Naro New Testament (NHRBSB)

Overview

The Naro New Testament is the first Scripture translation in the Naro language, a Khoe (Khoisan) language spoken by the San (Bushmen) people of the Ghanzi District in Botswana and eastern Namibia. Published in 2012 by the Bible Society of Botswana, it represents the culmination of more than two decades of linguistic and translation work. [1] Naro is notable for its use of click consonants and is one of the most widely spoken Tshu-Khwe languages, with approximately 10,000 speakers in Botswana and 4,000 in Namibia. [2] The translation was led by Hessel Visser, a Dutch linguist working with SIL, who arrived in Botswana in 1991 with his wife Coby, supported by the Mission of the Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. [1] [3] Before translation could begin, the Vissers first had to develop a written form of the Naro language, including an orthography capable of representing its click consonants. They also produced a Naro-English dictionary and multilingual educational materials. [3] The translation and compilation process took close to 20 years due to the complexity of the orthography and the limited availability of trained local staff. [1] Translation of the Old Testament has continued since the New Testament's completion, with the Vissers serving as consultants for the local translation team. [3] In recognition of their years of service to the Naro people, Hessel and Coby Visser were knighted into the Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. [3]

Language and People

Naro (ISO 639-3: nhr) is spoken by approximately 10,000 people in Botswana. [Glottolog: naro1249]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by BS of Botswana, Gaborone. Translation type: First.

References