Dobu New Testament (DOBPNG)

Overview

The Dobu New Testament, titled Loina Tabu Auwauna, was published in 1985 by Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Bible Society of Papua New Guinea. The translation was produced by David Lithgow, building on a long history of Scripture work in Dobu that dates back to the earliest missionary activity in the region. [1] The Edugaura dialect of Dobu Island had been adopted as a lingua franca by the Wesleyan Methodist Mission throughout the central Massim area beginning in 1891, and the first complete Bible in Dobu was translated by missionary William Bromilow and published in 1926. [2] The 1985 edition represents a newer translation of the New Testament in the language.

Translation History

The Wesleyan Mission was established on Dobu Island in July 1891 by William and Lily Bromilow, at the encouragement of colonial administrator Sir William MacGregor and George Brown, Secretary-General of the Wesleyan Mission Society. [2] Bromilow's translation of the Bible into the Edugaura dialect was completed in 1926 and served the Dobu-speaking community for decades. [2] In 1985, a new translation of the New Testament was completed by David Lithgow under the auspices of Wycliffe Bible Translators. [1]

Language and People

Dobu (ISO 639-3: dob) is an Austronesian language of the Milne Bay group, spoken by approximately 10,000 people in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. [2] Speakers inhabit Dobu Island in Dawson Strait, southeastern Fergusson Island, northern Normanby Island, and the offshore islands of Sanaroa and Tewara. [2] The Edugaura dialect became a regional lingua franca when it was adopted by the Wesleyan Mission for evangelization throughout the central Massim and beyond, giving Dobu a wider communicative reach than its native speaker population alone would suggest. [2] The anthropologist Reo Fortune conducted fieldwork on Tewara island in 1928, and his resulting ethnography Sorcerers of Dobu (1932) brought international attention to Dobu culture. [2] [Glottolog: dobu1241]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Bible Society of Papua New Guinea. Translation type: New.

References