We thought Justin Long’s recent item on Bible translation, “Translation: It’s Not Just Languages,” was spot-on. The challenge of determining which languages need translation is a very challenging question. It was great to read an opinion from a church growth researcher. Learn more at… https://mailchi.mp/2101ebe1691f/justin-longs-weekly-roundup-352-premium-edition-4859758?e=9c85e6bd1d.
7) Which Languages Need Bible Translations?
Interesting article! But I find the author’s use of “dialect” and “language” as synonyms confusing. “Dialect” usually refers to the way a language is used in a specific area or among specific people; yes, there are changes from the “main” language but it’s still pretty much intelligible with other dialects of the same language. Examples: Australian English, British English, American English. “Language,” on the other hand refers to ways of speaking that are not mutually intelligible.
The author writes, “I discovered it’s not a language at all, but a dialect—one that happens to be spoken by 40,000 people.” Then two paragraphs later, speaking about the same dialect/language he suggests speaks of the language might say, “we speak Z dialect, and it’s sufficiently different from Y language that a Bible in Y just isn’t as useful for us.”, which to me, indicates different languages rather than dialects.
My husband and I are translating the New Testament and parts of the Old Testament (so far!) into his first language. There are some 50+ related languages, which might look like dialects, the way I gave the English dialects above: Quiatoni Zapotec, Isthmus Zapotec, Mitla Zapotec, etc. But these are all legitimately different languages; our Zapotec has only 80% intelligibility with its linguistically closest Zapotec.
Is the difference between “dialect” and “language” important? YES! Here in Mexico, indigenous languages have been denigrated for centuries, speakers have been, and are still, told that they speak “just a dialect” which has no grammar. For “not having any grammar,” these languages are incredibly complex.
http://www.cten.org/NicasioMartinez