Biblia Kemak — Kemak Scripture Portions (Timor-Leste)
Overview
Biblia Kemak ("The Bible in Kemak") is scripture portions in the Kemak (Ema) language of Timor-Leste, published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4250). The autonym Ema means "people/human being" — the standard Kemak self-designation. Kemak is one of Timor-Leste's major Austronesian languages, with speakers primarily in the western and central mountainous interior. Wycliffe has been active in Timor-Leste since the territory's independence in 2002, partnering with local Christian communities to produce scripture in the country's numerous languages alongside the national languages Tetum and Portuguese.
Language and People
Kemak (ISO 639-3: kem; autonym: Ema) is an Austronesian language: Austronesian → Malayo-Polynesian → Central Malayo-Polynesian → Timor-Babar branch. The Timor-Babar branch encompasses several Austronesian languages of Timor, Babar, and related islands, including Tetum (tet), Mambai (mgm), Baikeno (bkx), and Kemak. Timor-Leste is unusual in having a mix of Austronesian (like Kemak) and Papuan/non-Austronesian languages (like Fataluku, Makasai, Bunak) — a consequence of the island's position on the edge of the Wallace Line biogeographic boundary.
The Kemak community inhabits:
- Ermera District (northwestern Timor-Leste) — Ermera Municipality, particularly the Ermera and Hatolia sub-districts
- Bobonaro District, northwestern Timor-Leste
- Parts of Ainaro District, central Timor-Leste
- Cross-border communities in West Timor (Indonesia): North Central Timor and South Central Timor Regencies
Estimated speakers: approximately 50,000–100,000 total (Joshua Project: ~61,000 in Timor-Leste; additional speakers in West Timor, Indonesia).
Cultural Context
Kemak communities occupy Timor's mountainous interior, one of the island's most rugged and historically isolated zones. The Ermera area is known for coffee cultivation — Ermera is Timor-Leste's primary coffee-producing region, exporting fair-trade and specialty Arabica coffee to global markets. During the Indonesian occupation (1975–1999), Kemak communities experienced the displacement and violence that affected all of Timor, and the Catholic Church played a central role in preserving East Timorese cultural identity during this period. Post-independence, Kemak Christian communities have been served by both Catholic and Protestant churches. Tetum is used as the national liturgical language in Timorese Catholicism, but community vernacular use of Kemak remains strong in rural areas.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. in partnership with Wycliffe Timor-Leste translation programs.