Mbuko New Testament (MQBWBT)

Overview

The Mbuko New Testament is the first Scripture translation in the Mbuko language, an 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 [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