (sing.) want to destroy us? I know you (sing.), that you (sing.) are the holy Messenger from God.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “He shouted/screamed, he said, ‘Do not trouble us (excl.), Isa, man of Nasaret. You have nothing to do with us (excl.). Have you come here to destroy us (excl.)? I know as to who you are. You are the only-one who is holy who is sent from God.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when he saw Jesus, he shouted saying, ‘You, Jesus of Nazareth, what business do you have with us demons? Maybe the reason you came here is to destroy us. I know who you are. You are the Son of God!'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He immediately-shouted saying, ‘Terrors! (expression used of things to be feared) Jesus from-Nazaret, why are you (sing.) disturbing us (excl.)? Have you (sing.) come do-you-suppose to punish us (excl.)? I know you (sing.) of-course. You (sing.) are the holy Child of God.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He said, ‘What is your interfering with us (excl.), Jesus of Nazaret? What have you come here for? Will you now wipe us out? I really know who you are. You are the the far-from-ordinary one who was entrusted/sent by God!'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Shipibo-Conibo: “Ari! he screamed. What will you do to us, Nazareth Jesus? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the spotless man, him of God.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Balinese: “He cried as follows: ‘Ah, Jesus man of Nasaret, what are you going to do with all of us? Your coming is only to destroy us. We know who you really are. Yes, you are the Holy One whose origin is from God.'” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:26:
Uma: “That person shook/trembled because of the evil spirit, and he cried out, and the evil spirit that possessed [rode] him came out.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then the man was convulsed by the demon and after the demon had screamed/shouted, he came out from the man.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And immediately the demon caused that man to have convulsions and caused him to scream loudly, and the demon came out of him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Whereupon the spirit caused-that man -to-convulse while-simultaneously he made-him -scream, and then he left him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “That person was again caused to convulse by that evil spirit who was possessing him. And then it cried out as it left his body.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Balinese: “The demon(s) tormented the man so that he jerked, then went out while he (or they) screamed, loudly.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:27:
Uma: “All the people who saw it were surprised, with the result that they spoke-to-one-another, they said: ‘No kidding! This is a new teaching, he really does have power! He expelled evil spirits, and they really did follow his command!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “All the people were amazed, therefore they asked-each-other they said, ‘What is this? This is hep new teaching. He has authority to command even the demons, and they obey his commands.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “All of the people there were greatly amazed, and because of this they began to talk to each other saying, ‘What perhaps is this? Perhaps this is a new doctrine. Because why is he so powerful to command even the demons, and they obey him.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The eyes of those who were there widened (indicating surprise) and they said-to-each-other, ‘Wey! This new teaching is really something! Even evil-spirits, he (admiration particle) has authority to command them and they leave.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “That crowd was really amazed. What they were doing was asking-each-other, ‘Whatever is this? A new teaching? For look at this, he has authority to order even evil spirits and they obey him.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Shipibo-Conibo: “Then all were amazed. Even amazed they asked one another: What is this? Is it a new taught word? Being a strength possessor he tells even the ruinous demons to go out. When he tells them, 28 they hear his word.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Balinese: “All the people there were so dumbfounded, so that they said to each other: ‘Ah, what is that? A new teaching full of power! For all the demons are ordered about by Him, so that they follow all His commands.'” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
