Lala NT — Lala-Roba (Gworam) Scripture Portions (Nigeria)
Overview
Lala NT is 12-book scripture portions in the Lala-Roba language of Adamawa State, Nigeria, published by The Seed Company and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 3721). Known by speakers as Gworam (the autonym differs from both the scholarly designation Lala-Roba and the ISO name), the language belongs to the Yungur group (also called Bəna-Mboi or Yungur group) of the Adamawa language family. The compound ISO name "Lala-Roba" reflects two closely related dialect varieties — Lala (also called Bəna) and Roba — that share a single ISO 639-3 code. With approximately 46,000 speakers and a predominantly Christian community, the Gworam/Lala-Roba are among the better-resourced minority language communities in northeastern Nigeria relative to their size.
Language and People
Lala-Roba (ISO 639-3: lla; autonym: Gworam; also called Bəna, Lala, or Roba) is a Niger-Congo language: Niger-Congo → Atlantic-Congo → Volta-Congo → North Volta-Congo → Adamawa-Ubangi → Adamawa → Yungur group (Bəna-Mboi). The Yungur group has been documented through the Adamawa Language Projects at Mainz University. Not Chadic; fully Niger-Congo Adamawa-family. The compound name Lala-Roba reflects the two major dialects that share the ISO code.
The Lala-Roba community inhabits:
- Gombi LGA and Shelleng LGA, Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria — the Adamawa highlands zone
- Some presence extending into Borno State
- A sociolinguistic survey specifically titled "A Sociolinguistics Survey of Lala People Group of Gombi and Shelleng Local Governments of Adamawa State, Nigeria" confirms these LGA locations
Estimated speakers: approximately 46,000 L1 speakers (sociolinguistic survey data); total Lala people group estimated at 101,000–232,000 by different sources including diaspora and ethnic counts.
Cultural Context
The Lala-Roba/Gworam are a predominantly Christian community — approximately 80–90% Christian — with Christian mission presence dating from the 1940s. The remaining 20% follow traditional ethnic religion. This makes the community comparatively well-reached relative to many neighbors. Resources include the JESUS Film in Lala-Roba, and two Global Recordings Network "Words of Life" audio programs (programs 14870 and 26750). The 12-book scripture portion was published 2013. The Adamawa highlands zone where the community lives is characterized by a mix of minority ethnic groups (Adamawa-family languages) alongside majority Hausa and Fulani populations.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by The Seed Company (seedcompany.com, Fort Worth, Texas), a Wycliffe Global Alliance member organization founded in 1993. Member of the illumiNations coalition.