Jita is one of several languages in the northwest of Tanzania, where Wycliffe members are working with local churches to start a Bible translation project. There is a New Testament in Jita, but it was translated a long time ago and people find it very difficult to read and understand.
One of the first stages in the translation project is to analyse the language linguistically to make sure that when it is written, it is done so in a way that is intuitive and easy for people to read.
Here’s a video of how some of that happens…
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxO5599tg1g
Alphabet development is a crucial step for a language community as they seek to write down their language and potential translate the Bible, and relies on good decisions being made, on both linguistic and sociolinguistic issues. Please pray for thousands of languages worldwide that are still without adequate writing systems, and if this kind of thing appeals to you, you might like to take a look at Wycliffe’s MA in Field Linguistics, which will equip you to work with minority language communities as they develop written forms for their languages.
