Core Glossary
Core Glossary
translation_memory.json is the enforced glossary for every Phase 2 translation in this curriculum. This document summarizes its shape and the principles behind it; see the Glossary Risk Groups for the full per-term entries.
Composition
The glossary currently holds 47 terms spanning all four risk tiers, drawn from the doctrines identified in Doctrine Analysis and grounded in the cultural risks identified in Culture Analysis. Every term entry records:
- The approved Odia translation and transliteration
- The doctrine risk tier (Critical/High/Medium/Low)
- Explicitly rejected alternatives, with reasons — several of which are specific Jagannath-tradition words and ritual concepts (ଠାକୁର, ଅବତାର, ଦେଉଳ) rather than generic Hindu-tradition vocabulary
- Notes explaining any non-obvious translation choice
Governing principles
- Established usage over invention — where existing Odia Bible translation already has a settled rendering (ପରମେଶ୍ୱର, ଯୀଶୁ, ପ୍ରଭୁ, ପରିତ୍ରାଣ, ନିୟମ), this glossary follows it rather than proposing an alternative.
- Explicit, institution-specific rejection, not generic avoidance — every Critical-risk term records why a rejected alternative is wrong, and where relevant, names the specific Jagannath-tradition ritual or practice (Nabakalebara, seba, Rath Yatra) that makes the rejected term risky, rather than gesturing at “Hindu syncretism” generically.
- Version-controlled and append-only in Phase 2 — if a new term is discovered during document translation, it is added to translation memory and the version number incremented, never silently improvised per-document (see the AI Translation Requirements’ Translation Memory Load and Enforcement Instructions).
Relationship to the Doctrine Risk Registry
Every glossary term’s doctrine field links back to an entry in doctrine_risk_registry.json, so a term’s risk tier is always traceable to the specific doctrine it protects — the glossary enforces vocabulary, the doctrine registry explains why that vocabulary matters, including the Jagannath-specific reasoning unique to this Language Package.
Critical Risk Terms
Father
Approved rendering: ପିତା
Transliteration: Pitā
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: ସୃଷ୍ଟିକର୍ତ୍ତା
God as personal Father; avoid the more distant, abstract ସୃଷ୍ଟିକର୍ତ୍ତା (creator).
God
Approved rendering: ପରମେଶ୍ୱର
Transliteration: Parameśwara
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ଠାକୁର, ଭଗବାନ
CRITICAL: never ଠାକୁର (the everyday devotional name for Jagannath specifically, as in ‘ବଡ଼ ଠାକୁର’) or ଭଗବାନ (broad generic-deity term). ପରମେଶ୍ୱର is preferred for doctrinal precision and carries no direct association with a specific named regional deity.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: ପବିତ୍ର ଆତ୍ମା
Transliteration: Pabitra Ātmā
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: ପରମାତ୍ମା
CRITICAL: never ପରମାତ୍ମା (the monistic Universal Self of Vedantic usage). ପବିତ୍ର ଆତ୍ମା is the personal Holy Spirit, third Person of the Trinity.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: ଆରୋପିତ ଧାର୍ମିକତା
Transliteration: āropita dhārmikatā
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: ନିଜ ଚେଷ୍ଟାରେ ଅର୍ଜିତ ଧାର୍ମିକତା
Credited righteousness from God, NOT self-effort-earned righteousness (ନିଜ ଚେଷ୍ଟାରେ ଅର୍ଜିତ ଧାର୍ମିକତା).
Incarnation
Approved rendering: ଦେହଧାରଣ
Transliteration: dehadhāraṇa
Doctrine: Incarnation
Rejected alternatives: ଅବତାର
CRITICAL: NEVER ଅବତାର. Also guard against a subtler, Odisha-specific false-friend: Nabakalebara, the periodic ritual at Puri (roughly every 12-19 years) in which Jagannath’s sacred essence is ritually transferred into newly-carved wooden images. This is a very concrete, literal image of divine ‘renewal of body’ that is precisely the opposite of Christ’s incarnation — one eternal Son, permanently and uniquely taking human nature once, never repeated or replaced.
Jesus
Approved rendering: ଯୀଶୁ
Transliteration: Yīśu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ଈସା
ଯୀଶୁ is the Odia Christian standard; ଈସା is associated with Muslim/Urdu usage.
Justification
Approved rendering: ଧାର୍ମିକ ବୋଲି ଗଣା ଯିବା
Transliteration: dhārmika boli gaṇā jibā
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: କ୍ଷମା ପାଇବା, ପୁଣ୍ୟ ଅର୍ଜନ କରିବା
Compound phrase required; a forensic declaration of right standing, never abbreviated to a single word.
Lord
Approved rendering: ପ୍ରଭୁ
Transliteration: prabhu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ଠାକୁର
CRITICAL: NEVER ଠାକୁର. This is not a generic honorific in Odia the way ‘lord’ can be elsewhere — ଠାକୁର (Thakura) is the everyday devotional name for Jagannath himself, as in the common epithet ‘ବଡ଼ ଠାକୁର’ (Bada Thakura, ‘the great Lord’). Using ଠାକୁର for Christ would directly and specifically evoke Jagannath, not a generic deity concept. ପ୍ରଭୁ is the safe, established Odia Christian term and must convey Christ’s living, exclusive, presently-reigning Lordship.
Messiah
Approved rendering: ମସୀହା
Transliteration: Masīhā
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Rejected alternatives: ଅବତାରୀ ପୁରୁଷ
CRITICAL: transliterated term; the unique OT-promised deliverer, not one of many avatar-descents.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: ପୁନରୁତ୍ଥାନ
Transliteration: punarutthāna
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ପୁନର୍ଜନ୍ମ
CRITICAL: NEVER ପୁନର୍ଜନ୍ମ. ପୁନରୁତ୍ଥାନ is a one-time bodily event ending death permanently, not another turn of a rebirth cycle and not a periodic renewal.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: ଧାର୍ମିକତା
Transliteration: dhārmikatā
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: ଧର୍ମ, ପୁଣ୍ୟ
CRITICAL: never ଧର୍ମ. ଧାର୍ମିକତା = right standing before God received through faith, not cosmic duty performed or merit accumulated through ritual observance.
Salvation
Approved rendering: ପରିତ୍ରାଣ
Transliteration: paritrāṇa
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: ମୋକ୍ଷ, ମୁକ୍ତି
CRITICAL: NEVER ମୋକ୍ଷ or ମୁକ୍ତି (release from the rebirth cycle). ପରିତ୍ରାଣ is the established Eastern Indian (Bengali-Odia) Christian term for deliverance given by God through Christ, not a state a devotee attains through ritual devotion or pilgrimage.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: ପରମେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ପୁତ୍ର
Transliteration: Parameśwaraṅka Putra
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ଅବତାରୀ ପୁରୁଷ
CRITICAL: full phrase required. Conveys eternal, unique Sonship, not an avatar-figure or divinely-elevated human.
High Risk Terms
Abba
Approved rendering: ଆବ୍ବା
Transliteration: Ābbā
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Aramaic term of intimacy preserved in Romans 8:15; kept as transliteration alongside ପିତା.
Adoption
Approved rendering: ପୋଷ୍ୟ ପୁତ୍ରତ୍ୱ
Transliteration: poṣya putratva
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: ପୋଷା ନେବା
Emphasizes full son-status and inheritance rather than a reduced or provisional status.
Called
Approved rendering: ଆହୂତ
Transliteration: āhūta
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: ନିମନ୍ତ୍ରିତ
Context-sensitive: in 1:1 = called to apostleship; in 1:7 = called to be saints; in 8:28-30 = effectual calling to salvation.
Calling
Approved rendering: ଆହ୍ୱାନ
Transliteration: āhwāna
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Noun form for the act/state of being called; pair with ଆହୂତ for the participle.
Covenant
Approved rendering: ନିୟମ
Transliteration: niyama
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: ଚୁକ୍ତି
ନିୟମ is the established Eastern Indian (Bengali-Odia) Christian term for covenant, as in ‘ପୁରାତନ ନିୟମ’ (Old Testament) and ‘ନୂତନ ନିୟମ’ (New Testament); ଚୁକ୍ତି (a mutual contract) is too transactional for a divinely-initiated covenant.
Election
Approved rendering: ପରମେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ମନୋନୟନ
Transliteration: Parameśwaraṅka Manonayana
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: ଭାଗ୍ୟ, ନିୟତି
God’s sovereign, personal choice — not fate (ଭାଗ୍ୟ/ନିୟତି), and distinct also from the sign-based ritual selection process (locating the sacred neem tree bearing the correct marks for Nabakalebara) by which Puri temple priests identify a new image; God’s election is a personal choice of a person, not a technical ritual-omen procedure.
Faith
Approved rendering: ବିଶ୍ୱାସ
Transliteration: biśwāsa
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: ଭକ୍ତି
Personal trust in Christ specifically; ଭକ୍ତି carries the devotional-surrender sense of Odia Vaishnav bhakti practice, which does not require the specific, exclusive object of trust that ବିଶ୍ୱାସ requires here.
Glory
Approved rendering: ମହିମା
Transliteration: mahimā
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ତେଜ
God’s radiant honor; avoid light-only imagery that could merge with generic divine-light devotional associations.
Gospel
Approved rendering: ସୁସମାଚାର
Transliteration: susamācāra
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: ଖବର
Established Odia Christian term (su- ‘good’ + samācāra ‘news’), shared in form with the wider Eastern Indian (Bengali-Odia) Christian tradition. Avoid the generic ଖବର (news).
Grace
Approved rendering: କୃପା
Transliteration: kṛpā
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: କର୍ମଫଳ, ପୁଣ୍ୟ
Unmerited favor apart from human merit. Must be distinguished from devotional grace granted in response to bhakti and ritual offering (seba) to Jagannath, which remains relationship-and-offering-conditioned rather than freely given apart from merit.
Holy
Approved rendering: ପବିତ୍ର
Transliteration: pabitra
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: ଶୁଦ୍ଧ
Set apart for God and morally pure; ଶୁଦ୍ଧ leans toward ritual purity (relevant given the elaborate purity protocols surrounding Jagannath temple worship and food preparation) rather than relational holiness.
Law
Approved rendering: ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥା
Transliteration: byabasthā
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: ଧର୍ମ
Torah/Mosaic law. NEVER ଧର୍ମ, which carries both generic Hindu caste-duty connotations and specific temple-ritual-observance connotations (seba dharma, the elaborate duty-schedule of Jagannath temple service).
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: ବିଶ୍ୱାସର ଆଜ୍ଞାବହତା
Transliteration: biśwāsara ājñābahatā
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Rejected alternatives: ଧାର୍ମିକ କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟ
Romans 1:5 and 16:26. Obedience flowing from faith already granted, not ଧାର୍ମିକ କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟ (religious duty), which reads as ritual-obligation-style compliance.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: ପରମେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ
Transliteration: Parameśwaraṅka Sāmarthya
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: ଶକ୍ତି
Use ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ; never ଶକ୍ତି — Odisha’s own prominent Shakta tradition (Maa Samaleswari at Sambalpur, Maa Tarini at Ghatagaon) makes ଶକ୍ତି read as a specific divine-feminine power distinct from the one God’s saving power.
Providence
Approved rendering: ପରମେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ପରିଚାଳନା
Transliteration: Parameśwaraṅka Paricāḷanā
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: ଭାଗ୍ୟ, କର୍ମର ନିୟମ
God’s personal, purposive governance; Romans 8:28 is vulnerable to being read through ଭାଗ୍ୟ (fate) or the impersonal law of karma.
Saints
Approved rendering: ପବିତ୍ର ଲୋକ
Transliteration: pabitra loka
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: ସାଧୁ, ପଞ୍ଚସଖା
ପଞ୍ଚସଖା (‘the five companions’) names the revered 15th-16th century Odia Vaishnav poet-saints (Balaram Das, Jagannath Das, and others) whose devotional writings, especially Jagannath Das’s Odia Bhagavata, are read daily in village bhagavata tungi halls across Odisha — an elite, literarily-canonized category, not the corporate status of every believer. ପବିତ୍ର ଲୋକ keeps sainthood as the status of all believers by God’s declaration.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: ପବିତ୍ରୀକରଣ
Transliteration: pabitrīkaraṇa
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: ଶୁଦ୍ଧିକରଣ
The Spirit’s ongoing work of making believers holy, distinct from the ritual purification protocols central to temple worship practice.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: ଦାଉଦଙ୍କ ବଂଶରୁ
Transliteration: Dāudaṅka Baṃśaru
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Romans 1:3; conveys physical lineage and OT covenant fulfillment.
Sin
Approved rendering: ପାପ
Transliteration: pāpa
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: ଅଧର୍ମ
Moral transgression before a personal God who judges and forgives.
Medium Risk Terms
Apostle
Approved rendering: ପ୍ରେରିତ
Transliteration: prerita
Doctrine: Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: ଗୁରୁ
Established Odia Christian term. Avoid ଗୁରୁ, which implies a self-attained teaching authority rather than a delegated, sent commission.
Church
Approved rendering: ମଣ୍ଡଳୀ
Transliteration: maṇḍaḷī
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: ମନ୍ଦିର, ଦେଉଳ
Established Odia Christian term for the congregation. Never ମନ୍ଦିର or ଦେଉଳ — the latter is specifically the word used for the Puri Jagannath temple itself (ଶ୍ରୀ ମନ୍ଦିର / ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ ଦେଉଳ), making it an especially concrete word to avoid.
David
Approved rendering: ଦାଉଦ
Transliteration: Dāuda
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Established proper name form.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: ଅନ୍ୟଜାତି
Transliteration: anyajāti
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: ବିଦେଶୀ
Non-Jewish peoples; ବିଦେଶୀ (foreigners) is too narrowly national.
Intercession
Approved rendering: ମଧ୍ୟସ୍ଥତା
Transliteration: madhyasthatā
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Prayer on behalf of others; standard term.
Israel
Approved rendering: ଇସ୍ରାଏଲ
Transliteration: Isrāela
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Proper name; established form.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: ପରମେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ରାଜ୍ୟ
Transliteration: Parameśwaraṅka Rājya
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
God’s sovereign reign, not a territorial or political kingdom.
Mission
Approved rendering: ମିଶନ / ସୁସମାଚାର ପ୍ରଚାର
Transliteration: miśana / susamācāra pracāra
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
ସୁସମାଚାର ପ୍ରଚାର is the descriptive Odia phrase; ମିଶନ is retained with awareness of its colonial-era connotation.
Peace
Approved rendering: ଶାନ୍ତି
Transliteration: śānti
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: ମନ ଶାନ୍ତି
Relational peace with God through justification, not the inner calm sought through devotional ritual or pilgrimage.
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: ଆତ୍ମିକ ଦାନ
Transliteration: ātmika dāna
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Rejected alternatives: ବର
Always use the compound; ବର alone (a deity’s boon) wrongly suggests a merit-earned or ritually-obtained favor.
Low Risk Terms
Exhort
Approved rendering: ଉତ୍ସାହିତ କରିବା
Transliteration: utsāhita karibā
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Context-sensitive: use ନିବେଦନ for entreaty; ଉତ୍ସାହିତ କରିବା for encouragement/building up.
Fellowship
Approved rendering: ସହଭାଗିତା
Transliteration: sahabhāgitā
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Rejected alternatives: ମିତ୍ରତା
Shared participation in Christ, not mere social friendship (ମିତ୍ରତା).
Prophecy
Approved rendering: ଭବିଷ୍ୟଦ୍ବାଣୀ
Transliteration: bhabiṣyadbāṇī
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: ଗଣନା
God-inspired declaration, distinct from astrological forecasting (ଗଣନା).
Prophet
Approved rendering: ଭବିଷ୍ୟଦ୍ବକ୍ତା
Transliteration: bhabiṣyadbaktā
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: ଜ୍ୟୋତିଷୀ
God’s spokesperson, not a fortune-teller/astrologer (ଜ୍ୟୋତିଷୀ).
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ ସ୍ତୁତି
Transliteration: dhanyabāda stuti
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Standard term. No significant risk.
Referenced passages