The Maningaxan New Testament was dedicated on June 14, 2024, by the Bible Society in Mali (Alliance Biblique du Mali, ABM). The dedication ceremony was held in Tambaga, a village located 40 kilometers from the town of Kita and 205 kilometers from Bamako, and drew approximately 1,150 attendees including religious leaders, project partners, administrative officials, and village elders. [1] The Maningaxan New Testament benefits approximately 450,000 speakers of Kita Maninka (also known as Kita Maninkakan or Central Malinke), who previously had to rely on the Bambara language for Christian worship and preaching. [1] Bible portions in the language had been available from 2017, and the completion of the New Testament marks a significant milestone. Plans are already underway to translate the Old Testament and release a full Bible before 2030. The language is classified as a Manding language of the Niger-Congo family, spoken primarily in the Kita region of western Mali, with a smaller population in Guinea. The country listed as the primary location is Mali, though the Bible Society is based in Mali rather than Guinea-Bissau (note: the language code mwk is sometimes associated with Mandinka in other databases, but this entry specifically represents the Kita Maninka translation in Mali).

Language and People

Maninkakan, Kita / Maningaxan (ISO 639-3: mwk) is spoken by approximately 651,000 people, primarily in Mali. [Glottolog: kita1248]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Bible Society in Mali (Alliance Biblique du Mali).

References