Zul (ZLUEBL)

Overview

This is a 2025 publication of New Testament portions in the Zul language, containing 13 books: the four Gospels, Acts, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, James, and 1 John. It was published by Seed Company in collaboration with the Language Developers and Bible Translators Association. Zul is a West Chadic language spoken in approximately fifteen villages in Bauchi State, Nigeria, with an estimated 7,000 speakers. [1] [2] Although previously classified as a dialect of Polci, recent sociolinguistic research indicates that Zul and other varieties in the Polci cluster (Pesse, Nyamzak, Dir, Mbarimi, and Buli) are distinct languages rather than dialects of a single language. [2]

Language and People

Zul belongs to the Barawa cluster within the West Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, in the Zaar subgroup. [1] It is spoken in Bauchi and Toro Local Government Areas of Bauchi State. [1] The Zul community is divided between Christian and Muslim affiliation, with literacy interest primarily among the Christian population. [1] A community-based reading and writing book was produced in 2006, representing an important step in language development. [1]

References