Tem Bible (KDHKDH)
Overview
The Tem Bible, titled "Tawúratɩ na Injiila dɛ́ɛ fɔɔlɩ́nɩ," contains Bible portions in the Tem language, a Southern Gur language of the Niger-Congo family also known as Kotokoli or Cotocoli [1][2]. Tem is spoken by approximately 390,000 people across Togo, Ghana, and Benin, with the majority concentrated in the Centrale, Kara, and Plateaux regions of Togo, particularly around the city of Sokode [1][3]. Bible portions in Tem were produced during the period 1998-2015, and this edition was published in 2015 by Wycliffe Bible Translators [4][5]. The Tem people, who are predominantly Muslim, emigrated from what is now Burkina Faso into the Sokode region of central Togo during the 17th and 18th centuries [3][6]. The vernacular title references the Tawurat (Torah/Law) and Injil (Gospel), reflecting Arabic-derived religious terminology common among the largely Islamic Tem community [3]. Bible translators in Togo, supported by the American Bible Society, are continuing to work toward a complete Bible translation in Tem alongside several other Togolese languages [7].
Language and People
Tem (ISO 639-3: kdh) is spoken by approximately 390,200 people in Togo. [Glottolog: temm1241]
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA. Translation type: First.
References
- [1] Tem language and alphabet - Omniglot. Language classification, speaker population, and writing system.
- [2] Tem language - Wikipedia. Linguistic classification as Southern Gur branch of Niger-Congo.
- [3] Tem people - Wikipedia. History, religion, and cultural background of the Tem/Kotokoli people.
- [4] Tem language resources - Joshua Project. Bible translation status showing portions from 1998-2015.
- [6] Kotokoli of Togo - Joshua Project. People group profile with population and religious data.
- [7] Togo (archived) - American Bible Society. Ongoing Bible translation projects in Togo including Tem.
- kdh Ɩsɔ́ɔ-dɛ Tɔ́m Tem-daá - Online text, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc.
- Bible For Developers - DBL archive entry, Digital Bible Library
- Global Bible Catalogue - Global Bible Catalogue entry.
- ebible.org entry - ebible.org.