Comparative Analysis of Religious Lexicon in Translation: From Old English to Modern English

Abstract

This paper examines lexical variation in the translation of religious terminology from the New Testament into Old English and Modern English, with a focus on shifts in theological semantics. Using the Wessex Gospels and eleven modern English Bible translations as primary materials, the study employs quantitative methods — including Shannon and Simpson indices, as well as Jaccard similarity coefficients — to assess translational divergence. Findings indicate that variation correlates strongly with source-word semantics and translation strategies, with core religious terms exhibiting minimal variation due to their entrenched liturgical tradition. Formal-equivalence translations demonstrate greater lexical affinity among themselves compared to dynamic-equivalence renderings. An inverse relationship emerges between translational diversity and intertextual overlap, while cross-period analysis reveals parallels in Old and Modern English translation challenges, suggesting consistent hurdles in conveying sacred lexicon. The results underscore the influence of translation tradition, theological framing, and translation philosophy on lexical choices. The study affirms that religious-text translation constitutes a complex, multidimensional process amenable to empirical linguistic analysis.