Translating Wordplay in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians as a Test Case

The challenge of wordplay is relevant of all Bible translators, since it is a fairly common phenomenon throughout the Bible. Just within 1 Corinthians, wordplays have been identified in every chapter except one, with up to six examples in a single chapter of the letter. A forthcoming essay in the Journal of Theological Studies co-authored by the author of this proposal attempts a complete assessment of the use of wordplay in 1 Corinthians, attending to the various linguistic features that are exploited to create wordplays in that letter. These include the use of different lexemes based on the same root (i.e., sharing etymology; compound words); the use of the same lexeme but with different meanings in different genders, used in close proximity to exploit the euphony; the use of the same word/lexeme with different meanings; the use of the same word with the same meaning twice in close proximity but in a context that plays on a twist while also exploiting the soundplay; and the use of different lexemes with similar sounds employed for the sake of the rhetorical effect of connecting the two words. It also analyzes the kinds of wordplay opportunities that each linguistic feature provides. That article briefly touches on the challenges wordplay creates for translation. In this paper I intend to summarize the different kinds of wordplay found in 1 Corinthians and then focus on the challenges and opportunities that each different kind of wordplay brings to translation not only into English translations but also into some other European languages with relevant suggestions for a wider range of translations beyond my own knowledge.