A NEW translation of the New Testament designed for persons who speak Gullah was unveiled last November. This translation bears strong resemblance to Jamaican Patois.
Gullah is the language that gave the world the song Kumbaya and words such as 'yam' and 'nanny'. It is spoken by about 250,000 African-Americans who inhabit the coastal areas between South Carolina and Florida.
The Gullah language according to www.wikipedia.com "is an English-based Creole, strongly influenced by West and Central African languages such as Vai, Mende, Twi, Ewe, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Kikongo.
"It strongly resembles the Krio language of Sierra Leone, a major West African English-based Creole. Some African-derived words attributed to Gullah are: cootuh (turtle), oonuh (pronoun 'you'), nyam (to eat), and buckruh (white man)".
The language originated in the slave trade that brought mainly West Africans to the Sea Islands off South Carolina. The slave traders, in an effort to thwart uprisings and escapees mixed slaves who spoke different languages. From this hybrid came Gullah. Some linguists believe that 10,000 African-Americans speak nothing but Gullah.
YEARS OF COLLABORATION
The Gullah New Testament dubbed De Nyew Testament was unveiled during an annual festival celebration in South Carolina. It represented the culmination of 26 years of toil.
De Nyew Testament is the fruition of collaboration between Gullah speakers, and linguists attached to the American Bible Society, the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Wycliffe Bible Translators, the United Bible Societies and the Penn Centre in St. Helena Island, South Carolina.
It is a publication of the American Bible Society. The 900-page Gullah New Testament includes the King James Version translation of each verse next to the Gullah text.
Gullah, also called Geechee, was developed as a way for slaves to communicate with one another without white slave owners knowing what was being said. After the American Civil War, the former slaves were able to retain their culture and language because many remained isolated on coastal islands.
Because the islands were isolated, Gullah never evolved into standard English.
Gullah many concur bears some resemblance to Ebonics, the modern African-American vernacular. But scholars insist it is a distinct language with its own grammar and vocabulary.
Bible translator Pat Sharpe and her husband, Claude, arrived in the Sea Islands all set to retire in the late 1970s. The couple decided to try a translation of the Bible into Gullah, beginning a process that would take nearly 30 years.
By the time the Sharpes had arrived, Gullah speakers had learned to be ashamed of their language. Some locals tried to persuade the Sharpes to drop the project. The couple refused to give up. They noted that Gullah had contributed to the English language such words as 'tote' (to carry), 'chigger' (flea) and 'biddy' (chicken). Other linguists joined the translation team as the project evolved.
NOT A COMMERCIAL MISSION
Dr. Robert Hodgson, of the Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship at the American Bible Society, says only the American Bible Society could have printed the translation since its first concern is not a commercial one. Instead, the Bible Society's mission is to provide Scriptures for various language groups that desire to read God's Word in their heart language.
Dr. Hodgson says the Bible translation is one in which everyone can take pride because of its historical and cultural significance. He points out that this is more than just a Bible translation: "The Gullah New Testament raises the Gullah language and culture to a new level by enshrining the Scriptures in a Creole language once denigrated as a second-class version of English."
He continues, "African-American churches around the country will celebrate this new translation for its lively tone and musical rhythms, reminiscent of today's hip-hop vernacular, but also for its recovery of an almost forgotten chapter in the history of African-Americans."
This sentiment is echoed by Dr. Steve Berneking, a translation officer for the Bible Society, who was involved with the project. He says, "We are delighted to celebrate along with the entire Gullah community in seeing this translation move from merely spoken words to a printed form we can hold in our hands. Our hope is that this New Testament will help keep the Gullah language and culture living and active among future generations."
Over the years, in cooperation with the United Bible Societies, the American Bible Society has provided accuracy checking for the translation and was able to bring the project to completion by providing support for its production and the actual printing of the New Testament.
PROMOTING CULTURE
One of the translation team member from the beginning was Emory Campbell, executive director emeritus of the Penn Centre, which promotes and preserves the history and culture of the Sea Islands.
Mr. Campbell said, "This New Testament has created much excitement among Gullah speakers and it is a gift to all as we treasure our heritage and work to preserve it."
Mr. Campbell who grew up speaking Gullah, told a reporter from a Philadephia newspaper: "We were teased and made fun of, and told to go get some culture, not knowing we had culture all along, it was just a different culture,"
Ardell Greene, another long-time member of the Gullah translation team, calls the Gullah New Testament a 'treasure' and emphasises that "this Bible will be read in churches and our youngsters will be encouraged by it to keep the Gullah tradition alive."
The Sea Islands, along with the seacoast city of Beaufort SC, were the receiving ports of call for slave ships from West Africa. During the Civil War, the Sea Islands, particularly St. Helena Island and its Penn School, provided the first sanctuary for emancipated slaves, offering free education and unrestricted access to the Bible and to religious expression. The Penn Centre provided a home-away-from home for leaders of the Civil Rights movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who penned his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on its campus.
Vernetta Canteen, a member of the translation team, says she is "excited to actually feel it and touch it." She believes that De Nyew Testament validates the culture and heritage of the Gullah people. As she puts it, "That's the first time I heard God talk the way I talk." After 26 years working on the translation, she says, "I would do it again in a heartbeat!"
Sources: American Bible Society, www.ChristianityToday.com, United Press International, www.philly.com, www.wikipedia.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: Persons may view copies of the Gullah Bible translation at the
offices of Wycliffe Caribbean,
20 West Avenue, Kingston 8. Tel: 924-2784.
Send feedback to mark.dawes@gleanerjm.com
