Batta Version of the Scriptures

Batta Version Of The Scriptures.

Batta is a language spoken by a large population on the isle of Sumatra. The Batta has three dialects — the Toba, the Mandailing, and the Daire. See Bible of Every Land, p.373.

1. The Toba is spoken by the Battas of northern Sumatra. It is the most classical and widely spoken. The New Test. has been translated by the Rev. J. Nommensen of the Rhenish Missionary Society, and was printed at Elberfeld for the British and Foreign Bible Society, under the superintendence of the Rev. Dr. Schreiber, a former missionary, in 1878. The edition consisted of 4000 copies of the New Test., and 1500 copies of Matthew and John.

2. The Mandailing is spoken by 100,000 of the population of the southern part of the island. Nearly the whole of the New Test. was translated some years ago by the Rev. Dr. Schreiber, after it had been revised and improved by Mr. Leipoldt, another missionary of the Rhenish Society; it was also carried through the press by Dr. Schreiber at Elberfeld in. 1878. The edition consisted of the same amount of copies as that in the Toba dialect.

For linguistic purposes see Van der Tunk, Bataksch Leesboek bevattende stukken in net Tobasch, Mandailingsch, en Dairisch (Amst. 1860-62), and Kurzer Abriss einer Plattaschen Formenlehre im Toba-Dialekte, translated by Schreiber (Barmen, 1867). (B. P.)