Abstract
Bible Translation has been a means the Church uses to bring the Gospel into the language of the recipients to help improve the quality of life of the indigenes. Nonetheless, it must be noted that all over the world most Bible translation materials have experienced numerous revision exercises. An example of this is the Asante-Twi versions of the Bible which has witnessed two revision works; one on the whole Bible in 2012 since its publication in 1964, and a revised New Testament version published in 2013. Even with the recent revised ones, there still exist translation problems, for some words are strange or foreign to the Asante-Twi speaking people; clear example is Revelation 1:8 which is the focus for this study. Using Mother-tongue Biblical Hermeneutics methodology, this thesis delves into the meaning of the Alfa ne Omega no in the Asante-Twi context and its usage in Revelation 1:8; vis-à-vis an exegesis of the Greek word to alfa kai to omega to find its equivalence in the Asante-Twi. It was found from the study that Ahyεaseε ne Awieeε no is the best rendition of to alfa kai to omega . This work has thus added an Akan translation and interpretation of Revelation 1:8 to the knowledge of the field of mother-tongue hermeneutics; and it is being recommended that in the future revision of the Asante-Twi Bible, the Bible Society of Ghana should consider using Ahyεaseε ne Awieeε no to translate to alfa kai to omega (to alpha kai to omega) in Revelation 1:8.
Highlights
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o opines that “If you know all the languages of the world but not your mother tongue, that is enslavement
Using Mother-tongue Biblical Hermeneutics methodology, this thesis delves into the meaning of the Alfa ne Omega no in the Asante-Twi context and its usage in Revelation 1:8; vis-à-vis an exegesis of the Greek word to. a;lfa kai. to. w=, to find its equivalence in the Asante-Twi
Knowing your mother tongue and all other languages too is empowerment.”2 This statement brings out the necessity to offer the message of the gospel to the African, who is not under colonial rule, in their mother-tongues, for the Bible was written in the ordinary dialects of the original recipients
Summary
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o opines that “If you know all the languages of the world but not your mother tongue, that is enslavement. Knowing your mother tongue and all other languages too is empowerment.” This statement brings out the necessity to offer the message of the gospel to the African, who is not under colonial rule, in their mother-tongues, for the Bible was written in the ordinary dialects of the original recipients Such a statement seeks to decolonise the minds of Africans from setting great store of other languages than that of their mother-tongue. BIBLE TRANSLATION INTO MOTHER TONGUE Thomas Atta-Akosah communicates that God’s desire to reaching the whole world to get to His own is through their heart languages.. BIBLE TRANSLATION INTO MOTHER TONGUE Thomas Atta-Akosah communicates that God’s desire to reaching the whole world to get to His own is through their heart languages.3 This enables Bible translation to be an essential mechanism that cannot be done away with as long as the Gospel is being propagated in Ghana and Africa at large.
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