Jenu Kurumba Bible — New Testament (India)
Overview
The Jenu Kurumba Bible (Jenu Kurumba Kannada Bible) is the complete New Testament (27 books) in the Jenu Kurumba (Jennu Kuruba) language of southern India, published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. in partnership with Voice of Hope (VOH) and Win Publishing Trust (WPT) and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4658; abbreviation: XUJ/JKKAN). The New Testament is written in Kannada script. An earlier Gospel of Mark translation was completed in 2009; the full NT followed. A JESUS Film in Jenu Kurumba and Gospel audio recordings (Global Recordings Network) are also available.
Language and People
Jenu Kurumba (ISO 639-3: xuj; autonym: nama basha — "our language"; community name: Jennu Kuruba or Kattunayakan in Tamil Nadu/Kerala) is a Dravidian language: Dravidian → Southern Dravidian → Tamil-Kannada (Kannadoid). While historically often considered a Kannada dialect, Ethnologue classifies it as a distinct language. Four dialects are documented: Chola, Jennu, Pathi, and Wynadu.
The Jenu Kurumba inhabit:
- Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu (primary concentration)
- Wayanad District, Kerala
- Mysore and Kodagu Districts, Karnataka
Their territories largely overlap with major wildlife sanctuaries and forest reserves. Estimated speakers: approximately 35,000–50,000 (Ethnologue: ~35,000–39,000 L1 speakers; 2011 India Census: 36,076 ethnic Jenu Kuruba; Joshua Project ethnic population: ~48,000).
Cultural Context
The Jenu Kurumba are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) recognized by the Government of India. Their name means "honey gatherers" in Kannada — they are traditionally forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers specializing in wild honey collection from forest cliffs. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala they are called Kattu Nayakas ("forest rulers"). Today they have largely transitioned to agricultural labor in the plantation economies of the Nilgiri region. Literacy has historically been very low, with significant school dropout rates; educational programs since the 1980s have improved literacy, which in turn enabled the scripture translation project.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. in partnership with Voice of Hope (VOH) and Win Publishing Trust (WPT), following FOBAI (Fellowship of Bible and Institute Associations of India) translation quality standards. The translation follows Kannada script conventions to leverage existing Kannada literacy among community members.