The launch on 29 December of a dictionary in the Gusilay language in preparation for a Bible translation, was greeted with joy by one Gusilay speaker, noting ‘you can’t eat with someone else’s language and be satisfied’.
The dictionary, featuring 9,000 words, is the first time that the language has been extensively collected, written down, analysed and published. David and Janet Wilkinson spearheaded the language work among the Gusilay. David said: ‘Bible translation is a long process with lots of steps along the way. Although it’s unusual for a dictionary to be completed before translation even begins, in this case it has proved a vital initial stage.’
Sixty helpers
‘With the Gusilay it started off being a practical next step,’ said Janet. ‘Following the death of Victor, one of the few known Gusilay believers and who had been the visionary behind translating the Bible into Gusilay, starting with the dictionary meant we could develop stronger relationships among the community, and gave David more time and ways to learn the language.’
The process of making the dictionary involved more than 60 Gusilay people. Forty participated in a two-week workshop collecting Gusilay words, and others assisted with linguistics, spellings, meanings, and scientific recognition of species or specific cultural information.
News of the dictionary travelled fast by word of mouth and through WhatsApp. There is a version of the dictionary as an Android app for smartphones. The Gusilay are an unreached people group of nearly 20,000.
