Bible Portions in Anindilyakwa (AOIBSA)

Overview

Bible portions in the Anindilyakwa language, spoken by the Warnindilyakwa people on Groote Eylandt, the largest island in Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria. [1] The Anindilyakwa and English diglot MiniBible, titled Neningikarrawara-langwa Ayakwa, was published in 1992 by Bible Society Australia. It contains selections from Genesis, the Gospels of John and Luke, Ephesians, 1 Timothy, and James. [1][2] Additional Bible stories, including the narratives of Abraham, Jonah, Jacob and Esau, and Joseph, have also been translated into Anindilyakwa. [1]

The Church Missionary Society (CMS) established the Angurugu Mission on Groote Eylandt in 1943 and played a central role in developing the Anindilyakwa orthography using the Latin script for Bible translation purposes. [2][3] CMS ran the Groote Eylandt Linguistics department until 2006, when it was succeeded by the Groote Eylandt Language Centre. [2] Missionaries relied heavily on Anindilyakwa interpreters, whose varied translation choices shaped how the mission's messages were received by the local community. [3]

Language and People

Anindilyakwa (ISO 639-3: aoi) is spoken by approximately 1,240 people in Northern Australia. [Glottolog: anin1240]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by BS in Australia, Canberra.

References