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Re: Diabolos
I think that on the matter of the translation of 'diabolos' some
important translational points are being missed. The first is that
the 'root meaning' of a word may have nothing to do with its use
and 'meaning' in the course of its later history. Words pick up new
baggage and drop old baggage and usually carry different sets of
baggage for certain circumstances and with particular words. Thus,
when studying a word you have to consider the historical period in which
the word is being used and the different meanings it might have at that
time.
Second, In the translation of a word, there are different methodologies
to be considered. A 'literal' translation would seek to translate something
with as little variation as possible from the original language. However,
we end up with hellenized English or hebraizied English, which may have
no meaning for modern readers or may convey an incorrect sense of the text.
A 'dynamic' translation seeks to convey the meaning of a passage in one
language with a translation that conveys the same meaning in a second language.
This, however, may mean that we have something quite unrelated to a 'literal'
translation at times (e.g., Good News Bible, Philips Translation). However,
it is understandable to those without a basic knowledge of the original
language. There are translations that stand in between these two extremes.
Thus, if you want a translation that reflects the Hebrew equivalent of the
greek diabolos, then 'accuser' is what you want. That may not convey
the proper meaning to the readers, however. If you are German, then
>'Durcheinanderwerfer', which would be something like 'chaos-maker' in English.<
may be the best translation, if that term conveys the same 'meaning' and
connotations to the German reader.
Glenn Wooden
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| R. Glenn Wooden | JANET: rgw1@uk.ac.st-and |
| St. Mary's College | Internet: rgw1%st-and.ac.uk@cunyvm.cuny.edu |
| St. Andrews University | EARN/BITNET: rgw1%st-and.ac.uk@UKACRL |
| Scotland | UUCP: rgw1%st-and.ac.uk@UKC.UUCP |
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