Bible in Guaraní (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Friday,  April 16,  2004 BRAZIL
http://www.lapress.org/Article.asp?lanCode=1&artCode=3733

Bible in Guaraní 

The Brazilian Bible Society has launched a version of the Bible in
Guaraní Mbyá for 18,000 members of this indigenous group that live in
the southeastern region of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

The translation of the Bible into Guaraní Mbyá took 46 years and
includes the gradual development of writing – transcription into
letters of phonograms used by the Guaraní indigenous people – for this
language used almost exclusively for speaking. The work was begun in
1958 with the New Testament, a task which ended in 1987, and this year
the Hebrew Writings, totaling 1,408 pages, were concluded.

International Society of Linguistics consultant Robert Dooley, who with
four members of the ethnic group comprised the translation team, said
"the development of an alphabet and the work of translation provides a
stimulus to the language and the effect is perceived in the speech
itself of the community which uses Guaraní more often."

With the establishment of Guaraní Mbyá writing, the language can be
preserved and transmitted to new generations through written documents.
This will make it possible to broaden access to education for 15
percent of the illiterate population of this ethnic group in Brazil,
made up of 8,000 people.

The Mbyá are one of the three subgroups of the Guaraní population. The
others are the Ñandeva and Kaiowá. The linguistic trunk is Tupi and the
family is Tupi-Guaraní. —ADITAL