Mbuko New Testament (MQBWBT)

Overview

The Mbuko New Testament is the first Scripture translation in the Mbuko language, a Mafa-group Afro-Asiatic language of the Biu-Mandara (Chadic) branch spoken in the Far North Region of Cameroon [1]. The Mbuko people, numbering approximately 23,000, reside on and around the Mbuko massif in the Diamare department near the town of Meri, traditionally inhabiting the massif east of Méri and the Mayo-Ranéo plain in the canton of Doulek [2]. The translation was carried out in partnership between SIL Cameroon and the Mbuko community, with significant linguistic work contributed by Richard and Sue Gravina, who also produced a Mbuko-French dictionary and phonological analysis of the language [3][4]. Published in 2010 by Wycliffe Bible Translators under the vernacular title "Aban 'am wiya awan," this New Testament represents a major milestone for a community where Christianity first took root in the 1970s when a Gemzek woman married a Mbuko man and her family introduced the faith [2]. Work toward a complete Old Testament translation is ongoing, with the goal of a full Bible by the 2030s [2].

Language and People

Mbuko (ISO 639-3: mqb) is spoken by approximately 15,000 people in Northern Cameroon. [Glottolog: mbuk1243]

Publishing and Organizations

Created by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA. Translation type: New.

References