The ‘Babel Text’ — Genesis 11:1–9

Spring 2008

1. Text in English:

The Tower of Babel (NIV)

1Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone and bitumen for mortar. 4Then they said, “Come, let us build a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth. 5But the LORD cam edown to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” 7Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” 8So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9This is why it was called Babel – because the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

2. Translation into Ayeri

Tay enon na Babel

1Adaya sa matahayon mavayang-ikan narano vihay nay ang maeriyon-ikan narānyeas kamo. 2Ling ya mamangayon keynamang keman, sa masungtong prihinan similya Sinar nay ang mavehayon minkayas adaya. 3Ang manarayon sitanyās, “Ah, tiyu-tiyu nernoyeley nay tebu-tebu adanyās ban.” Le maeritong nernoye yelangyēa yamva nay le maeritong suvan ku-miyung naynay. 4Manaratong epang, “Ah, vehu-vehu ayronas si tahayong enonley si vingreng lenoya. Kada tavanang denisa nay sa seteroyayn manga miranya mavayena-ikan.” 5Nārya māpandiya ang NAHANG silvyam ayronas nay enonley si manga mavehatong. 6Manaraya ang NAHANG, “Bata tong ayas men nay sa naratong narano vihay, nay sa manga miratong da-linyaye — kada ranyaley mimaya netoy si notong. 7Ah, apandu-apandu nay teymu-teymu naranoas ton kadāre sa sebihantong netoy sitanya.” 8Adāre ang materiya NAHANG keynamas manga miranya mavayena-ikan, nay ang maraypayon vehyam ayronas. 9Adayam garayo Babel eda-ayronas: Yanoyam na mateymiya ang NAHANG naranoas mavay-ikan. Ang materiya NAHANG tos manga miran mavayena-ikan mangsara adaya.

3. Morphemic breakdown:

Tay
tay
the
the
enon
enon
tower
tower
na Babel
na Babel
GEN <name>
of Babel

The tower of Babel

Adaya
adaya
there
there
sa
sa
PATFOC
Ø
matahayon
ma-taha-yon
PST-have-3p:n
had
mavayang-ikan
mavay-ang=ikan
world-AGT=all
all the world
narano
narano-Ø
language-FOC
language
vihay
vihay
common
common
nay
nay
and
and
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
maeriyon-ikan
ma-ery-yon-Ø=ikan
PST-use-HAB-3p:n-FOC=all
they all used
narānyeas
narān-ye-as
word-PL-PAT
words
kamo.
kamo
same
same

Then, a common language had all the world and they all used the same words.

Ling
ling
while
While
ya
ya
LOCFOC
Ø
mamangayon
ma-manga-yon
PST-move-3s:p
moved
keynamang
keynam-ang
humans-AGT
humans
keman,
keman-Ø
east-FOC
to the east
sa
sa
PATFOC
Ø
masungtong
ma-sung-tong
PST-find-3s:p.AGT
they found
prihinan
prihinan-Ø
plain-FOC
plain
similya
simil-ya
country-LOC
in the country
Sinar
Sinar
<name>
Shinar
nay
nay
and
and
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
mavehayon
ma-veha-yon-Ø
PST-build-3s:p.FOC
they built
minkayas
minkay-as
settlement-PAT
settlement
adaya.
adaya
there
there

While eastwards moved the humans, a plain they found in the country of Shinar and they built a settlement there.

Ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
manarayon
ma-nara-yon
PST-say-3p:n
they told
sitanyās,
sitanya-as
each_other-PAT
each other
“Ah,
ah
oh
oh
tiyu-tiyu
tiyu=tiyu
make=make
let’s make
nernoyeley
nerno-ye-ley
brick-PL-PAT:inan
bricks
nay
nay
and
and
tebu-tebu
tebu=tebu
bake=bake
let’s bake
adanyās
adanya-as
that_one-PAT
them
ban.”
ban
good
well

And they told each other, “Oh, let us make bricks and let us bake them well.”

Le
Le
PATFOC:inan
Ø
maeritong
ma-eri-tong
PST-use-3s:n.AGT
they used
nernoye
nerno-ye-Ø
brick-PL-FOC
bricks
yelangyēa
yelang-ye-ea
stone-PL-LOC
stones
yamva
yamva
instead_of
instead of
nay
nay
and
and
le
le
PATFOC
Ø
maeritong
ma-eri-tong
PST-use-3s:n.AGT
they used
suvan
suvan
asphalt
asphalt
ku-miyung
ku=miyung-Ø
like=mortar-FOC
like mortar
naynay.
naynay
also
also

Bricks they used instead of stones, and asphalt they used as mortar also.

Manaratong
ma-nara-tong
PST-say-3p:n.AGT
they said
epang,
epang
after
then
“Ah,
ah
oh
oh
vehu-vehu
vehu=vehu
build=build
let’s build
ayronas
ayron-as
city-PAT
city
si
si
REL
that
tahayong
taha-yong
have-3s:n.AGT
has
enonley
enon-ley
tower-PAT
tower
si
si
REL
that
vingreng
ving-reng
touch-3s:inan.AGT
touches
lenoya.
leno-ya
sky-LOC
sky/heaven

Then they said, “Oh, let us build a city that has a tower which touches the sky/heaven.

Kada
kada
so
so
tavanang
tava-nang
get-1p.AGT
we become
denisa
denisa
famous
famous
nay
nay
and
and
sa
sa
PATFOC
Ø
seteroyayn
se-ter-oy-ayn-Ø
FUT-scatter-NEG-1p.FOC
we will not be scattered
manga
manga
MOT
Ø
miranya
miran-ya
surface-LOC
(over) surface
mavayena-ikan.”
mavay-ena=ikan
world-GEN=all
of all the world

So we will become famous and we will not be scattered over the surface of the whole world.”

Nārya
nārya
but
but
māpandiya
ma-apand-iya
PST-descend-3s:m
decended
ang NAHANG
ang NAHANG
AGT LORD
the LORD
silvyam
silv-yam
see-BEN
to see
ayronas
ayron-as
city-PAT
city
nay
nay
and
and
enonley
enon-ley
tower-PAT:inan
tower
si
si
REL
that
manga
manga
MOT
-ing
mavehatong.
ma-veha-tong
PST-build-3p:n.AGT
they built

But the LORD decended to see the city and the tower they were building.

Manaraya
ma-nara-ya
PST-say-3s:m
said
ang NAHANG,
ang NAHANG
AGT LORD
the LORD
“Bata
bata
if
if
tong
tong
3p:n.AGT
they
 
 
COP
be
ayas
ay(e)-as
people-PAT
people
men
men
one
one
nay
nay
and
and
sa
sa
PATFOC
Ø
naratong
nara-tong
speak-3p:n.AGT
they speak
narano
narano-Ø
language-FOC
language
vihay,
vihay
common
common
nay
nay
and
and
sa
sa
PATFOC
Ø
manga
manga
MOT
-ing
miratong
mira-tong
do-3s:n.AGT
they do
da-linyaye —
da=linya-ye
such=thing-PL
such things
kada
bata
then
then
ranyaley
ranya-ley
nothing-PAT:inan
nothing
mimaya
mimaya
impossible
impossible
netoy
netoy
not_anymore
not anymore
si
si
REL
that
notong.
no-tong
endeavour-3p:n.AGT
they endeavour

The LORD said, “If they are one people and a common language they speak, and they are doing such things — then nothing they endeavour is impossible anymore.

Ah,
ah
oh
oh
apandu-apandu
apandu=apandu
descend=descend
let’s descend
nay
nay
and
and
teymu-teymu
teymu=teymu
confuse=confuse
let’s confuse
naranoas
narano-as
language-PAT
language
ton
ton
3p:n.GEN
their
kadāre
kadāre
so_that
so that
sa
sa
PATFOC
Ø
sebihantong
se-bihan-tong
FUT-understand-3p:n.AGT
they will understand
netoy
netoy
not_anymore
not anymore
sitanya.”
sitanya-Ø
each_other-FOC
each other

Oh, let us descend and let us confuse their language so that each other they will not understand anymore.”

Adāre
adāre
that_way
Thus
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
materiya
ma-ter-iya
PST-scatter-3s:m
scattered
NAHANG
Ø NAHANG
FOC LORD
LORD
keynamas
keynam-as
humans-PAT
humans
manga
manga
MOT
Ø
miranya
miran-ya
surface-LOC
(over) surface
mavayena-ikan,
mavay-ena=ikan
world-GEN=all
of all the world
nay
nay
and
and
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
maraypayon
ma-raypa-yon-Ø
PST-stop-3p:n.FOC
they stopped
vehyam
veh-yam
build-BEN
to build
ayronas.
ayron-as
city-PAT
city

Thus the LORD scattered the humans over the surface of the whole world and they stopped to build the city.

Adayam
Adayam
for_that_reason
for that reason
garayo
gara-yo
call-3s:n
call
Babel
Babel
<name>
Babel
eda-ayronas:
eda=ayron-as
this=city-PAT
this city
Yanoyam
yanoyam
because
because
na
na
GENFOC
Ø
mateymiya
ma-teym-iya
PST-confuse-3s:m
confused
ang NAHANG
ang NAHANG
AGT LORD
the LORD
naranoas
narano-as
language-PAT
language
mavay-ikan.
mavay-Ø=ikan
world-FOC=all
(of) all the world

For that resaon this city is called Babel: Because of all the world the LORD confused the language.

Ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
materiya
ma-ter-iya
PST-scatter-3s:m
scattered
NAHANG
Ø NAHANG
FOC LORD
the LORD
tos
tos
3p:n.PAT
them
manga
manga
MOT
Ø
miranya
miran-ya
surface-LOC
(over) surface
mavayena-ikan
mavay-ena=ikan
world-GEN=all
of all world
mangasara
mangasara
away_from
away from
adaya.
adaya
there
there

The LORD scattered them over the surface of the whole world from there.

4. Smooth retranslation

The Tower of Babel

1All the world had a common language then, and they all used the same words. 2While the people moved eastward, they found a plain in the country of Shinar and they built a settlement there. 3And they told each other, “Oh, let us make bricks and bake them well.” They used bricks instead of stones, and asphalt as mortar also. 4Then they said, “Oh, let us build a city that has a tower which touches heaven. So we will become famous and will not be scattered over all the world.” 5But the LORD decended to see the city and the tower they were building. 6The LORD said, “If they are one people and speak a common language, and are doing such things — then nothing they endeavour is impossible anymore. 7Oh, let us descend and confuse their language so that they will not understand each other anymore.” 8Thus the LORD scattered the people over all the world and they stopped to build the city. 9For that resaon this city is called Babel: Because the LORD confused the language of all the world. The LORD scattered them all over the world from there.



Carsten Becker 2008, CC BY-SA 4.0

http://benung.nfshost.com/