Bible translations into constructed languages that were created as part of a fictional setting include:
Quenya[edit]
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien. Various parts of the Bible have been translated into Neo-Quenya, an attempt at editing a unified Quenya from Tolkien's evolving and often contradictory ideas about the language. Helge Fauskanger has translated the New Testament and is currently translating the Old Testament.[1] Psalm 130 has also been translated by people on the website Aglardh.[2]
| Translation | John 3:16 (Yohannëo 3:16) |
|---|---|
| Fauskanger | An Eru emélië i mar tenna antië ernóna Yondorya, i ilquen ye savë sessë lá nauva nancarna, mal samuva oira coivië. |
LOLcat[edit]
The LOLCat Bible Translation Project is a wiki-based website where editors aim to parody the entire Bible in "LOLspeak", the slang popularized by the LOLcat Internet phenomenon. LOLspeak has been called "kitty pidgin" and also been likened to baby talk. The project relies on contributors to adapt passages. As of March 27, 2008, approximately 61% of the text had been adapted.[3]
| Translation | John 3:16 |
|---|---|
| Various | "So liek teh Ceiling Kitteh lieks teh ppl lots and he sez 'Oh hai I givez u me only kitteh and ifs u beleeves him u wont evr diez no moar, kthxbai!'" |
Klingon[edit]
- Klingon Bible Translation Project on KLI.org
- Religious Text Translation Project on the Klingon Language wiki
Co-ordinated by Melanie Roney, the KBTP has assumed the immense task of translating the books of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, into Klingon. Promoted by the Klingon Language Institute (whose goals do not include missionary work, but this project was considered worthy of KLI's efforts for purely secular reasons).
NSKOL has published two volumes containing several portions of the Bible translated. One can find online the following specimen:
| Translation | Psalm 117 |
|---|---|
| K'mel | joH'a' yInaD Hoch qorDu'pu' yIquvmoH Hoch ghotpu' |
The linguist Nick Nicholas has also translated the Gospel of Mark into Klingon Link
Na'vi[edit]
Naʼvi is the constructed language of the Naʼvi, the sapient humanoid indigenous inhabitants of the fictional moon Pandora in the 2009 film Avatar. It was created by Paul Frommer, a professor at the USC Marshall School of Business with a doctorate in linguistics.
Work on the Naʼvi language has continued even after the film's release. In 2009, its creator, Paul Frommer, was working on a compendium which he planned to deliver to Fox in the near future.[4] He think that the language "[has] a life of its own,"[5] and thinks it's "wonderful" that the language has developed a following, as is evident through the increasing learner community of the language.
| Translation | John 3:16 |
|---|---|
| Various | Fìfya kifkey leru yawne Yawäru, alunta pol tolìng 'awa 'itanit sneyä, fte pori fratìspusaw ke tiverkup, ki fìfrapor livu tìrey frakrr. |
Láadan[edit]
Láadan is a constructed women's language from Suzette Haden Elgin's Native Tongue trilogy. In a fictional future in which the United States Constitution's Nineteenth Amendment has been repealed, and women no longer have the rights of adults, a group of women has constructed a language to express women's thoughts and experiences more adeptly than can the languages of male-dominated society. In the second book of the series, The Judas Rose, the constructors of Láadan use Thursday-night women's prayer services beyond their own households. Part of this task involves translating the King James Version into Láadan. A portion of Psalm 23, verse 5 is translated with cultural shifts:[6]
| Translation | Psalm 23:5 |
|---|---|
| Láadan | ...Boóbin Na delith lethath oma Nathanan... |
| Literal translation | ...Thou braidest my hair with Thine own hands... |
The King James Version reads, here, "…thou anointest my head with oil…"
Toki Pona[edit]
Toki Pona is a philosophical artistic constructed language known for its small vocabulary, simplicity, and ease of acquisition. There is an ongoing Bible translation project on GitHub.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Fauskanger, Helge. "The Old Testament in Neo-Quenya". I Yára Vére. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Psalm 130". Aglardh. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Guzman, Monika (2007-10-19). "Time Killer: The "lolcat" bible". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
- ^ Sancton, Julian (December 1, 2009). "Brushing up on Na'vi, the Language of Avatar". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ Boucher, Geoff (November 20, 2009). "USC professor creates an entire alien language for 'Avatar'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ Elgin, Suzette Haden (1987). The Judas Rose. New York: DAW Books. p. 209. ISBN 0-88677-186-2.