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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2017}}
Languages spoken in the [[Indian Subcontinent]] belong to several [[Language family|language families]], the major ones being the [[Indo-Aryan languages]] spoken by 75% of Indians and the [[Dravidian languages]] spoken by 20% of Indians.<ref name="EBCIndoAryanLanguages">{{cite web|title=Indo-Aryan languages |website=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/286348/Indo-Aryan-languages |accessdate=10 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="EBCDravidianLanguages">{{cite web|title=Dravidian languages |website=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/171083/Dravidian-languages |accessdate=10 December 2014}}</ref> Other languages belong to the [[Austroasiatic languages|Austroasiatic]], [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan]], [[Tai-Kadai languages|Tai-Kadai]], and a few other minor language families and [[language isolate|isolates]].<ref name="Moseley2008">{{cite book|last=Moseley|first=Christopher|title=Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p-7ON7Rvx_AC&pg=PT528|date=10 March 2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-79640-2}}</ref>{{rp|283}} India has the world's second-highest number of languages (780), after [[Papua New Guinea]] (839).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/seven-decades-after-independence-many-small-languages-in-india-facing-extinction-threat/articleshow/60038323.cms|title=Seven decades after Independence, many small languages in India face extinction threat|newspaper=The Economic Times|last1=Seetharaman|first1=G.}}</ref> The first known translation of any [[Christian Scripture]] in an Indian language was done to [[Konknni]] in 1667 AD by Ignacio Arcamone, an Italian [[Jesuit]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonsalves |first=Godfrey |date=7 June 2006 |title=Konkani Bible in Roman script released |url=http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=29346 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209070936/http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=29346 |archive-date=9 December 2014 |access-date=2021-10-13 |website=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ofYzAAAAMAAJ&q=Bible+Konkani+Arcamone|title=The Makers of Konkani Literature|last1=Pereira|first1=Antonio|year=1982}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=3 September 2005 |title=History of Konkani in Roman script in Goa (1556 -2005) |url=https://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=goanet@goanet.org&q=subject:%22%5C%5BGoanet%5C%5D+History+of+Konkani+in+Roman+script+in+Goa+%5C%281556+%5C-2005%5C%29%22&o=newest&f=1 |access-date=2021-10-13 |website=Goanet}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KYLpvaKJIMEC&pg=PA274|title=Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections|isbn=9788126003655|last1=Ayyappa Paniker|first1=K.|year=1997}}</ref>

==North Indian languages==
* [[Bible translations into Hindi and Urdu]]
* [[Bible translations into Konkani]]
* [[Bible translations into Marathi]]
* [[Bible translations into Nepali]]
* [[Bible translations into Sanskrit]]

===Gujarati===
A Gujarati translation of the Bible had been issued by the [[Serampore Mission Press]] in 1820, and [[William Carey (missionary)|William Carey]] had contributed to it. [[James Skinner (missionary)|James Skinner]] and [[William Fyvie]] of the [[London Missionary Society]] continued the work. These were all superseded by [[J. V. S. Taylor]]'s 1862 "Old Version" which remains the standard version today. The first Gujarati translation was undertaken by the Serampore Mission Press in 1820. Then in 1861 Rev. J. V. S. Taylor translated the Bible into Gujarati.<ref name="Wakabayashi Kothari 2009 p. ">{{cite book | last1=Wakabayashi | first1=J. | last2=Kothari | first2=R. | title=Decentering Translation Studies: India and Beyond | publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company | series=Benjamins Translation Library (BTL)/The European Society for Translation Studies Subseries (EST) | year=2009 | isbn=978-90-272-2430-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=viRCNDBYd4kC | access-date=12 October 2021 | page=219}}</ref><ref>Edward Noronaha "Christians and Kannada” in {{Cite web |date=2004 |title=Christian contribution to indian languages and literatures |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.jZY9lup2kZl6TuXGlZQdjZIdkuYy |archive-date=2019-01-16 |access-date=12 October 2021 |website=Internet Archive |pages=61–67}}</ref><ref name="Boyd1981">{{Cite book |last=Boyd |first=Robin H. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pxDkCXuYzH4C |title=A Church History of Gujarat |publisher=Christian Literature Society |year=1981 |page=46}}</ref>

In collaboration with ''Church centric bible translation'', Free Bibles India has published a Gujarati translation online.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bible in Gujarati |url=http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/guj/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913231155/http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/guj/ |archive-date=13 September 2017 |access-date=2021-10-13 |website=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref>

In 2016, the New Testament of [[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]] was released by [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] in Gujarati.<ref name="auto">"WatchTower publications", Watchtower publications Index (1986-2016)</ref><ref name="Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY-0">{{cite web | title=બાઇબલ - વૉચટાવર ઓનલાઇન લાઇબ્રેરી | website=Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY | url=https://wol.jw.org/gu/wol/binav/r73/lp-gu/bi7 | language=gu | access-date=12 October 2021}}</ref><ref name="akamaihd.net 2018">{{cite web | title=Media Bible | website=download-a.akamaihd.net | date=22 February 2018 | url=https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_bible/cc/bi7_GU.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222045020/https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_bible/cc/bi7_GU.pdf | archive-date=22 February 2018 | url-status=dead | access-date=12 October 2021}}</ref> with mobile versions released through ''JW Library'' application in App stores.

===Punjabi===
The [[British and Foreign Bible Society]] produced translations in Western Punjabi in Persian script and Roman script, and Eastern Punjabi in Gurmukhi script.

The Western Punjabi Persian script New Testament of 1912 was revised in 1952 and some books of the Old Testament were published in Persian script. Some books were also published in Roman script.

In collaboration with ''Church centric bible translation'', Free Bibles India has published an [http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/pan Eastern Punjabi translation online] in Gurmukhi script.

In 2011, the New Testament of [[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]] was released by [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] in [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]].<ref name="auto"/> It was [https://wol.jw.org/pa/wol/binav/r79/lp-pj/bi7/PJ/2011 published online] (also offline in [https://web.archive.org/web/20180222045027/https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_bible/29/bi7_PJ.pdf PDF format]) with mobile versions released through ''JW Library'' application in App stores.

==East Indian languages==

===Oriya===
In collaboration with ''Church centric bible translation'', Free Bibles India has published an Oriya translation online.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/ori |title=Archived copy |access-date=13 September 2017 |archive-date=13 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913231403/http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/ori/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Assamese===
[[Nathan Brown (missionary)|Nathan Brown]], a Baptist, translated Bible into [[Assamese language|Assamese]] (1848) and [[Shan language|Shan]] (1830s).

In collaboration with ''Church centric bible translation'', Free Bibles India has published an Assamese translation online.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/asm/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=13 September 2017 |archive-date=13 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913231401/http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/asm/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Bengali===
[[William Carey (missionary)|William Carey]] translated Bible into Bengali [[Bible translations into Bengali|Bible into Bengali]].

In collaboration with ''Church centric bible translation'', Free Bibles India has published a Bengali translation online.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/ben |title=Archived copy |access-date=13 September 2017 |archive-date=13 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913231115/http://freebiblesindia.com/bible/ben/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Northeast Indian languages==
{{main article|Bible translations into the languages of Northeast India}}
The first translation of the [[Bible]] into any of the [[languages of Northeast India]] was in [[Assamese language|Assamese]] (1883) followed by [[Khasi language|Khasi]] version, published in 1891. Translations into many other languages have appeared since then with the most prominent and largest languages such as [[Garo language|Garo]] (1924), [[Mizo language|Mizo]] (1959), [[Bodo language|Bodo]] (1981), [[Meitei language|Meitei]] (1984), [[Kokborok]] (2013) and [[Nishi language|Nyishi]] (2016).

==Dravidian languages==
* [[Bible translations into Tamil]]
* [[Bible translations into Telugu]]
* [[Bible translations into Kannada]]
* [[Bible translations into Malayalam]]

===Paniya===

[[Paniya language|Paniya]] is a [[Southern Dravidian]] language mainly found in [[scheduled castes]] in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Indian Bible Translators (IBT) have translated and published the New Testament in the Paniya language(2016). Thambi Durai and Elizabeth are the translators in Paniya for Indian Bible Translators. Currently IBT is carrying out the translation of Old Testament in Paniya.

Stephen Daniel translated the portions of the Bible into the Paniya language. Theyyam Mancheyaathaayina Kathe, the Translation of the New Testament in the Paniya language was pioneered and presented by Mathews Vergis to the Paniya tribe on 30 December 2008. The Paniyas have historically worked as agricultural laborers. People who natively speak Paniyas are mainly found in the borders of Kerala and Mysore, with a dwindling population of about approximately 120,000. Initially only the Gospel of Luke was translated and presented to the tribe. The Paniya language has no script of its own which is why Mathews Vergis used the Malayalam script to publish the Bible in their language.

===Jennu Kuruba Language===
Vasa Nyama, the Translation of the New Testament in the [[Jennu Kuruba language]] was published by Mathews Vergis to the Jennu Kuruba tribe on 10 September 2015. People of the Jennu Kuruba tribe are traditionally honey gatherers and are found in forests in Southern central India. Since the forests are getting slaughtered and synthetic honey is replacing natural honey, the tribe is decaying and the people are getting scattered.

Initially only the Gospel of Mark was translated and presented to the tribe. Mathews Vergis completed and presented the entire New Testament because of the earnest and eagerness of the Jennu Kuruba people, though few in number. The Jennu Kuruba language has no script of its own and hence Mathews Vergis used the Kannada script to present the Bible in their language. This is the first piece of literature in print ever since the existence of this tribe.

===Benjara===
Navo Karar, the translation of the New Testament in the Benjara language of the Benjara ethnic tribe was published by Mathews Vergis on 12 August 2015. The people of the Benjara tribe migrated from Afghanistan and settled in Rajasthan, India long ago. They were salt merchants and suppliers of bullocks. Being nomadic in nature, they spread to different parts of India, namely Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. In Karnataka they are known as Lambanis and in other places as Lambadis. Among these states, the state of Karnataka has about a million Lambanis – the highest in India. The Benjara language has no script and the people are familiar with the language of the home states. Thus Kannada script is used to present the Bible to the Lambanis to understand the Bible in their language. This is the first piece of literature to be printed in the Benjara language.

===Kulu===
Markana Nalla Shuddhi, the translation of the 'Gospel according to Mark' in the Kulu Language spoken by the ethnic Korama and Koracha tribes of South India, was pioneered by Mathews Vergis and was presented to the tribe on 28 December 2015. Though the language is spoken by around 200,000 of people belonging to the Koracha and Korama tribes, it failed to find a place in the dictionary of Indian tribal languages along with scores of other tribal languages recorded in the Census taken by the Government of India a decade and half ago. It was the request of the people of the Koracha and Korama tribes that propelled Mathews Vergis to pioneer the translation of the Gospel according to Mark into the Kulu language. Incidentally this is the first piece of literature in print ever since the existence of the Koracha and Korama tribes on earth.

===Tulu===
Parts of The New Testament were translated into the [[Tulu language]] of Karnataka in [[Kannada]] script in 1842 and the complete New Testament in 1847 by the [[Basel Mission]]aries in [[Mangalore]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/tulu.html|title=The Bible in Tulu|publisher=Worldscriptures.org|accessdate=7 December 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023709/http://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/tulu.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tulu Bible |url=http://www.holybiblefoundation.org/home/tulu-bible |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324021301/http://www.holybiblefoundation.org/home/tulu-bible |archive-date=24 March 2012 |access-date=5 April 2012 |website=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Bible translations by language]]
* [[Bible Society of India]]
* [[Bible translations into the languages of Northeast India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bible Translations (India)}}
[[Category:Languages of India]]
[[Category:Christianity in India]]
[[Category:Bible translations by language|India]]

Bible translations into the languages of India - Revision history

UpdateBot at 10:56, 28 June 2022