Babel

The Tower of Babel

The tale of the Tower of Babel, from Genesis 11: 1-9, is an "explanation" of why there are so many different languages. You can find the story in some of those languages by following the links below. Having a single text in a variety of languages is a good way to see similarities and differences between those languages.

The Tower of Babel did in fact exist: it was a seven-stage ziggurat (stepped pyramid) with a temple to the god Marduk at the top. It was called Etemenanki, or 'the temple of the platform between heaven and earth', and was built in the city of Babylon sometime during the 6th or 7th century BC.

Index by language | Index by language family

Index by language

International Auxiliary Languages (IALs), Constructed languages, Alternative writing systems

- Acehnese,
- Achang,
- Acholi,
- Achuar-Shiwiar,
- Adyghe,
- Adzera,
- Afrikaans,
- Aguacateco,
- Aguaruna,
- Akan (Twi/Fante),
- Albanian,
- Aleut,
- Alsatian,
- Altay,
- Alyawarr,
- Amganad Ifugao,
- Amarasi,
- Ambrym,
- Amele,
- Amharic,
- Amis,
- Angami,
- Anglo-Saxon / Old English,
- Ao Naga,
- Arabela,
- Arabic,
- Aragonese,
- Aramaic,
- Arawak,
- Armenian,
- Aromanian,
- Assamese,
- Asturian,
- Ata,
- Ata Manobo,
- Atayal,
- Avar,
- Awadhi,
- Awara,
- Aymara,
- Azeri,
- Azumeina
[top]
- Balangao,
- Balinese,
- Bambam,
- Barai,
- Bariai,
- Bariba,
- Bashkir,
- Basque,
- Bassa,
- Batak Angkola,
- Batak Karo
- Batak Simalungun,
- Batak Toba,
- Bavarian,
- Belarusian,
- Bemba,
- Bengali,
- Beti,
- Bikol,
- Bimin,
- Binumarien,
- Bislama,
- Biatah Bidayuh,
- Boko,
- Bola,
- Bontoc,
- Borana,
- Borong,
- Bosnian,
- Breton,
- Bribri,
- Bugis,
- Bulgarian,
- Bulu,
- Bunun,
- Burmese,
- Burum-Mindik,
- Buryat
[top]
- Candoshi-Shapra,
- Cantonese,
- Car (-Nicobarese),
- Caribbean Hindustani,
- Caribbean Javanese,
- Carrier,
- Cashibo,
- Catalan,
- Cebuano,
- Central Huasteca Nahuatl,
- Chang,
- Cha'palaachi,
- Chayahuita,
- Chechen,
- Cherokee,
- Cheyenne,
- Chichewa,
- Chinese (Mandarin),
- Chin Falam,
- Chin Haka,
- Chin Tedim,
- Choctaw,
- Ch'ol of Tila,
- Ch'ol of Tumbalá,
- Chumburung,
- Chuj of Ixtatán,
- Church Slavonic,
- Chuukese,
- Chuvash,
- Classical Chinese,
- Cofán,
- Coptic,
- Cornish,
- Corsican,
- Crimean Tatar,
- Croatian,
- Cubeo,
- Cuyono,
- Czech
[top]
- Dadibi,
- Dakota,
- Danish,
- Dari,
- Dawan,
- Dawida,
- Desano,
- Dholuo,
- Dungan,
- Dutch,
- Dyula
[top]
- East Bolivan Guaraní,
- Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl,
- Efik,
- Embera,
- Enindhilyagwa,
- English,
- Erzya,
- Estonian,
- Ewe
[top]
- Faiwol,
- Faroese,
- Fijian,
- Fijian Hindi,
- Finnish,
- Fioti,
- Fon,
- Frafra,
- French,
- Frisian,
- Fula(ni),
- Futunan
[top]
- Ga,
- Galela,
- Galician,
- Gangte,
- Garifuna,
- Garo,
- German,
- Gothic,
- Greek (Ancient),
- Greek (Modern),
- Greenlandic,
- Gronings,
- Guajajara,
- Guambiano,
- Guanano / Wanano,
- Guarani,
- Guerrero Nahuatl,
- Guhu-Samane,
- Gujarati,
- Gumatj,
- Guugu Yalandji,
- Gwich’in
[top]
- Haitian Creole,
- Hakka,
- Hausa,
- Hawaiian,
- Hawaiian Pidgin,
- Hebrew,
- Helong,
- Hiligaynon,
- Hindi,
- Hiri Motu,
- Hmar,
- Hmong,
- Hrangkhol,
- Huambisa,
- Huitoto,
- Huli,
- Hungarian
[top]
- Iban,
- Icelandic,
- Ifugao,
- Igbo,
- Iloko,
- Indonesian,
- Interslavic,
- Inuktitut,
- Irish,
- Italian,
- Itawis,
- Iu Mien,
- Ivatan
[top]
- Japanese,
- Jarai,
- Javanese,
- Jingpho
[top]
- Kabardian,
- Kadazandusun,
- Kagayanen,
- Kahua,
- Kala Lagaw Ya,
- Kalenjin,
- Kalmyk,
- Kam,
- Kamasau,
- Kamba,
- Kambera,
- Kamono,
- Kamula,
- Kanite,
- Kannada,
- Kapampangan,
- Kaqchikel,
- Karakalpak,
- Karen,
- Kazakh,
- Q'eqchi',
- Keley-i,
- Kenyah,
- Khasi,
- Khmer,
- Khoekhoe,
- Khiamniungan,
- K’iche’,
- Kim,
- Kinaray-a,
- Kinyarwanda,
- Kiribati,
- Kirundi,
- Kissi,
- Komba,
- Konkani,
- Konkomba,
- Konyak,
- Korean,
- Koreguaje,
- Kosena,
- Kosraean,
- Kpelle,
- Kriol,
- Kuki,
- Kumyk,
- Kuna,
- Kupang,
- Kurdish,
- Kwanyama,
- Kyaka,
- Kyrgyz
[top]
- Ladino,
- Lahu,
- Lamba,
- Lango,
- Lao,
- Lashi,
- Lhao Vo,
- Latin,
- Latvian,
- Lenje,
- Lingala,
- Lisu,
- Lithuanian,
- Lotha,
- Low Saxon / Low German,
- Lozi,
- Luang,
- Luba-Katanga,
- Luganda,
- Luragooli
[top]
- Macedonian,
- Machiguenga,
- Madurese,
- Mafa,
- Maia,
- Makassar,
- Malagasy,
- Malaweg,
- Malay,
- Malayalam,
- Maltese,
- Mankanya,
- Manx,
- Māori,
- Mara Chin,
- Maranao,
- Marathi,
- Maring,
- Marshallese,
- Martu Wangka,
- Massa,
- Massachusett,
- Matigsalug Manobo,
- Mbay,
- Mbyá Guaraní,
- Mbula,
- Mbunda,
- Míkmaq,
- Min (Eastern),
- Min (Southern),
- Misima-Paneati,
- Miskito,
- Mizo,
- Moba,
- Mocoví,
- Mohawk,
- Moksha,
- Mongolian,
- Mortlockese,
- Mossi,
- Motu,
- Mpongwe,
- Mundang,
- Murrinh-Patha,
- Musey
[top]
- Nahuatl (Central Huasteca),
- Nahuatl (Eastern Huasteca),
- Nali,
- Namia,
- Nanti,
- Narak,
- Navajo,
- Ndebele (Southern),
- Ndonga,
- Nepali,
- Ngaanyatjarra,
- Ngaing,
- Ngaju,
- Ngambay,
- Nias,
- Niuean,
- North Efate,
- Norwegian,
- Northern Mam,
- Northern Sotho,
- Northwest Gbaya,
- Nuer,
- Numanggang,
- Nunggubuyu,
- Nyakyusa,
- Nyindrou
[top]
- Ojibwe,
- Okinawan,
- Old Church Slavonic,
- Orejón,
- Oriya,
- Ossetian
[top]
- Paama,
- Paite Chin,
- Palatine German,
- Pangasinan,
- Pangutaran Sama,
- Papiamentu,
- Pijin,
- Persian (Farsi),
- Phom (Naga),
- Pilagá,
- Pohnpeian,
- Polish,
- Poqomchi',
- Portuguese,
- Poumei (Naga),
- Punjabi
[top]
- Q'anjob'al,
- Quechua (Ayacucho),
- Quechua (Cañar Highland),
- Quechua (Cusco),
- Quechua del Huallaga,
- Quechua (Imbabura Highland),
- Quechua (South Bolivian),
- Quetzaltenango Mam,
- Quichua del Chimborazo
[top]
- Rarotongan,
- Riang,
- Rif Tamazight,
- Rotuman,
- Romanian,
- Romániço,
- Romansh,
- Russian
[top]
- Sakao,
- Samberigi,
- Sami,
- Samoan,
- Sango,
- Sangtam,
- Sanskrit,
- Santali,
- Sar,
- Saveeng Tuam,
- Scottish Gaelic,
- Sena,
- Serbian,
- Seychelles Creole,
- Southern Sotho,
- Sharanahua,
- Shipibo,
- Shona,
- Sicilian,
- Sinhala,
- Siroi,
- Siyin,
- Slovak,
- Slovenian,
- Soga,
- Somali,
- Soninke,
- Sorbian,
- South Giziga,
- Southern Kalinga,
- Southern Mam,
- Spanish,
- Sranan Tongo,
- Suau,
- Sumo/Mayangna,
- Sundanese,
- Sunuwar,
- Supyire,
- Swahili,
- Swabian,
- Swati,
- Swedish,
- Swiss German,
- Syriac
[top]
- Tagabawà,
- Tagalog,
- Tagbanwa,
- Tahitian,
- Tairora,
- Taiwanese,
- Tajik
- Tamasheq,
- Tamil,
- Tammari,
- Tampulma,
- Tangkhul,
- Tatar,
- Telugu,
- Teribe,
- Teso,
- Tetela,
- Tetun Dili,
- Thai,
- Tibetan,
- Tïcuna,
- Tigrinya,
- Timugon Murut,
- Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib),
- Toba Qom,
- Tok Pisin,
- Tolai,
- Tonga,
- Tongan,
- Tontemboan,
- Toraja-Sa'dan,
- Torres Strait Creole,
- Tsáchila / Colorado,
- Tsonga,
- Tswana,
- Tuma-Irumu,
- Tumbuka,
- Tungag,
- Tupuri,
- Turkish,
- Turkmen,
- Tuvaluan,
- Tuvan,
- Tuwali,
- Tzeltal,
- Tzotzil
[top]
- Ubir,
- Uduk,
- Ukrainian,
- Urdu,
- Uyghur,
- Uzbek
[top]
- Vaiphei,
- Valencian,
- Venda,
- Vietnamese,
- Võro
[top]
- Wa,
- Wali,
- Wancho (Naga),
- Wandamen,
- Waris,
- Warlpiri,
- Waskia,
- Wayuu,
- Welsh,
- Western Bukidnon,
- Western Huasteca Nahuatl,
- Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz,
- Winnebago,
- Wolaytta,
- Wolof
[top]
- Xhosa
[top]
- Yabem,
- Yakut,
- Yalunka,
- Yaminhua,
- Yapese,
- Yiddish,
- Yimchungrü,
- Yipma,
- Yongkom,
- Yoruba,
- Yucatec Maya,
- Yucuna,
- Yup'ik
[top]
- Zarma,
- Zeme,
- Zulu

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International Auxiliary Languages (IALs)

: Esperanto, Folkspraak, Ido, Interglossa, Interlingua, Interlingue/Occidental, Interslavic, Lingua Franca Nova, Lojban, Romániço

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Constructed languages/alphabets

: Avorentas HGV, Bel'Arian, Brithenig, Cujoltha, Fishscales, Gyorsrovás, Klingon, Kweda, Nassian, Oxidilogi, Quenya, Quikscript, Sabethir, Silesian, Toki Pona, Üqoi, Viozian, Venedic

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Alternative writing systems

: Gregg Shorthand, Pitman Shorthand, The 1847 Alphabet

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Index by language | Index by language family

Sources of the Tower of Babel translations

Details of the background to the tale of the Tower of Babel
http://www.ldolphin.org/babel.html

Tower of Babel in constructed languages
http://cals.conlang.org/translation/the-tower-of-babel/
http://www.reddit.com/r/conlangs/comments/1l9tcb/translation_challenge_the_tower_of_babel/

Multilingual pages