Limbu New Testament (Limbu Script) (LIFWBT)

Overview

The Limbu New Testament in the indigenous Sirijanga (Limbu) script was published in 2009 by the Isia Limbu Literature Association (ILLA) and Wycliffe Bible Translators [1][2]. The Sirijanga script is historically attributed to Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe and was formally named by scholar Iman Singh Chemjong in 1925; its use was once outlawed but has experienced a revival since the return of democracy to Nepal in the 1990s [3][4]. The Limbu people, who call themselves Yakthung, inhabit the hills of eastern Nepal between the Arun River and the Indian border, as well as parts of Sikkim and West Bengal in India [5]. This edition, with its vernacular title transliterated as "Hingwaphung Pangchak Kusang Manghung," represents a culturally significant publication as it employs the community's own script rather than the Devanagari writing system used in the companion LIFDEV edition [1]. ILLA, formally the Christian Limbu Literature Association, was founded in Nepal with the purpose of making Scripture available in Limbu, and subsequently completed an Old and New Testament Bible dedication in 2023 [2].

Language and People

Limbu (ISO 639-3: lif) is spoken by approximately 384,800 people in India, Map 4. [Glottolog: limb1266]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA. Translation type: First.

References