Malasar New Testament — 2017 Wycliffe India (YMRWIN)

Overview

The Malasar New Testament is a translation of the New Testament into the Malasar language, a Southern Dravidian language of India, produced in 2017 by Wycliffe India. The translation represents a significant milestone for the small Malasar tribal community of the Western Ghats, providing Scripture for the first time in the community's mother tongue. [1]

Language and People

Malasar (ISO 639-3: ymr), also called Malayar, is an unclassified Southern Dravidian language spoken by the Malasar, a Scheduled Tribe of India. According to the 2011 Census, the Malasar population was approximately 3,195 people. [2] The community is concentrated in the Nelliampathi Hills and surrounding forest areas of Palakkad District, Kerala, with additional settlements in Tamil Nadu. The Malasar are considered among the earliest inhabitants of the Western Ghats and have traditionally relied on the forest for their livelihoods.

The language is spoken in Thuthanpara, Pothumudi, Sungam (Chittoor Taluk), and other forest villages in the Anaimalai Hills. Speakers typically show multilingual competence in Malayalam and Tamil alongside their mother tongue.

Translation and Publisher

The translation was produced by Wycliffe India (the Indian affiliate of Wycliffe Bible Translators) in 2017, and audio is available through Faith Comes By Hearing. Additional Bible story resources in Malasar have been developed using Open Bible Stories translated with the help of mother-tongue speakers and made available through a dedicated app. Audio recordings through the Global Recordings Network further supplement Scripture access for this primarily oral community.

References