Tunisian Arabic New Testament — Darija (Tunisian Arabic) New Testament (Tunisia)
Overview
العهد الجديد بالعربية التونسية ("New Testament in Tunisian Arabic") is the complete New Testament in the Tunisian Arabic dialect, first published in 2011 and updated (copyright 2018) by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. and United Bible Societies (UBS UK), available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 1304; abbreviation: LTONSY). Tunisian Arabic (ISO 639-3: aeb; autonym: تونسي, Tounsi) — also called Darija — is distinct from Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and is the everyday spoken language of approximately 12 million Tunisians. The NT is written in Arabic script reflecting actual spoken Tunisian vocabulary, phonology, and grammar, rather than the elevated register of MSA used in most Arabic Bibles.
Language and People
Tunisian Arabic (ISO 639-3: aeb; autonym: تونسي, Tounsi/Darija) is an Afroasiatic language: Afroasiatic → Semitic → Central Semitic → Arabic → Maghrebi Arabic branch. Tunisian Arabic has been significantly influenced by Berber (Tamazight) substrate, Phoenician-Punic vocabulary, Italian/Sicilian loanwords from the historical Mediterranean trade sphere, and French from the colonial period (1881–1956). It is mutually intelligible with Algerian and Libyan Darija but less so with Gulf or Levantine Arabic.
The Tunisian Arabic-speaking community inhabits:
- Tunisia — virtually the entire population of ~12 million uses Tunisian Arabic as their primary spoken language
- Tunisian diaspora communities in France, Germany, Italy, and other countries
Estimated speakers: approximately 12 million L1 speakers (entire Tunisian population).
Cultural Context
Tunisia was historically the heartland of ancient Carthage and the Roman province of Africa, and later an early center of North African Christianity (Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine were from the North African church). Modern Tunisia is overwhelmingly Muslim (99%+), and scripture in Tunisian Darija serves the small Christian community and diaspora, as well as serving as a bridge for those exploring the Bible in their mother tongue rather than MSA. The choice to use Tunisian Darija rather than MSA reflects the reality that most Tunisians are more comfortable in their spoken dialect than in the literary standard.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. (wycliffe.org) and United Bible Societies (UBS), UK. The copyright date of 2018 reflects a revision of the original 2011 edition.