Linguistic Analysis behind Innovative Renderings of ʾiysh in a Newly Published Translation
Linguistic Analysis behind Innovative Renderings of אִישׁ in a Newly Published Translation
The Revised Jewish Publication Society translation of the Hebrew Bible (RJPS, 2023), an adaptation of the meaning-based English version known as NJPS (1985, 1999), has changed many renderings of the personal noun אִישׁ (usually glossed as “man; person”). This article explains the cognitively based,...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage
2024
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| In: |
The Bible translator
Year: 2024, Volume: 75, Issue: 2, Pages: 140-163 |
| Further subjects: | B
RJPS translation
B Cognitive Linguistics B collective nouns B grammatical number B plain sense B situating nouns B אִישׁ B pragmatic contrast B Biblical Hebrew |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The Revised Jewish Publication Society translation of the Hebrew Bible (RJPS, 2023), an adaptation of the meaning-based English version known as NJPS (1985, 1999), has changed many renderings of the personal noun אִישׁ (usually glossed as “man; person”). This article explains the cognitively based, communication-oriented thinking behind seventy new renderings. In these cases, singular אִישׁ appears in construct with a group name (most often יִשְׂרָאֵל “Israel”) and refers to a specific plurality of persons regarded as a single body. The analysis views אִישׁ as a situating noun, that is, its use profiles its referent in terms of the depicted situation. The proposed motivation for singular collective usage is to make a pragmatic contrast with אֲנָשִׁים (the standard plural of אִישׁ) to situate the participant in the bigger picture. This situation-oriented approach readily yields coherent and informative texts while solving interpretive cruxes. Principles for translating a situating noun are also briefly discussed. |
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| ISSN: | 2051-6789 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The Bible translator
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/20516770241251704 |