Aromanian Gospel of Matthew (RUPVAM)

Overview

The "Vangheilu al Mattheu" (Gospel of Matthew) of 1889 is the first book of the Bible ever printed in the Aromanian (Macedo-Romanian) language. [1] It was translated by Lazar Demetrius, a school teacher at Bitola (Monastir) in what is now North Macedonia, and printed in Bucharest by the Albanian Society Dituria on behalf of the British and Foreign Bible Society, in whose archives the original copy was held and from which it was later digitised. [1] The text uses Roman script following Romanian-style orthography. [1] Aromanian, also known as Vlach, is an Eastern Romance language spoken by scattered communities across the Balkans, including in Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Romania. [2] The 1889 publication reflects a period of heightened cultural and linguistic activity among Aromanian intellectuals in the late Ottoman period, who sought to develop literature and education in their own language. [2]

Language and People

Macedo-Romanian (ISO 639-3: rup) is spoken by approximately 191,000 people in Greece and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. [Glottolog: arom1237]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by BFBS, Bucharest. Translation type: New.

References