Lau Bible (New Testament) (LLUWBT)

Overview

The Lau New Testament was published in 1992 by Wycliffe Bible Translators [1]. Lau is a Southeast Solomonic branch of the Oceanic language family, spoken by approximately 17,000 people on the northeast coast of Malaita Island in Malaita Province, Solomon Islands [2][3]. The Lau people, who call themselves "wane i asi" (salt-water people), are historically associated with the Lau Lagoon, a 35-kilometer stretch of coastline containing more than 60 artificial islands built on the reef [3][4]. Earlier scripture portions in the Lau language were produced by the Melanesian Mission in the early 1900s; Walter George Ivens (1871-1939), a missionary-linguist of the Melanesian Mission, translated large parts of the Bible into Lau, along with Sa'a, Ulawa, and Bugotu, and published a grammar and vocabulary of the Lau language in 1921 [5][6]. The Lau New Testament was among the second, third, and fourth complete New Testament translations produced within the Melanesian Mission, alongside those in Ulawa and Sa'a [7]. The 1992 Wycliffe edition represented a modern translation for the Lau-speaking community [1].

Language and People

Lau (ISO 639-3: llu) is spoken by approximately 16,900 people in Solomon Islands. [Glottolog: lauu1247]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA.

References