Mark Selections — Apma (Central Raga) Scripture Portions (Vanuatu)
Overview
Mark (selections) (Dalek teraba non Jesus Christ Mark teulu — "The Story of Jesus Christ from Mark") is an early scripture portion in the Apma language of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, produced in 1971 and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4110; abbreviation: APMA). The YouVersion edition contains the Gospels of Mark and John. Apma speakers know their language as Central Raga, reflecting the geographic dialect: the Raga (or Ra) peninsula at the northern end of Pentecost Island. The 1971 date marks this as one of the earlier scripture publications for Vanuatu's northern languages, predating the national independence of Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides) in 1980.
Language and People
Apma (ISO 639-3: app; autonym: Central Raga) is an Austronesian language: Austronesian → Malayo-Polynesian → Oceanic → Central Vanuatu (Northern Vanuatu branch). Apma is one of several related Raga languages spoken on northern Pentecost Island; Raga (the prestige form, ISO: lga) occupies the northern tip, while Apma/Central Raga occupies the central portion. Northern Vanuatu hosts one of the world's highest concentrations of distinct languages per capita.
The Apma community inhabits:
- Central and northern Pentecost Island (Raga region), Penama Province, Vanuatu
- Pentecost Island is approximately 60 km long and home to some 30,000 people
Estimated speakers: approximately 7,000–10,000 (Ethnologue figures for Central Raga/Apma).
Cultural Context
Pentecost Island is internationally known for naghol (land diving) — the ancestral tradition that inspired modern bungee jumping — practiced by the South Pentecost Sa people. The northern Pentecost Raga-speaking area has historically been under strong Anglican Church of Melanesia influence since the 19th century, which likely accounts for the early 1971 scripture translation effort. Vanuatu was a Franco-British Condominium (New Hebrides) until independence in 1980, and early scripture work in Vanuatu languages was driven primarily by Anglican, Presbyterian, and SIL translators.
Publishing and Organizations
The 1971 portion predates the formation of the Bible Society of the South Pacific (1966) and SIL's formal Vanuatu program. The exact publisher is not listed in available records; early Raga-area translations were associated with Anglican mission activity.