ALDULKERA TÁLUM ~ no-nonsense new transtation

Why is a new English translation of the Oera Linda-book needed? Because many improvements can be made, which will lead to a better understanding and appreciation of the text as a whole.

This post provides an example of an interpretation by Sandbach (1876) of an interpretation by Ottema (1872), which does not do justice to the original.

Ottema translated ALDULKERA TÁLUM as "Al zulke praatjes" (copied by all known Dutch translations thus far, see below). Praatjes can be understood neutrally as talk, but it mostly has a more negative connotation: gossip, rumours, babbling, brag, tales. Sandbach interpreted it as nonsense: "All such nonsense". The two known German translations - like praatjes - suggest a negative connotation, but they are not as explicitly negative as nonsense: "Derartige Redensarten" (Wirth), and "Lauter solche Geschichten" (Menkens). The Norse translation by Lien was the first to interpret it neutrally, as slik tale (such talk).

ALDULKERA is used three more times in the manuscript, just meaning such (no need to add all):

[013/03] 

HWAND ALDULKERA GÀRS SKOLDE JVW DJAROSTA KVIK DÉJA

for such grass would kill your most precious cattle
[021/27]

MITH ALDULKERA WÀPNE AS.ER FOR SINNA BIKVMA ÀND HÁNDTÉRA MÉI

with such weapons as he can invent, procure, and use
[030/18]

SA ACH MAN ALLÉNA ALDVLKERA TO KJASANE

one ought to only choose such

Hettema's dictionary of 1832 confirms that somewhat changed versions of the word were still used in the 19th century, with the same meaning:

More significantly, TÁL (of which TÁLUM is plural) has no known negative connotation. It is used mostly to mean language, sometimes tale, narrative, wile it can sometimes be read as both. The related verb TÁLA simply means to tell, narrate:

[004/32]  
MÀN MOT TÁLA HJAM FON THA WICHARDA ÀND FON HJARA WICHANDLIKA DÉDUM. AK WRA FÀRA SÉ.TOCHTA. 
(One must) Tell them of the heroes, of their heroic deeds and of distant sea voyages.
[051/05]
FON.T ÉNE DÉL NIS NÉN TÁL TO VS NE KÉMEN. 
Of the one part no account has come to us, 
[055/29]
MEN VS FOLK LAKTON VMBE SIN TÁL. 
but our folk laughed at his words. 
[057/31]
FON NÉF.TÜNIS IS ÀFTERNÉI TÁL KÉMON 
Accounts of Nef-Tunis would later reach us, 
[103/27]
TÁL ÀND ANDWARDE ORA FÁMNA TO.N FÁRBYLD. 
Speech and answers as an example to other Maidens. 
[133/26]
THRVCH TÁL ÀND OMMEGANG KÉM.ET ÛT THAT WI ALLE BÉDE FON A.DEL.A HIS FOLK WÉRON. 
Our tales (or: language) and our interactions with one another made it clear to us that we both were Adela's folk.

We will now examine some of the context of ALDULKERA TÁLUM, and ask ourselves if it makes sense to interpret these words as such nonsense (my provisional translation, p. 152):

Everywhere they [the young maidens] said: "We no longer have a Mother, but that is because we have grown up. Today a king is more suitable for us, so we can reconquer our lands that the Mothers have lost by their incompetence!" 
They furthermore argued: "Every child of Frya was given the freedom to let his voice be heard, before a decision is made at the election of a leader. When it would come to the point of choosing a king again, I will therefore also give my opinion. From all I can consider, Friso was chosen for it by Wralda, for he was miraculously guided by Him here(1). Friso knows the tricks of the Gols and he speaks their language, so he can beware of their schemes. What reeve could be chosen as king without the others being envious?"  
Words like these were spoken by the young maidens, but the old maidens, though few in number, sang a different tune(2).

(1) lit. "for he has miraculously guided/brought him here" - swapped subject (Wralda) and object (Friso) for clarity, to match with previous and following sentence.
(2) lit. "tapped their reasoning from a different barrel" - expression. Du: "uit een ander vaatje tappen".

The narrator, Koneréd (son of Fréthorik and Wiljow), has earlier written that he sent his brother to Friso's military school (144/27), and he concludes Friso's biography (page 154) with the acknowledgment that he had reunited many states (adding some doubt as to whether that is a good thing for himself and his audience), and that Friso had become more famed than any of his predecessors.

In other words: He could have been much more negative in his judgement of Friso, but seems to rather have tried to give a neutral account.

Considering this, it is not justified to interpret ALDULKERA TÁLUM as such nonsense. I therefore suggest something more neutral, such as "words like these".

~ ~ ~

some cognates in related languages, besides English:

tale (speech) - Norse, Danish

tal (speech, talk, number) - Swedish, Icelandic

tala (to speak) - Swedish, Icelandic

tale ( ,, ) - Danish

fortelle (tell) - Norse

taal (language, speech) - Dutch

(ge)tal (number) - Dutch

vertellen/vertelling (tell/tale) - Dutch

Zahl (number) - German

erzählen (tell, narrate, explain) - German

[152/27]
ALDULKERA TÁLUM WÀRTH THRVCH THA JONGA FÁMNA KÉTHEN.
Ottema 1872 Dutch:
Al zulke praatjes werden door de jonge maagden gehouden,
Sandbach 1876 English:
All such nonsense the young maidens talked;
Wirth 1933 German:
Derartige Redensarten wurden durch die jungen Maiden verbreitet;
Overwijn 1951 Dutch:
Al zulke praatjes werden door de jonge maagden verkocht,
Jensma 2006 Dutch:
Al zulke praatjes werd door de jonge maagden verkondigd
De Heer 2008 Dutch:
Al zulke praatjes werd door de jonge maagden gesproken
(Raubenheimer 2011 English: as Sandbach)
Menkens 2013 German:
Lauter solche Geschichten wurden durch die jungen Maiden/Frauen verkündet,
Lien 2013 Norse:
Slik tale ble forkynt av de unge jomfruene;

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