Sango Bible (SAGCAR)

Overview

This is a Sango New Testament published in 2003 by the Bible Society in the Central African Republic. Sango is the national language and primary lingua franca of the Central African Republic, used across ethnic boundaries by the majority of the population. Bible translation into Sango began with Baptist Mid-Missions (BMM), which arrived in the country in 1920. [1] The founder William C. Haas, a skilled linguist, chose to translate into Sango rather than individual tribal languages, anticipating its future role as a unifying national language. [1] BMM completed the first Sango New Testament in 1932. [1] The Grace Brethren Mission subsequently partnered with BMM to translate the Old Testament, and the first complete Sango Bible arrived in Sibut in November 1966. [1] The 1966 Bible remained in wide use for decades, though linguistic changes over time reduced the clarity of the original translation. A revised Sango Bible was completed and dedicated in Bangui in November 2023. [1]

Language and People

Sango (ISO 639-3: sag) is spoken by approximately 617,000 people. [Glottolog: sang1328]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Bible Society in the Central African Republic.

References