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Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2023 August 9

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August 9

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Fictional Footnotes

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Following up on the helpful advice given here, I wanted to ask about these two fictional footnotes, below. The intent is to look like it's written by an academic or expert in the study of these words and languages. 

    Soth, from OE ‘soþ’: True, the opposite of false or pretending, genuine, real, in conformity with the actual state of things, covenant. Cf. ‘soothsayer’ meaning 'one who predicts the future’; Cf. Heptatechus Anglo-Saxonice (HAS) where it is used at Duet. 9:6, whereas the Latin Vulgate (VUL) uses ‘foedus’ meaning ‘treaty, contract, pact, covenant’, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) uses ‘dikaios’ meaning ‘fulfillment of the law’, the Hebrew Leningrad Codex (LC) uses ‘tsedeq’ meaning ‘right, Jupiter’, and the Modern English American Standard Version (ASV) uses ‘righteousness’

    Treowth, from OE ‘treowþ’: Truth, honor, fidelity, an assurance of good faith, covenant. Cf. ‘betrothal’ meaning ‘a contract for the future, esp. marriage’; Cf. Ex. 24:8, which is rendered ‘iustitias’ (VUL) meaning ‘justice, fairness, equity’, ‘diathekes’ (LXX) meaning ‘will, testament’, ‘berith’ (LC) meaning ‘covenant, male circumcision ritual’, and ‘covenant’ (ASV)

Thanks for your input. Schyler (exquirito veritatem bonumque) 21:04, 9 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I find it a bit unclear about what you're aiming for, and what the context is. Is this related to conlanging, worldbuilding or something else? 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 12:00, 10 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Per the notice at the top of this page, we don't provide opinions. You need to frame a specific question that can be answered with references. Shantavira|feed me 13:17, 10 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@Wakuran: I do think it is about worldbuilding, yes! Thanks for the very helpful insight. From the bottom up, this small detail about the world needs to be credible. The word used is in Old English and the footnote traces some nuances in the history of translations. Is this history of translations credible? Most importantly, does it look like a footnote that would appear in an academic text?Schyler (exquirito veritatem bonumque) 16:17, 10 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
To opine on your last question, not really. You'd be seeing a lot more symbols, like asterisks and angle brackets, and an academic source wouldn't introduce both the etymon extensions and the antecedents using the same term "Cf." Look at some etymological dictionaries, and if you have access to the Wikipedia Library, look at some articles about historical linguistics. If you're using actual old words to inform your inventions, look up those actual old words and use what's really been published and add your stuff on top, if that's not what you're already doing. We entertain sillier questions here, but since this is obviously not for the benefit of the encyclopaedia it is misplaced. Folly Mox (talk) 13:34, 12 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@Shantavira: I respect any person committed to quoting policy. Cheers to you, mate. Schyler (exquirito veritatem bonumque) 16:17, 10 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Am still confused. Are you asking for sources to show that dikaios, foedus and tsedeq in Greek, Latin and Hebrew are translated using those particular English glosses in various English translations? You could test your translations at one of those multi-translation bible websites, like biblegateway.com. For example for Deuteronomy 9:6 both New International Version and King James Version also translate as “righteousness”, you’d have to look through a long list one by one to find if others went with “treaty” or “Jupiter” or your other words. 70.67.193.176 (talk) 17:02, 11 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@Schyler: Just a couple of points: You define soþ with adjectives, but it can also be a noun in OE; and the illustrations you give in Lat, Gk, & Heb seem to be nouns, so you should probably define it with nouns ("Truth, the opposite of falsity or pretence ..."). "Duet." should clearly be "Deut." The second "cf." in each note should be lowercased, since it follows a semicolon rather than a period. Each note should end with a period. I'm too weary to check your biblical references. Deor (talk) 23:02, 12 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
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