Suri Latin — Suri/Tirmaga-Chai Scripture Portions (Ethiopia)
Overview
Suri Latin is an 18-book scripture collection — Genesis, Jonah, and sixteen New Testament books (Matthew, Mark, John, Acts, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 2 Peter, 1–2–3 John, and Jude) — in the Suri (Tirmaga-Chai) language of southwestern Ethiopia, published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. in partnership with the Suri Translation Project (a project of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus), copyright ©2023, and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 3659; abbreviation: SUQ). The title "Suri Latin" reflects the use of Latin-based script rather than Ethiopic (Ge'ez) script — a linguistically and culturally significant choice for a Nilo-Saharan language not belonging to the Semitic-script tradition of Ethiopia. Notable for its absence from YouVersion is Luke; Luke, the Pauline epistles (Romans through Colossians), Hebrews, 1 Peter, and Revelation are not available online.
Language and People
Suri (ISO 639-3: suq; official ISO name since January 2021: Tirmaga-Chai Suri; autonym: Surma) is a Nilo-Saharan language: Nilo-Saharan → Eastern Sudanic → Southern Eastern Sudanic → Surmic → South Surmic → Southeast Surmic → Pastoral Surmic → Tirma–Chai–Mursi → Suri. The ISO name was officially changed from "Suri" to "Tirmaga-Chai Suri" via ISO change request 2020-020, effective January 15, 2021, reflecting the two primary dialects: Tirma (Tirmaga) and Chai. The closely related Mursi language (of lip plate fame) shares over 80% lexical similarity with Suri; together with Me'en they form the broader "Surma" cultural-linguistic complex.
The Suri people inhabit the remote southwestern Ethiopian lowlands:
- Surma Woreda and Maji Woreda, West Omo Zone, South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region (SWEPR)
- Near the Omo River, approximately 35°E, 6°N, bordering South Sudan and Kenya
- Some speakers in South Sudan (post-1925 migration)
Estimated speakers: approximately 27,000–54,000 (2007 Ethiopian census: ~27,000; Joshua Project: ~54,000, possibly including second-language speakers and the broader Tirma-Chai-Mursi grouping).
Cultural Context
The Suri are agro-pastoral, living in Ethiopia's remotest southwestern lowlands. They are historically isolated from Ethiopian state structures and minimally integrated into the formal economy. Their oral tradition holds that they migrated to their current territory from the Boma Plateau (South Sudan) approximately 200 years ago.
Cultural traditions include:
- Stick-fighting (saginé) — the central male rite of passage
- Clay lip plates — worn by women as markers of beauty and social status (shared with neighboring Mursi and Me'en)
- Cattle herding as the primary measure of wealth and social status
Approximately 97% of Suri people are animist (Joshua Project), making this among the least-evangelized major-language communities in Ethiopia. Progress Scale Level 4 (partially reached). The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) — Ethiopia's largest Protestant denomination with ~15 million members and 8,500 congregations — has been the primary church partner for this translation. EECMY is a Wycliffe Global Alliance member.
The choice of Latin script (rather than Ethiopic/Ge'ez script) for the Suri translation is significant: it reflects the Nilo-Saharan linguistic identity of Suri speakers, whose language has no historical connection to the Semitic-origin Ethiopic writing system used for Amharic and Tigrinya.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. in partnership with the Suri Translation Project — a project of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY). Translation work ran from approximately 2004–2023. Gospel audio recordings and a JESUS Film are available in Suri through Global Recordings Network.