Ngaanyatjara New Testament (NTJBSA)

Overview

The Ngaanyatjarra New Testament (Mama Kuurrku Wangka) is a Shorter Bible containing the complete New Testament and approximately 18% of the Old Testament, published by the Bible Society in Australia. [1] The translation was the work of Amee Glass and Dorothy Hackett, who worked faithfully on the project for more than 40 years. [1] Initial Scripture portions in Ngaanyatjarra were first published in 1976, and the complete New Testament (Mama Kuurrku Wangka Marlangkatjanya) was published in 1991. [1] The Shorter Bible edition was dedicated on Pentecost Sunday 2008 in the Warburton Ranges, Western Australia. [1] The translation was carried out in association with AuSIL (Australian Society for Indigenous Languages, formerly SIL Australia), which has been serving Indigenous language communities in Australia since 1961. [2] Ngaanyatjarra is a Western Desert language spoken in the remote Ngaanyatjarra Lands of Western Australia.

Translation History

The Ngaanyatjarra translation project spans decades of sustained effort. Amee Glass and Dorothy Hackett began linguistic and translation work among the Ngaanyatjarra people and continued for over four decades. [1] The first published portions appeared in 1976, followed by the complete New Testament in 1991. [1] The expanded Shorter Bible, incorporating selected Old Testament books alongside the full New Testament, was completed and formally dedicated in 2008. [1] The translation is available in print, digital, PDF, and MP3 audio formats through the Aboriginal Bibles and Australian Bibles collaborative websites, maintained by the Scriptures for Australian Indigenous Languages (SAIL) committee with representatives from seven Australian Bible agencies. [2]

Language and People

Ngaanyatjarra (ISO 639-3: ntj) is a Western Desert language spoken by approximately 1,110 people in the Warburton Ranges area of Western Australia. [1] It is part of the Wati subgroup of the Pama-Nyungan language family. [Glottolog: ngaa1240]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Bible Society in Australia. Translation type: New.

References