Naasioi New Testament

Naasioi New Testament (NASPNG)

Overview

The New Testament in the Naasioi language of Papua New Guinea, titled “Kara Naroong-anta Nerakung Kongarana’,” was published in 1994 by the Bible Society of Papua New Guinea and Wycliffe Bible Translators. This edition includes the New Testament along with Genesis and other Old Testament portions. [1] The Naasioi are a Papuan-speaking people living in the central mountains and southeastern coast of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, with approximately 22,000 speakers. [2] The Naasioi occupy land that became central to the Bougainville conflict (1988-1998), the largest armed conflict in Oceania since World War II, which was triggered in part by disputes over the Panguna copper mine located on Naasioi traditional land. [3] During the crisis, a cultural revitalization movement emerged among the Naasioi, including the creation of the Otomaung alphabet by Chief Peter Karatapi as an indigenous writing system, though literacy in this script remains very limited. [4] The Wycliffe/Bible Society translation uses the Latin script and predates the conflict’s resolution.

Language and People

Naasioi (ISO 639-3: nas) is spoken by approximately 22,000 people in Papua New Guinea, Map 13. [Glottolog: naas1242]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Bible Society of Papua New Guinea. Translation type: New.

References