Aster Ganno
Encyclopedia
Aster Ganno was an Ethiopian Bible translator who worked with the better known Onesimos Nesib
as a translator of the Oromo
Bible, published in 1899.
She was born free, but was later enslaved by the king of Limmu-Ennarea
. She was emancipated in 1886 when Italian ships intercepted a boat which was taking her to be sold on the Arabian Peninsula, then took her to Eritrea
where the Imkullu school of the Swedish Evangelical Mission
took her in. Aster (by Ethiopian custom, she is referred to by her first name) was educated at their school . Onesimos quickly “discovered that Aster was endowed with considerable mental gifts and possessed a real feeling for the Oromo language
” (Arén 1978:383). She was assigned to compile an Oromo dictionary, which was first used in polishing a translation of New Testament
published in 1893.
Aster also translated a book of Bible stories and wrote down 500 traditional Oromo riddle
s, fables, proverb
s, and songs, many of which were published in a volume for beginning readers (1894). She later worked with Onesimos in compiling an Oromo hymnbook. Arén reports that a large amount of folklore she collected is still unpublished, preserved by the Hylander family (1978:384, fn. 71).
Aster and Onesimos completed translating the complete Bible into Oromo, which was printed in 1899. The title page and history credit Onesimos as the translator, but it appears that Aster's contribution was not, and still is not, adequately appreciated.
In 1904, Aster, together with Onesimos and other Oromos, were able to move from Eritrea back to Welega, where they established schools, Aster serving as a teacher at Nekemte
.
Onesimos Nesib
Onesimos Nesib , was a native Oromo who converted to Lutheran Christianity and translated the Christian Bible into the Oromo language...
as a translator of the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
Bible, published in 1899.
She was born free, but was later enslaved by the king of Limmu-Ennarea
Limmu-Ennarea
The Kingdom of Limmu-Ennarea was one of the kingdoms in the Gibe region of Ethiopia that emerged in the 19th century. It shared its eastern border with Jimma, its southern border with Gomma, and its western border with Gumma. Beyond its northern border lay tribes of the Macha Oromo...
. She was emancipated in 1886 when Italian ships intercepted a boat which was taking her to be sold on the Arabian Peninsula, then took her to Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
where the Imkullu school of the Swedish Evangelical Mission
Swedish Evangelical Mission
The Swedish Evangelical Mission is an independent organisation within the Church of Sweden. SEM cooperates with independent churches, Christian councils and other partners in Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Malawi, the Sudan and Tanzania...
took her in. Aster (by Ethiopian custom, she is referred to by her first name) was educated at their school . Onesimos quickly “discovered that Aster was endowed with considerable mental gifts and possessed a real feeling for the Oromo language
Oromo language
Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Afan Boran, Afan Orma, and sometimes in other languages by variant spellings of these names , is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic family. Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by more than 25 million Oromo and...
” (Arén 1978:383). She was assigned to compile an Oromo dictionary, which was first used in polishing a translation of New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
published in 1893.
Aster also translated a book of Bible stories and wrote down 500 traditional Oromo riddle
Riddle
A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and...
s, fables, proverb
Proverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
s, and songs, many of which were published in a volume for beginning readers (1894). She later worked with Onesimos in compiling an Oromo hymnbook. Arén reports that a large amount of folklore she collected is still unpublished, preserved by the Hylander family (1978:384, fn. 71).
Aster and Onesimos completed translating the complete Bible into Oromo, which was printed in 1899. The title page and history credit Onesimos as the translator, but it appears that Aster's contribution was not, and still is not, adequately appreciated.
In 1904, Aster, together with Onesimos and other Oromos, were able to move from Eritrea back to Welega, where they established schools, Aster serving as a teacher at Nekemte
Nekemte
Nekemte is a market town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Misraq Welega Zone of the Oromia Region , Nekemte has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2,088 meters....
.
External links
- Mekuria Bulcha, "Onesimos Nasib's Pioneering Contributions to Oromo Writing", Nordic Journal of African Studies 4(1): 36-59 (1995)
- Dirshaye Menberu, "Onesimus Nesib", Dictionary of African Christian Bibliography