Mende (Sierra Leone) Old and New Testament (MENBSL)

Overview

The Mende New Testament, titled Ngowili Yekpei Numu Kpɛlɛɛ Va, was published in 2002 by the Bible Society of Sierra Leone. [1] Mende is one of the major languages of Sierra Leone, serving as a lingua franca across much of the southern and eastern parts of the country. [2] The translation provides Scripture to a large language community that has had a long history of interaction with Christianity dating back to the nineteenth century, when missionaries from various denominations — including the United Brethren in Christ and the Church Missionary Society — established work among the Mende people. The title Ngowili Yekpei Numu Kpɛlɛɛ Va translates roughly as "The New Holy Book." [3]

Language and People

Mende (Sierra Leone) (ISO 639-3: men) is spoken by approximately 2,111,600 people in Liberia. [Glottolog: mend1266]

Mende belongs to the Mande language family, specifically the Southwest Mande branch within the Mende-Loko subgroup. [2] It is spoken primarily in Sierra Leone's Southern and Eastern Provinces, as well as in parts of neighboring Liberia and Guinea. Mende has official provincial status as a statutory working language in Sierra Leone's Eastern, Northern, and Southern provinces. [2] The language has four principal dialects: Ko, Kpa, Sewawa, and Waanjama. [2] Historically, the Mende people developed an indigenous script called Kikakui (or Mende syllabary), invented by Kisimi Kamara in the early twentieth century, though Latin script is predominantly used today for written Mende.

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Bible Society of Sierra Leone.

References