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Calque: The goat that escaped
1. Calques
One way to translate a word or phrase is to use what is called a "
calque", which is sometimes called a "
loan translation".
The English word "
calque" is from the French word
"calque" ≈ "trace, imitation, close copy".
2. Calque: The goat that escaped
The English word "
scapegoat" is a calque of the Hebrew word
"עזאזל" (ez-ozel) ≈ "goat that departs" which appears only in Hebrew in Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26.
Leviticus 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. [kjv]
3. Leviticus 16:8
KJV: And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Hebrew: ונתן אהרן על שני השעירם גורלות גורל אחד ליהוה וגורל אחד לעזאזל׃
Greek: και επιθησει ααρων επι τους δυο χιμαρους κληρον ενα τω κυριω και κληρον ενα τω αποπομπαιω
Latin: mittens super utrumque sortem unam Domino et alteram capro emissario
Wycliffe: and he schal sende`on euer eithir, o lot to the Lord, and another lot to the goot that schal be sent out.
4. Greek
5. Latin
The Latin Vulgate appears to follow from the Greek.
The Latin word
"capro" ≈ "goat" which is the origin of the Zodiac sign Capricorn.
The Latin word
"emissario" ≈ "sent out" which is the origin of the English word "
emissary".
6. Scapegoat
Tyndall is credited with the first calque of the Hebrew as "
scapegoat".
Wycliffe did literal translation of the Hebrew as "
goot that shall be sent out".
The Middle English word
"scape" ≈ "escape" where the "
e" had disappeared from the French but eventually became accepted word.
7. Matthew 5:18
KJV: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Greek: αμην γαρ λεγω υμιν εως αν παρελθη ο ουρανος και η γη ιωτα εν η μια κεραια ου μη παρελθη απο του νομου εως αν παντα γενηται
Latin: amen quippe dico vobis donec transeat caelum et terra iota unum aut unus apex non praeteribit a lege donec omnia fiant
Tyndale: For truely I saye vnto you till heven and erth perisshe one iott or one tytle of the lawe shall not scape tyll all be fulfilled.
Geneva: For truely I say vnto you, Till heauen, and earth perish, one iote or one title of the Law shall not scape, till all things be fulfilled.
Luther: Denn ich sage euch: Wahrlich, bis daß Himmel und Erde vergehe, wird nicht vergehen der kleinste Buchstabe noch ein Tüttel vom Gesetz, bis daß es alles geschehe.
In the above verse, the Latin word
"praeteribit" ≈ "disappear".
In two verses, the Middle English has "
scape" while the
KJV (King James Version) has "
escape".
8. Matthew 23:33
KJV: Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Greek: οφεις γεννηματα εχιδνων πως φυγητε απο της κρισεως της γεεννης
Latin: serpentes genimina viperarum quomodo fugietis a iudicio gehennae
Wycliffe: Ye eddris, and eddris briddis, hou schulen ye fle fro the doom of helle?
Tyndale: Yee serpentes and generacion of vipers how shuld ye scape ye dapnacio of hell?
9. 1 Thessalonians 5:3
KJV: For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Greek: οταν γαρ λεγωσιν ειρηνη και ασφαλεια τοτε αιφνιδιος αυτοις εφισταται επισταται ολεθρος ωσπερ η ωδιν τη εν γαστρι εχουση και ου μη εκφυγωσιν
Latin: cum enim dixerint pax et securitas tunc repentinus eis superveniet interitus sicut dolor in utero habenti et non effugient
Wycliffe: For whanne thei schulen seie pees is, and sikirnesse, thanne sudeyn deth schal come on hem, as sorewe to a womman that is with child, and thei schulen not scape.
10. Word change
Words tend to take on meanings such that the original meaning is often forgotten.
Thus, a "scapegoat" is often though of as "one who takes the blame", appropriate or not.
The word could have been calqued as "escapegoat" instead of "scapegoat".
11. Goat perspective
Let us look at the above concept from the goat's point of view using all the relevant verses (one repeated from above).
12. Leviticus 16:8
KJV: And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Hebrew: ונתן אהרן על שני השעירם גורלות גורל אחד ליהוה וגורל אחד לעזאזל׃
Greek: και επιθησει ααρων επι τους δυο χιμαρους κληρον ενα τω κυριω και κληρον ενα τω αποπομπαιω
13. Leviticus 16:9
KJV: And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Hebrew: והקריב אהרן את השעיר אשר עלה עליו הגורל ליהוה ועשהו חטאת׃
Greek: και προσαξει ααρων τον χιμαρον εφ ον επηλθεν επ αυτον ο κληρος τω κυριω και προσοισει περι αμαρτιας
14. Leviticus 16:10
KJV: But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
Hebrew: והשעיר אשר עלה עליו הגורל לעזאזל יעמד חי לפני יהוה לכפר עליו לשלח אתו לעזאזל המדברה׃
Greek: και τον χιμαρον εφ ον επηλθεν επ αυτον ο κληρος του αποπομπαιου στησει αυτον ζωντα εναντι κυριου του εξιλασασθαι επ αυτου ωστε αποστειλαι αυτον εις την αποπομπην αφησει αυτον εις την ερημον
15. Point of view
From the point of view of the goat, the two (mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive) choices are as follows.
Be selected as the "scapegoat" or "escapegoat" and be freed into the wilderness.
Be selected as the sacrificial goat and be slaughtered/killed as a sin offering.
From the point of view of the goat, being the "
scapegoat" might be considered the better alternative.
The usage of the word "
scapegoat" today is of the person "
sacrificed" despite not have necessarily done anything wrong.
One way to help in remembering this is the mental picture of a goat that skated away.
16. End of page
