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Nama Version of the Scriptures

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Nalton, James

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Namaqualand

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The Nama is spoken in Namaqualand (q.v.). In 1815 the Reverend C. Albrecht commenced a translation of the gospel of Matthew into the Nama, but it does not appear that he completed the version. Ten years subsequently a translation of the gospels was effected by the Reverend Schmelen, of the London Missionary Society, which was printed at Cape Town at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society. In 1846 the gospel of Luke was printed, having been retranslated by Mr. Knudsen, a Rhenish missionary. These two translations differed from each other chiefly in this, that in the former no signs whatever are used to represent the various clicks which occur so frequently in the language, while in the latter this important omission is supplied. A new effort towards a translation was again made by a missionary of the Rhenish Society, the Reverend G. Kronlein. The British and Foreign Bible Society having consented to meet the expense of printing an edition of the New Test., the translator went to Europe for the purpose of carrying the work through the press, which was completed in 1866. In addition to the New Test., Mr. Kronlein translated the Psalms, which were printed during the year 1872. On October 25, 1881, Mr. Kronlein completed the translation of the Old Test., early portions of the same having been begun on May 23, 1873. The translator is now revising into one harmonious whole the entire books of the Old Test. See Bible of Every Land, page 430.

For the language, see Tindall, Grammar of Namaque Hottentot; Wallmann, Die Formenlehre der Namaqua Sprache (1857); Hahn, Die Sprache der Nama (1870). (B.P.)