Tetelcingo Nahuatl New Testament (NHGWBT)

Overview

The Tetelcingo Nahuatl New Testament, published in 1980, is a translation into Mosiehuali (as speakers call their language), spoken by approximately 3,500 people in the town of Tetelcingo and surrounding communities in the state of Morelos, about six kilometers north of Cuautla [1][2]. Tetelcingo holds a unique place in the history of Bible translation: it was here in 1935 that William Cameron Townsend, the founder of both Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), began his linguistic work in Mexico, and Townsend's friendship with Mexican President Lazaro Cardenas originated in this community [3][4]. Linguist Richard Pittman, founder of the Ethnologue, also conducted his early research on this language and published "A Grammar of Tetelcingo (Morelos) Nahuatl" in 1954 [3][5]. Tetelcingo Nahuatl is unique among Nahuatl dialects in its vowel system and has Bible portions dating back to the 1940s-1960s, with the complete New Testament published in 1980 by Wycliffe Bible Translators [2][6]. The translation renders biblical concepts through culturally resonant expressions, such as translating "hypocrite" as "those who deceive" and "devil" as "the avaricious one" [7].

Language and People

Tetelcingo Nahuatl (ISO 639-3: nhg) is spoken by approximately 3,500 people in Western Central Mexico. [Glottolog: tete1251]

Publishing and Organizations

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

References