Apalaí New Testament (APYWBT)

Overview

The Apalaí New Testament, titled Ritonõpo Omiry, was published in 1986 by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. and is the first scripture text produced in this language. [1] The Apalaí (also spelled Aparai) are an indigenous people living on the banks of the Rio Paru de Leste in the northern state of Pará, Brazil, within the Tumucumaque Indian Park and the Paru de Leste Indian Area, near the border with Suriname. [2] Apalaí belongs to the Cariban language family, more precisely the northern Cariban branch of Guiana; it is notable for using a rare object–verb–subject word order and is highly agglutinative. [3] SIL missionaries began living among the Apalaí community in 1962, producing linguistic studies and literacy materials while working toward scripture translation in partnership with the Baptist Alliance of the Amazon (ALBAMA). [2] SIL Global's archives include foundational linguistic studies of the Apalaí language produced from that same period, supporting the translation effort that culminated in the 1986 New Testament. [4]

Language and People

Apalaí (ISO 639-3: apy) is spoken by approximately 450 people in Northeastern Brazil. [Glottolog: apal1257]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA.

References

  1. Amazon product listing, "Apalai New Testament" (ISBN 9781531300494), Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. — https://www.amazon.com/Apalai-Testament-Wycliffe-Bible-Translators/dp/1531300499
  2. Socioambiental, "Aparai" — https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/Povo:Aparai
  3. Encyclopedia.com, "Apalai" — https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/apalai
  4. SIL Global, "Notes on the Apalaí Language" — https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/72255