Minimib New Testament (KMHMKB)

Overview

The Minimib New Testament, titled MƗNƗM KOMIŊ in the vernacular, is the New Testament translated into the Minimib dialect of the Kalam language and was published in 2008 by Wycliffe Bible Translators; it was issued under its own ISO subtag (kmhM) [1]. Kalam is a Trans-New Guinea language spoken by approximately 20,000 people in the remote mountainous regions of Madang Province and Western Highlands Province (now Jiwaka Province), Papua New Guinea [2][3]. The language has two major dialects: Etp Mnm, centered in the Upper Kaironk and Upper Simbai Valleys, and Ti Mnm, centered in the Asai Valley, which differ substantially in phonology and vocabulary [2][3]. The Minimib edition addresses a third dialect cluster spoken across the Middle Ramu District and the Mount Hagen area, distinct from the 1992 Kalam New Testament (KMHWBT) and produced to serve speakers whose dialect differed enough to warrant a separate translation [1]. Foundational linguistic research on Kalam was conducted by Andrew Pawley (1966 grammar) and Ralph Bulmer (co-author of the Kalam dictionary), whose extensive Etp- and Ti-dialect documentation supported later translation efforts [3].

Language and People

Kalam (ISO 639-3: kmh) is spoken by approximately 20,000 people in Papua New Guinea, Map 6. [Glottolog: kala1404]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA.

References