Page 21 - 2020 SoMJ Vol 73 No 2_Neat

12 The Society of Malaŵi Journal

The first edition of the Common Nyanja Bible (New Testament) went
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into circulation in 1909. However, it was followed by complaints from Nyanja
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speakers that the Nyanja used in the Bible was imperfect. This may point to the
ad hoc process in which missionaries aggregated Nyanja dialects. Still,
missionaries pressed on, with the completion of the translation of the Pentateuch
in 1916, the translation of the common Nyanja Bible (Old and New Testament)
completed in the early 1920s, and the first distribution of the Nyanja Bible in
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1923. By this time a number of sections of the Bible were being translated into
Nyanja, Yao, Tonga and Tumbuka, as it was believed that these languages would
meet the needs of all in the Nyasaland Protectorate.
As stated above, Hetherwick first proposed that the Bible should also be
translated into Yao, Tumbuka and Tonga, as he believed these languages were
sufficient to meet the needs of the native population, with the exception of the
Anguru (also known as the Lomwe). Ethnic groups which did not use the chosen
languages were forced to learn one of them, and as Hetherwick reports:
The Anguru… in the Blantyre and Mlanje district, whose own language is as yet
unused by any of the missions, are rapidly acquiring a colloquial knowledge of
Chinyanja which is used in schools, so that it would be inexpedient to set about a
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separate translation for them. Possibly the same might apply to the waNkonde.
Eventually, Yao, Tumbuka, Nyanja and Tonga became associated with
specific missions, and because the missions served distinct regions, these
languages gradually became common languages for their respective regions.
Tumbuka language was associated with northern Malawi and LM, Chewa/Nyanja
was associated with the central region and the DRCM and Chewa/Nyanja and Yao
became associated with the southern region and the BM. Despite this, usage of
Chewa/Nyanja Bible was common across all regions.
One implication resulting from the adoption of common languages was
the loss of linguistic identities by groups which were forced to learn Nyanja,
Tumbuka or Yao. The missionaries did not seem to consider this a problem, their
main concern being how to balance evangelistic efforts between the young and
the old. For instance, McMinn pondered, ‘Are we then, by too eagerly seeking to
bring into use such a general language, to let at least one generation go down to

55 Mvera Manuscripts, “Nyanja Translation Board” (July 7, 1909), KS 1165. Kerkargief
Stellenbosch.
56 Livingstonia Manuscripts and Alexander Hetherwick, “Report of the Third General
Missionary Conference of Nyasaland, Held at Mvera, 30th July to 7th August 1910”
(n.d.), 8–11, ACC 7548 71D National Library of Scotland, Livingstonia.
57 Mvera Manuscripts, “Meeting of Translation Board.” (July 12, 1916), KS 1165
Kerkargief Stellenbosch.
58 Livingstonia Manuscripts and Hetherwick, “Report of the Third General Missionary
Conference of Nyasaland, Held at Mvera, 30th July to 7th August 1910,” 8–11.