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Missionaries and the Standardisation of Vernacular Languages 9

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mother’s care in their villages’ and not at the mission station. Therefore, it can
be argued that the vernacular translations, and the literary development which
came as a result of this, were already gendered projects.
Despite the suggestion that the LM Nyanja Bible was representative of a
combined Nyanja language, they joined the revision and translation Bible
committee. It was proposed that a committee be set up comprising two
representatives nominated from each mission. The committee members were
42
designated translators proficient in Greek and Hebrew, and responsible for the
translation of the common Nyanja Bible. It was suggested that after completion
of the Nyanja Bible, transliterations would be made from the Nyanja Bible to other
vernacular languages. There were no further education requirements for the
translators. Thus, the translations were not carried out by professionals and by
extension, it can be argued that there was no scientific basis to the claims that
missionaries made about the linguistic homogeneity of vernacular languages in
colonial Malawi.
The first meeting of the translation committee was held in May 1900,
43
attended by representatives from the BM, LM, DRCM and ZIM. Conspicuously
missing from the list of representatives was the UMCA, who refused to be party
to the translation board. Moreover, the UMCA were not members of the general
missionary conference of all Protestant missions; W. H. Murray explains that
‘their spirit of aloofness may sufficiently account for their attitude in the matter
44
of the translation’. Nevertheless, the meeting affirmed that a fresh translation of
the Bible should be undertaken with the ‘assistance of such versions… as are
already in use’. Furthermore, they came up with a list of vernacular names of
45
books, key people and theological words which were to be used as a standard
during translations. At the second meeting in October 1900, the committee
46
accepted translations of the Commandments, the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, as
47
prepared by Hetherwick.
Apart from the translation committee, matters pertaining to Bible translation
and vernacular literature, in general, were also discussed at the missionary

41“The Nyasaland United Missionary Conference Report of the Meeting Held at the
Livingstonia Missionary Institution. Women’s Work.”
42 Mvera Manuscripts, “Bible Translation and Revision,” April 1, 1898.
43 Mvera Manuscripts, “The Aurora” (Nyanja Bible Translation, August 1, 1900), KS
1165 Kerkargief Stellenbosch.
44 Mvera Manuscripts, “Letter from W.H. Murray to Falconer” (December 31, 1913), KS
1109 Kerkargief Stellenbosch.
45 Mvera Manuscripts, “The Aurora,” August 1, 1900.
46 Mvera Manuscripts, “Nyanja Bible Translation Committee” (May 26, 1900), KS 1165
Kerkargief Stellenbosch.
47 Mvera Manuscripts, “Nyanja Bible Translation Committee” (October 12, 1900), KS
1165 Kerkargief Stellenbosch.