Canela Bible (New Testament + Portions) (RAMWBT)

Overview

The Canela Bible is a partial Bible containing the complete New Testament and approximately one-third Old Testament content, making it the first partial Bible published in a single volume by a Wycliffe translator in Brazil [1]. It was translated by Jack and Josephine (Jo) Popjes, who joined Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1966 and worked among the Canela people of Maranhao state in northeastern Brazil from 1968 to 1990 [2][3]. The Canela are two Timbira groups -- the Ramkokamekra and the Apanyekra -- who speak the same language, a member of the Macro-Ge linguistic family [4]. When the Popjes arrived, the Canela language had no written form and there were no literate community members; the translators developed a writing system, trained indigenous co-translators and literacy instructors, and built a Canela dictionary [1][2]. The 750-page translation was completed and published in 1990, with an updated edition copyrighted in 2012 [1][5].

Language and People

Canela (ISO 639-3: ram) is spoken by approximately 2,500 people in Eastern Central Brazil. [Glottolog: cane1242]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by LBB, Rio de Janeiro.

References