Usarufa Bible (USAWBT)

Overview

The Usarufa Bible contains Genesis 12-22 and the New Testament in the Usarufa language of Papua New Guinea, completed after approximately 23 years of translation work [1]. Usarufa is a Kainantu language of the Trans-New Guinea family, spoken by approximately 800 to 900 people in the Eastern Highlands Province [2]. SIL linguist Dr. Darlene Bee began working on the Usarufa language in 1958, completing a grammatical analysis and producing literacy materials and trial translations including Genesis and a draft of Mark [1]. Ethnomusicologist Vida Chenoweth joined Bee as her Wycliffe partner in 1964, and together they lived and worked on a 7,000-foot ridge among the Usarufa people [1]. After Bee was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1972, Chenoweth completed her doctorate in ethnomusicology and then returned to work intensively for four years with Usarufa co-translators, including a young man named Imaaqo who had promised to help finish the translation [1]. The completed New Testament was delivered to the Usarufa community in 1981 [3].

Language and People

Usarufa (ISO 639-3: usa) is spoken by approximately 1,200 people in Papua New Guinea, Map 10. [Glottolog: usar1243]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. Translation type: New.

References