Renderings of the Tetragrammaton: a contrastive analysis of Dholuo translations of the Hebrew Canon

Abstract

Bible translations and retranslations share a lot in common in spite of the time distance between the first translation into a particular target language and subsequent versions in the same target language. Retranslations come up with significant inconspicuous changes from time to time. Whenever such changes are made in a retranslation, documentation of the changes is made in the preface informing the Bible users of what they would expect in the retranslation. The BSK has published two Dholuo translations of the Hebrew Canon i.e. the DLD68 which rendered יהוה as Jehova and DLUO76 rendering יהוה as Ruoth Nyasaye. Significant changes were made in DLUO76 retranslation regarding the rendering of יהוה and related terminologies without documentation of why and how changes were arrived at. Since DLB68, and the DLUO76 retranslation, differ in terminology choices for rendering יהוה , a retranslation’s hypothesis test on the rendering of יהוה would reveal the value of retranslation. A knowledge gap thus exists, between the current Dholuo DLB68 translation and future translation possibilities regarding the changes on the Dholuo renderings יהוה as found in the DLUO76 retranslation. This knowledge gap facilitates the absence of basic details in the progress of יהוה rendering in Dholuo, language loss and enhances a watered-down status and loss of other significant Southern Luo Deity names. This descriptive translations study employed synchronic and diachronic methods to establish the origin and alluded meaning and use of the Deity name יהוה , socio-cultural and textual contrastive analysis methods to explore the renderings of יהוה in DLB68 translation, and DLUO76 retranslation of the Hebrew Canon, a corpus contrastive method to establish the factors that necessitated the changes that were made and identify the possible strategies applied to arrive at those changes. Retranslation hypothesis was tested regarding the rendering of יהוה in the DLB68 and DLUO76 using the culture-specific terms strategy analysis scale adapted from Venuti /Pedersen, and Nyakalaga the Supreme Being name of the Southern Luo was explored as a possible Relevance theory metaphoric rendering of יהוה in future Dholuo translations of the Hebrew Canon. The findings of the study reveal that: (1) The Deity name יהוה though present in ANC is unique in the Hebrew Canon as it referred specifically to the Supreme Being and is associated with taboo in usage within Israel. (2) There was a change in translation strategies employed for the יהוה rendering wherein DLUO76 a dynamic equivalence approach employed substitution, while different from the strategies employed in DLB68 of formal equivalence approach employed a target language adjusted retention (transliteration). (3) Retranslation hypothesis is invalidated in the rendering of the Culture-Specific Deity Name יהוה in DLB68 Jehova foreignizing and DLUO76 domesticating. Yet, the Retranslation hypothesis is validated since Routh Nyasaye is an improvement in getting closer to the alluded meaning and expressed in Dholuo words (4) יהוה can also be rendered in Dholuo as Nyakalaga a significant Dholuo Deity name among the Southern Luo other than Ruoth Nyasaye and Nyasaye.