English sentence in CW text = prudery?

[David Robertson]

In Kamloops Wawa #45 (25 Sep. 1892), on page 52, a serial in Chinuk Wawa
about Mary Magdalen quotes the woman who (as in Luke 11:27-28; cf. Luke
23:29) says,

"Blessed are the womb that bore thee and the paps that gave thee suck."

Is this left untranslated into Jargon out of prudery?

If so, is the effect of keeping unseemly material out of vulgar grasp
heightened by the use of antique King James English?  I mean, few people
probably said "womb", "paps" or "give suck" in daily life in 1892.
Indians hearing this quotation who might have then asked an English
speaker what was being referred to would be unlikely to offend.

I can only imagine what the priest feared could happen if he HAD
translated these words into Jargon.  Potentially, Indians who quoted this
passage by translating into the English they had newly acquired from
conversation "on the street" could unwittingly shock the *@%^ out of
native-speakers of English!

(Here I might mention that some elders have said "you can't swear in
Indian"...the words for those body parts aren't obscene to everyone.)

--Dave R.

To respond to the CHINOOK list, click 'REPLY ALL'.  To respond privately to the sender of a message, click 'REPLY'.  Hayu masi!