Mark 1:1

Translating the Bible into Toba...

Short words. One characteristic of the Toba language is the use of many short words called pre-nouns, which have no equivalent in European languages.

How do we include these in the Toba translation, making sure that the correct forms of the pre-nouns are used in each case...?

Mark 1:1-2a

chose. And finally, Isaiah: after much discussion, it was felt that the “person now dead” form was better, as the focus is on the fact that Isaiah wrote a long time before. So this is what Osvaldo’s translation of Mark 1:1-2a says:

Da'me 'uaechiñe 'Naqataĝanaĝac jo'ne Onaĝaic 'me 'yaĝatetac ñe'me Dios Lec'oĝot, mach'e Jesus jo'ne Dios Liquiyac.

Di'me Isaias jo'ne Dios 'laqataĝanaĝanaĝanec yediñe joca'li da'me dojo' Dios 'laqataĝanaĝac jo'ne enaac: ...

Which means:

[Pre-noun: general term] beginning (of the) Message which is Good that tells about [pre-noun: person of authority] God’s Son, that is Jesus who is God’s Chosen One.

[Pre-noun: person now dead] Isaiah who is God’s message-bearer writes a long time ago [pre-noun: general term] God’s message which says...