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Core Glossary

Core Glossary

Acts 1–28 | English → Fulfulde | Full-Book Term Registry

This glossary registers every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, covering Acts 1–28 in full. Terms marked [TM-REUSE] are enforced exactly as recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json/bible_term_registry.json and MUST NOT be altered. Terms marked [NEW] are proposed additions for this Acts curriculum and must be added to translation_memory.json (incrementing its version) before Phase 2 translation begins, per the escalation and provisional-term rules already established in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.


Part A — Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Baseline

TermFulfulde RenderingRiskChapters (Acts)Notes
GospelLinjiilaHigh1, 2, 8, 12, 15, 20Same tahrif-doctrine currency risk applies; reconfirm dialect currency.
GraceArjundeCritical2, 4, 8, 13, 15, 18, 20Central to Jerusalem Council (ch.15) argument; never barke.
FaithgomɗinalHigh2, 3, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 24, 26Object of faith (Jesus specifically) must remain explicit throughout Acts’ many “believed” statements.
RighteousnesspeewalCritical3, 13, 17, 24Applied personally to Jesus as title (3:14) — heightened stakes.
Justificationwaɗugol peewalCritical13, 15Ch.15’s Jerusalem Council is the Acts-narrative anchor for this Romans doctrine.
SalvationkisalCritical2, 4, 11, 13, 15, 16, 27, 28Ch.16:30-31 (jailer) and ch.2:21/38-40 are the key salvation-formula texts.
ApostlenulaaɗoHigh1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16Never rasuulu; foundational office-term for the whole book.
Called / Callingnoddaaɗo / noddaandiMedium/High22:39 (“all whom the Lord calls”).
HolyceniiɗoMedium3Applied as a title for Jesus (“the Holy One,” 3:14) — see Part B for compound risk.
SaintsseniiɓeHigh9”the saints” at Damascus/Jerusalem (9:13, 32, 41).
SanctificationceniindeHighNot directly thematized in Acts’ narrative but retained for cross-curriculum consistency with Romans.
Adoptionjaɓugol wonande ɓiɗɗoMediumNot directly narrated in Acts; retained for consistency.
Resurrectionimmorde e maaydeCritical1, 2, 4, 17, 23, 24, 26The single most recurring Critical term in Acts; never soften.
LordJoomCritical2, 4, 9, 10, 16”Yeesu ko Joom” consistency rule applies to all Lordship-confession verses.
Son of GodƁiɗɗo AllaCriticalNot the primary Acts christological title (see Son of Man, Part B) but must remain distinguishable from it wherever both appear.
PeacejamMedium9, 10Peace-greeting language in early church narrative sections.
Spiritual Giftsdokkal RuuhuMedium2, 8Distinguished from the “gift of the Holy Spirit” (dokkal Ruuhu Ceniiɗo) — see Part B.
ThanksgivingyettooreLowRetained for consistency.
FellowshipdiisnondiralLow22:42.
ChurchkawtalMedium2, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20First full narrative referent at 2:47; formal term from 5:11 onward.
Kingdom of Godlaamu AllaMedium1, 8, 14, 19, 20, 28Bookends the whole narrative (1:3, 6-8; 28:31).
LawsariyaMedium15, 21Central to Jerusalem Council and Paul’s Nazirite-vow accommodation.
SinbakkaatuHigh2, 32:38 forgiveness of sins.
Gentilesleƴƴi gooMedium9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 21, 22, 26, 28The single most pervasive doctrinal category across Acts’ second half.
GlorymanaangoMedium7, 9Stephen’s vision (7:55); light from heaven (9:3).
Obedience of Faithɗoftagol iwdi e gomɗinalHighRetained for consistency; underlies the whole Acts narrative pattern of repentance-faith-obedience.
Power of Goddoole AllaHigh1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 19Contrasted repeatedly with sihira/barke throughout Acts.
MessiahAlmasiihuCritical2, 5, 8, 9, 17, 18, 26”Jesus is the Christ/Messiah” proclamation recurs across nearly every missionary sermon.
ProphetannabiMedium2, 3, 7Joel and Moses citations.
ProphecyannabaawoMedium2Joel quotation, 2:17-18.
CovenantalkawalMedium3, 7Distinguish from the new term “vow” (artaare, Part B).
ElectionsuɓagolMedium1, 9, 13Matthias’ selection (contrast with lot-casting, ch.1); Paul’s calling (9:15); 13:48.
Intercessiontorgol wonandeMediumNot directly narrated; retained for consistency.
Providencewelsindiigal AllaHigh27, 28Central to the shipwreck narrative and viper-bite deliverance.
Missionyamiroore LinjiilaMedium1, 13, 22Acts 1:8’s programmatic mandate; ch.13’s formal commissioning.
DavidDaawudaLow2, 7, 13Psalm citations applied to the Messiah.
IsraelIsraa’iilaMedium1, 2, 7, 131:6’s political-restoration question corrected toward mission.
JesusYeesuCriticalthroughoutNever Iisa in doctrinal exposition.
GodAllaCriticalthroughoutTrinitarian/Christ-centered content must exceed standard regional Islamic usage throughout.
Holy SpiritRuuhu CeniiɗoCritical1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 19The single most theologically load-bearing recurring term in Acts; always in full.
FatherBaabaMedium1”the times… the Father has fixed” (1:7).
AbbaAbbaMediumNot directly narrated in Acts; retained for consistency.
ExhortwallitdeLow11, 14, 15, 20Barnabas and Paul’s pastoral pattern of encouragement.
Seed of Davidgeɗal DaawudaMedium1313:23.
Imputed Righteousnesspeewal jibinaangalCritical24Underlies Paul’s “righteousness” reasoning before Felix.

Part B — New Terms Required for Acts (Proposed Additions to Translation Memory)

#TermFulfulde RenderingCategoryRiskOriginal (Greek)TransliterationChaptersAlternatives rejectedNotes
1PentecostPantekoostiSalvation HistoryHighπεντηκοστήpentēkostē2none available; no crystallized Fulfulde form existsTransliterated proper noun naming the specific historical day; confirm regional dialect currency before deployment.
2tongues (languages, Spirit-given speech)ɗemɗe kesjeHoly Spirit / PentecostHighγλῶσσαιglōssai2”ecstatic speech” (rejected; these are real known languages per 2:6,8,11)Must be taught as real, understood human languages, distinguished from Sufi/spiritist ecstatic-speech phenomena.
3tongues of fireɗemɗe yiiteHoly Spirit / PentecostMediumγλῶσσαι πυρόςglōssai pyros2Distinguish from #2 above by context; same root word, different referent (flame-shape vs. speech).
4filled with the Holy Spiritheewi Ruuhu CeniiɗoHoly Spirit / PentecostHighπλησθέντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίουplēsthentes Pneumatos Hagiou2, 4, 6, 9, 13trance/possession language (rejected)Must be distinguished from jinn-possession and Sufi trance states; personal, not ecstatic-technique-based.
5repentance / repenttuubuubuyee / tuubde (v. tuubee)Repentance and BaptismCriticalμετάνοια / μετανοέωmetanoia / metanoeō2, 3, 17, 26none; shares root with Islamic tawba but must be redefinedMust be explicitly tied to faith in the crucified-and-risen Jesus, not to tawba’s self-directed reform-and-mercy framework alone.
6baptism / baptizeBatisma (n.) / sappee (v., imperative “be immersed”)Repentance and BaptismCriticalβάπτισμα / βαπτίζωbaptisma / baptizō2, 8, 9, 10, 16, 19laaɓal (ritual purification/ablution — NEVER use)Once-for-all, Christ-directed, public act; never conflated with wuduu/ghusl ritual washing.
7witness (person, and act of witnessing)seedaŋdo (pl. seedaŋɓe) / seedaŋgolPersecution and Bold WitnessHighμάρτυςmartys1, 7, 22Semantic range extends within Acts itself from “testifier” to “one who testifies at the cost of life” (martyrdom sense, ch.7).
8boldnesstergal (n.); wowlude bee tergal (v. phrase)Persecution and Bold WitnessHighπαρρησίαparrēsia4, 9, 13, 14, 19, 26, 28human bravado / political defiance (rejected framing)Spirit-given confidence in proclamation, not human courage alone or civil agitation.
9signs and wondersmaandeeji e kaawisaajiApostolic Authority and MiraclesHighσημεῖα καὶ τέραταsēmeia kai terata2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 14, 15, 19barke, sihira (NEVER substitute)Apostolic authentication, categorically distinct from marabout-blessing or sorcery frameworks.
10laying on of handsɓiŋngol juuɗeApostolic Authority and MiraclesMediumἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶνepithesis tōn cheirōn6, 8, 9, 13, 19, 28Gesture of blessing, healing, or commissioning.
11name of Jesus (invocation of)e innde YeesuApostolic Authority and MiraclesHighἐν/ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦen/epi tō onomati Iēsou2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 16, 19generic incantation-formula framing (rejected)Authority of the named person, not a magical formula; parallel with, but theologically distinct from, regional invocation practices.
12the WayLaawolChristian Identity / Church as CommunityMedium-Highἡ ὁδόςhē hodos9, 18, 19, 22, 24Distinguish from as-Sirat al-Mustaqim (Islamic “Straight Path”) and from Sharia-as-comprehensive-law; here, personal allegiance to the risen Christ.
13Christian(s)Kirisiyeenaaɗo (sg.) / Kirisiyeenaaɓe (pl.)Church as CommunityMediumΧριστιανόςChristianos11, 26Kirisimasi (rejected; that form denotes “Christmas,” an unrelated word accidentally resembling the target and must never be used for this term)New coinage from the established transliteration “Kiristu” (Christ); requires theologian and native-speaker confirmation before wide deployment.
14SanhedrinSanedirinApostolic Authority and Miracles / PersecutionLow-MediumΣυνέδριονSynedrion4, 5, 6, 22, 23The Jewish ruling council; distinct from kawtal and from any modern political body.
15synagoguesinaagogGospel to Jews and GentilesMediumσυναγωγήsynagōgē9, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19kawtal (church — NEVER substitute), moosaale (mosque — NEVER substitute)Third distinct term alongside kawtal and moosaale for three distinct assemblies.
16elders (church office)mawɓe kawtalChurch as CommunityMediumπρεσβύτεροιpresbyteroi14, 15, 20, 21mawɗo alone (too generic; risks collapsing into general social-seniority honorific)Specific appointed office, though drawing on cultural respect for age/wisdom.
17overseer(s)reeŋtoowo kawtal (pl. reeŋtooɓe kawtal)Church as CommunityMediumἐπίσκοποιepiskopoi20Same office as “elder,” viewed from the angle of function/watchfulness rather than age/respect (20:17, 28).
18deacon / service ministrygollotooɗo (office) / golle ballal (the ministry itself)Church as CommunityLow-Mediumδιάκονος / διακονίαdiakonos / diakonia6Root of the Seven’s table-service ministry.
19Hellenists / HebrewsYahuudiyankooɓe wowluɓe Gerki / Yahuudiyankooɓe wowluɓe IbraaniyaŋkooreGospel to Jews and Gentiles / Church as CommunityMediumἙλληνισταί / ἙβραῖοιHellēnistai / Hebraioi6First internal ethnic-linguistic tension within the church; teaching bridge to real regional inter-ethnic dynamics.
20wisdom (Spirit-given)hakkille (qualified: hakkille Ruuhu Ceniiɗo)Church as Community / Apostolic AuthorityHighσοφίαsophia6plain hakkille without qualification (risk of collapse into Pulaaku virtue alone)Must be distinguished from hakkille as a standalone core Pulaaku virtue (wisdom), per baseline methodology already applied to manaango/teddungal.
21Son of ManƁiɗɗo NeɗɗoConversion of Paul / Deity of Christ (Acts context)Criticalυἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπουhuios tou anthrōpou7Ɓiɗɗo Alla (Son of God — NEVER conflate; these are two distinct, complementary titles)Stephen’s dying vision of the exalted Christ; directly contested by Tawhid-based objections to Christ’s heavenly, divine-human authority.
22martyrdom (witness unto death)seedaŋgol haa maaydePersecution and Bold WitnessHigh(derived from μάρτυς)martys (extended sense)7Developed sense of #7 above; Stephen as Acts’ first martyr.
23sorcery / magicsihiraApostolic Authority and MiraclesMedium-Highμαγείαmageia8, 13, 19barke (NEVER substitute)Shared Arabic-Islamic vocabulary, rejected by orthodox Islam too — genuine common ground; must not be conflated with Spirit’s power (doole Alla).
24eunuchgaanoowo / jom-suudu laamateeriGospel to Jews and GentilesMediumεὐνοῦχοςeunouchos8Ethiopian court official; handle with dignity and directness.
25visionkoyɗol immorde ka AllaApostolic Authority and Miracles / ConversionHighὅραμαhorama9, 10, 16, 18Must be framed as divinely-initiated and self-confirming, distinguished from marabout dream-interpretation practice.
26persecutioncukkugol / ɗacce e tampinde gomɗimɓePersecution and Bold WitnessMediumδιωγμός / διώκωdiōgmos / diōkō8, 9, 12Antagonist-perspective term before Paul’s own conversion.
27clean / unclean (ritual-dietary and Gentile-inclusion sense)haraamu / halaaliGospel to Jews and GentilesCriticalκοινός / καθαρόςkoinos / katharos10, 11Deliberately shared vocabulary with Islamic halal/haram framework; every occurrence must state explicitly that the passage’s true subject is Gentile inclusion, not a general food-law statement.
28God shows no partialityAlla suɓataa yimɓe ɓe geese maɓɓeGospel to Jews and GentilesMedium-Highπροσωπολημψία (negated)prosōpolēmpsia10natal-adjacent fatalistic framing (rejected)Handle with the ethnic sensitivity already established in the Romans baseline’s “no distinction” guidance.
29angelmalaakaApostolic Authority and MiraclesMediumἄγγελοςangelos5, 8, 10, 12, 27jinna/jinnaaji (NEVER use — a different class of spirit being)Shared vocabulary with Islamic angelology; specific content/mission of Acts’ angels not to be assumed identical to Quranic roles.
30eternal lifenguurndam duumiiɗamConversion / Justification apart from the LawMediumζωὴ αἰώνιοςzōē aiōnios13Built from established vocabulary; paired with suɓagol (election) in 13:48.
31tribulation / sufferingtamperePersecution and Bold WitnessMediumθλῖψιςthlipsis9, 14, 20“Through many tribulations enter the kingdom” (14:22).
32circumcisiontaƴgol goɓɗiJustification apart from the LawCriticalπεριτομήperitomē15any softened euphemism obscuring the specific ritual referentProvisional descriptive rendering pending confirmation of the established regional term; acute collision with near-universal regional practice — must clarify the ruling concerns the BASIS of salvation, not the value or continuation of the cultural-religious custom itself.
33yokekaɓirgelJustification apart from the LawMediumζυγόςzygos15Concrete pastoralist implement leveraged as a strong cultural image for the metaphorical “burden of the law.”
34sexual immoralityjinaJustification apart from the LawMediumπορνείαporneia15Shared Arabic-Islamic term; genuine common ground, one of the Gentile requirements retained by the Council.
35householdgalleChurch as CommunityMediumοἶκοςoikos16automatic household-salvation implication (rejected as a resolved doctrine; flagged as an open pastoral question)Strong Fulani kinship-compound resonance; must not undercut Acts 16:31’s personal-faith emphasis.
36idols / idolatrysifaaji (n.) / sujjugol sifaaji (v. phrase)Gospel to Jews and Gentiles / ApologeticsMedium-Highεἴδωλαeidōla14, 17, 19Common ground with regional anti-shirk sensibility; anticipate the reciprocal Muslim objection that Christian devotion to Christ may itself be perceived as idolatry from a strict-Tawhid view.
37unknown godAlla anndaakaApologetics / Gospel to Jews and GentilesMediumἀγνώστῳ θεῷagnōstō theō17Apologetic bridge-building device in Paul’s Areopagus address.
38John’s baptism (contrasted with Christian baptism)Batisma Yaayanna (John’s baptism) vs. Batisma e innde Joom YeesuRepentance and BaptismCriticalβάπτισμα Ἰωάννουbaptisma Iōannou19Preparatory repentance-baptism vs. full Christian baptism accompanied by the Spirit’s gift; fine but doctrinally important distinction.
39shepherd the flockgaynaako (leadership role) / duuɓi or ndonto (flock/congregation)Church as CommunityLow-Mediumποιμαίνειν / ποίμνιονpoimainein / poimnion20Strong positive resonance with Fulani pastoralist identity; must be understood as spiritual care, not mere occupational management.
40the whole counsel of Godfiiltaari yamiroore Alla timmuɗndiChurch as Community / Apostolic AuthorityMediumπᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦpasan tēn boulēn tou Theou20Model for undiluted doctrinal teaching, consistent with this curriculum’s own preservation mandate.
41vow (personal ritual pledge)artaareChurch as Community / Justification apart from the LawMediumεὐχήeuchē21alkawal (reserved for God’s covenant promise — do not conflate)New coinage; note resonance with, and distinction from, the Islamic concept of nazr.
42zealous for God / zealtiiɗnaare diineConversion of PaulMediumζηλωτής / ζῆλοςzēlōtēs / zēlos22Handle carefully given resonance with regional reform-zeal rhetoric (e.g. Sokoto Caliphate tradition); sincere zeal can still be theologically misdirected apart from Christ.
43citizenshipjeyaaɗo diiwaanPersecution and Bold Witness (legal-narrative)Lowπολίτηςpolitēs22, 25Primarily narrative-legal; low doctrinal risk.
44the judgment to comeñaawoore AllaJustification apart from the Law / EschatologyMedium-Highτὸ κρίμα τὸ μέλλονto krima to mellon24Strong point of contact with Yawm al-Qiyāma; clarify the Christian basis of acquittal is Christ’s credited righteousness, not a deeds-weighing calculus.
45hope (of the promise)jortaariConversion of Paul / EschatologyMediumἐλπίςelpis26hoolaare alone (reserved primarily as a faith/trust synonym per Romans baseline; kept distinct here)Paul frames the gospel as fulfilling, not replacing, Israel’s own ancestral hope.
46without hindrancehara alaa e haɗgoThe Great Commission FulfilledMediumἀκωλύτωςakōlytōs28Deliberate closing note of the whole book; pairs with laamu Alla and tergal (boldness) as the final programmatic statement.
47casting lotsɓural tuggalApostolic Authority (transitional)Mediumκλῆροςklēros1One-time, pre-Pentecost transitional decision-method; must not be presented as a normative model for post-Pentecost, Spirit-led decision-making (contrast ch.13).
48ends of the earthkeerol leydiThe Great Commission FulfilledMediumἔσχατον τῆς γῆςeschaton tēs gēs1, 28 (echoed)Programmatic geographic-completeness term bookending the whole narrative.
49breaking of breadtaƴgol mburuChurch as CommunityMediumκλάσις τοῦ ἄρτουklasis tou artou2Earliest, undeveloped form of later Communion practice; do not over-formalize in this early narrative context.
50all things in commonɓe waɗi kala jawɗe maɓɓe gootalChurch as CommunityHighἅπαντα κοινάhapanta koina2, 4enforced/permanent-collectivism framing (rejected)Voluntary, Spirit-prompted generosity, not a permanent economic mandate; positive resonance with Fulani communal-sharing custom.
51restoration of all thingsruttitaari kala geɗeEschatologyMediumἀποκατάστασις πάντωνapokatastasis pantōn3cyclical-renewal framing (rejected)Single, final, linear eschatological restoration.
52ascensionƴiiwgol Yeesu ka asamaanDeity/Resurrection of ChristCriticalἀνελήμφθη (ἀναλαμβάνω)anelēmphthē (analambanō)1Quranic raised-without-death framing (must be explicitly distinguished, not merely avoided)Must always be taught as the sequel to a genuine death and bodily resurrection already witnessed over 40 days, not a substitute for them.
53mistaken for gods (idolatrous misidentification)(see #36, idols/idolatry)Gospel to Jews and Gentiles / ApologeticsMedium-High(narrative; cf. εἴδωλα)14First narrative occurrence of the idols/idolatry theme; full entry at #36.

Risk Summary for New Terms (Part B)

Risk TierCountReview Routing
Critical8 (Pentecost-adjacent repentance #5, baptism #6, Son of Man #21, clean/unclean #27, circumcision #32, John’s baptism contrast #38, ascension #52, and by extension all name-of-Jesus/salvation-formula compounds)Human theologian required for every occurrence
High11Human theologian required
Medium-High6Human theologian recommended, native speaker minimum
Medium21Native speaker review required
Low-Medium3Native speaker review recommended
Low3Automated review sufficient

Mandatory next step per 12_ai_translation_requirements.md: All 53 new terms in Part B must be added to translation_memory.json (version increment required) and cross-registered in an updated doctrine_risk_registry.json before any Phase 2 segment translation of Acts begins. Terms flagged as provisional descriptive compounds (notably #5 repentance, #6 baptism, #13 Christian, #21 Son of Man, #27 clean/unclean, #32 circumcision, #41 vow, #52 ascension) require BOTH native-speaker AND theologian confirmation before enforcement, consistent with this language’s thinner Bible-translation tradition as documented throughout the Romans baseline package.


Critical Risk Terms

Grace

Approved rendering: Arjunde
Transliteration: arjunde
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: yurmeende (reserve for ‘mercy/compassion’ generally), barke (blessing, avoid as a substitute)
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] CRITICAL: arjunde is Arabic-influenced vocabulary shared with Islamic usage, generally understood as responsive to piety/deeds rather than wholly unmerited; barke must never substitute. In Acts, this is the Jerusalem Council’s (ch.15) decisive argument against requiring circumcision for salvation, and the direct lesson of Simon’s attempted purchase of the Spirit’s gift (8:18-20) — both must state the ‘apart from works/payment’ contrast explicitly.


Salvation

Approved rendering: kisal
Transliteration: kisal
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: dancal (protection, never as a stand-alone substitute), aljanna (paradise, never as a stand-alone gloss)
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] CRITICAL: Islamic soteriology has no atonement framework, understanding paradise-entry as Allah’s mercy weighed against deeds. Acts 2:21/38-40, 4:12, 11:14, 13:26, and 16:30-31 (the jailer’s question) are the book’s clearest salvation-formula texts and must render kisal consistently with the Romans 10:9-10 rendering pattern.


Resurrection

Approved rendering: immorde e maayde
Transliteration: immorde e maayde
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: immorde ka maayde (dialectal variant, confirm regionally)
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology

[Inherited from Romans package.] CRITICAL: mainstream Sunni interpretation of Quran 4:157 denies the crucifixion occurred at all. This is the single most recurring Critical term across the whole of Acts (1:22; 2:24-32; 4:2,33; 17:31-32; 23:6-8; 24:15; 26:8,23); Acts 23’s Pharisee-Sadducee dispute is a valuable teaching point showing the resurrection was already a live first-century Jewish controversy, not only a later Islamic objection.


Son Of God

Approved rendering: Ɓiɗɗo Alla
Transliteration: Ɓiɗɗo Alla
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: nulaaɗo mawɗo (a great messenger, an explicit downgrade and rejected)
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology

[Inherited from Romans package.] CRITICAL: directly contested by strict Tawhid doctrine. Not Acts’ primary christological title (see the NEW term son_of_man below) but must remain visibly, consistently distinct from Ɓiɗɗo Neɗɗo (Son of Man) wherever both appear, so the two complementary titles are never flattened into one.


Incarnation

Approved rendering: Alla wontii neɗɗo
Transliteration: Alla wontii neɗɗo
Doctrine: Incarnation

[Inherited from Romans package.] CRITICAL descriptive compound; considered shirk in Islamic theology. Not separately narrated as a discrete event in Acts (Acts assumes and builds on it via the resurrection/ascension/exaltation narrative) but retained for cross-curriculum doctrinal consistency and background to Acts 2:22-24’s account of Jesus’ earthly ministry.


Messiah

Approved rendering: Almasiihu
Transliteration: Almasiihu
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Original: Χριστός / מָשִׁיחַ
Category: Christology

[Inherited from Romans package.] CRITICAL: shared vocabulary with the Quranic Isa al-Masih. ‘Jesus is the Christ/Messiah’ recurs across nearly every missionary sermon in Acts (chs. 2,5,8,9,17,18,26); this shared title must never be mistaken for shared belief about Christ’s divinity, atoning death, and resurrection.


Repentance

Approved rendering: tuubuubuyee / tuubde
Transliteration: tuubuubuyee / tuubde
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Rejected alternatives: tawba’s self-directed moral-reform framework alone, without explicit tie to faith in the risen Jesus (insufficient on its own)
Original: μετάνοια / μετανοέω
Category: Salvation

NEW. CRITICAL: tuubde shares its root with Islamic tawba (turning from sin through contrition and renewed piety, without a mediating atonement). Every occurrence (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30; 26:20) must state explicitly that biblical repentance is tied to faith in the specific, named, crucified-and-risen Yeesu (v.36), not to tawba’s self-directed reform framework alone. The most dangerous ‘silent substitution’ risk in the whole curriculum, since the rendering sounds fluent and natural without signaling the doctrinal difference.


Baptism

Approved rendering: Batisma / sappee
Transliteration: Batisma / sappee
Doctrine: Baptism in the Name of Jesus
Rejected alternatives: laaɓal (ritual purification/ablution linked to wuduu/ghusl — NEVER use), loot- root verbs (generic washing, avoid; risks collapsing into ablution register)
Original: βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω
Category: Salvation

NEW. CRITICAL: transliterated proper noun Batisma (noun) with coined verb sappee (be immersed). Never conflated with laaɓal, which is repeatable and externally focused. Baptism in Acts (chs. 2,8,9,10,16,19) is a unique, Christ-directed, once-for-all public act. Gloss on first use accordingly.


Son Of Man

Approved rendering: Ɓiɗɗo Neɗɗo
Transliteration: Ɓiɗɗo Neɗɗo
Doctrine: The Son of Man Title
Rejected alternatives: Ɓiɗɗo Alla (Son of God — NEVER conflate; two distinct, complementary titles)
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology

NEW. CRITICAL. Stephen’s dying vision (Acts 7:56), ‘I see… the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God,’ directly provokes the crowd’s lethal rage. Must be kept visibly, consistently distinct from Ɓiɗɗo Alla — confusing them would blur, not clarify, the doctrine, since Fulani Islamic scholarly tradition has well-articulated objections to both claims independently.


Clean Unclean

Approved rendering: haraamu / halaali
Transliteration: haraamu / halaali
Doctrine: Gentile Dietary Purity and Inclusion
Original: κοινός / καθαρός
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles

NEW. CRITICAL: deliberately shared vocabulary with the Islamic halal/haram legal-dietary framework. The single highest-risk collision in the curriculum. Every occurrence (Acts 10, 11) must state explicitly that the vision’s true subject is Gentile inclusion into God’s people, not a general statement about food laws, to prevent readers mapping it onto ongoing halal boundary-maintenance debates or over-generalizing it as abolishing all moral distinctions.


Circumcision

Approved rendering: taƴgol goɓɗi
Transliteration: taƴgol goɓɗi
Doctrine: The Circumcision Controversy
Rejected alternatives: any softened euphemism obscuring the specific ritual referent (rejected)
Original: περιτομή
Category: Justification apart from the Law

NEW. CRITICAL and uniquely acute: circumcision is a nearly universal, deeply significant religious-and-ethnic-identity practice among Fulani communities. Provisional descriptive rendering pending confirmation of an established regional term. Every occurrence (Acts 15:1-2,5,19-21; 21:20-25) must clarify that the Council’s ruling concerns the BASIS of salvation, not the value or continuation of the cultural-religious custom itself, and does not license disregard for the moral requirements the Council retained (15:20, 29).


Johns Baptism

Approved rendering: Batisma Yaayanna (contrasted with Batisma e innde Joom Yeesu)
Transliteration: Batisma Yaayanna
Doctrine: Baptism in the Name of Jesus
Rejected alternatives: collapsing the two baptisms into one unqualified ‘baptism’ (rejected)
Original: βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου
Category: Salvation

NEW. CRITICAL. Acts 19:1-7: Paul re-baptizes disciples who had only received John’s preparatory baptism, and they then receive the Holy Spirit. Always render this contrast as a labeled pair, never as unqualified ‘baptism’ alone.


Ascension

Approved rendering: ƴiiwgol Yeesu ka asamaan
Transliteration: ƴiiwgol Yeesu ka asamaan
Doctrine: Ascension of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Quranic raised-without-death framing (must be explicitly distinguished, not merely avoided)
Original: ἀνελήμφθη (ἀναλαμβάνω)
Category: Christology

NEW. CRITICAL. Direct flashpoint: the Quran teaches Allah raised Jesus to himself without crucifixion or death (4:157-158), a doctrine well known among regionally Islamic-educated readers. Acts 1:9-11 must always be taught as the sequel to a genuine death and bodily resurrection already witnessed over 40 days (1:3), never as a substitute for them; never let the ascension term stand alone without this connective explanation.


High Risk Terms

Gospel

Approved rendering: Linjiila
Transliteration: Linjiila
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: kabaaru moƴƴo (acceptable as an explanatory gloss, ‘good news’)
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] Linjiila is the term used in existing Fulfulde/Pular NT translations, but recognition varies by dialect region and by whether a reader’s exposure has been Islamic (tahrif doctrine: al-Injil as a later-corrupted scripture) or Christian. In Acts, this tension recurs at every summary reference to ‘preaching the gospel/word’ (chs. 1, 2, 8, 12, 15, 20); reconfirm dialect currency before deployment.


Faith

Approved rendering: gomɗinal
Transliteration: gomɗinal
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: hoolaare (trust, acceptable as a supporting synonym)
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith

[Inherited from Romans package.] ‘Faith’ can default to confessional religious identity (assumed Islamic by default) rather than personal, saving trust in Christ. Acts’ many summary statements (‘they believed,’ chs. 2,3,6,10,11,13,14,15,16,20,24,26) must specify belief in the risen Jesus, not confessional identity generally.


Righteousness

Approved rendering: peewal
Transliteration: peewal
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: nunɗal (fairness/justice, too civic)
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] Risks being heard as good moral character rather than a status received by faith. Acts 3:14 applies this term as a personal title for Jesus himself (‘the Righteous One’), and 24:25 pairs it with self-control before Felix — both raise the theological stakes beyond Romans’ more abstract usage; confirm currency with native speakers.


Justification

Approved rendering: waɗugol peewal
Transliteration: waɗugol peewal
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: yaafuyee (forgiveness, too narrow)
Original: δικαίωσις
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] A descriptive compound; no crystallized single Fulfulde theological term exists. In Acts, 13:38-39 and the Jerusalem Council (ch.15) are the narrative anchors; because Acts states this doctrine in compressed narrative summary rather than sustained epistolary argument, each occurrence needs its own brief explicit restatement of the grace/works contrast.


Apostle

Approved rendering: nulaaɗo
Transliteration: nulaaɗo
Doctrine: Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: rasuulu (never use; Muhammad’s Islamic title)
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church

[Inherited from Romans package.] Chosen specifically to avoid rasuulu. In Acts, the apostolic office itself (not just the title) is narratively active across chs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16 — commissioning, discipline, council authority — intensifying the need to keep nulaaɗo/nulaagal visibly distinct from Muhammad’s rasuulu-based authority model.


Saints

Approved rendering: seniiɓe
Transliteration: seniiɓe
Doctrine: Sainthood
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church

[Inherited from Romans package.] Plural of ceniiɗo, must read as unmistakably corporate. Acts 9:13, 32, 41 apply this to the ordinary Damascus/Jerusalem believing community, not a spiritual elite class.


Sanctification

Approved rendering: ceniinde
Transliteration: ceniinde
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: laaɓal (ritual/ceremonial purification, avoid as a substitute)
Original: ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification

[Inherited from Romans package.] Not yet a crystallized fixed term across dialects. Not separately narrated in Acts’ plot but retained for cross-curriculum consistency; must remain distinct from laaɓal (wuduu-associated ritual purification).


Lord

Approved rendering: Joom
Transliteration: Joom
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Laamiiɗo (reserve for ‘ruler/king’ in political contexts; avoid as the primary term for divine Lordship)
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology

[Inherited from Romans package.] Laamiiɗo carries Sokoto Caliphate political resonance and must be avoided as the default term for Christ’s Lordship. In Acts, 2:36 and 16:31 are the salvation-confession anchors (‘Yeesu ko Joom’); 2:34-35’s double use of Joom for both the Father and the Son (Psalm 110 quotation) requires careful rendering so the distinction-yet-unity is not flattened.


Sin

Approved rendering: bakkaatu
Transliteration: bakkaatu
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: fenaande (mistake/lie, too weak)
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin

[Inherited from Romans package.] Well established, Arabic-derived, shared with Islamic usage. Acts 2:38’s ‘forgiveness of sins’ is the direct fruit of repentance and baptism in Jesus’ name; state the personal, relational weight of guilt explicitly, not merely ritual infraction.


Obedience Of Faith

Approved rendering: ɗoftagol iwdi e gomɗinal
Transliteration: ɗoftagol iwdi e gomɗinal
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Rejected alternatives: ɗoftagol sariya (obedience to law/rules, a works-based misreading)
Original: ὑπακοὴ πίστεως
Category: Faith

[Inherited from Romans package.] Not directly quoted in Acts but underlies the whole narrative pattern of repentance-faith-obedience culminating in baptism throughout the book; retained for cross-curriculum consistency.


Power Of God

Approved rendering: doole Alla
Transliteration: doole Alla
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: barke (marabout-associated spiritual power/blessing, never use)
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God

[Inherited from Romans package.] Must be kept categorically distinct from barke. In Acts (chs. 1,2,3,4,8,19), this term gains concrete miracle-narrative stakes (healing, exorcism, judgment on Elymas/Ananias-Sapphira) that Romans’ abstract ‘power for salvation’ sense did not require; reinforce the barke/sihira contrast at every narrative healing episode, not only in summary doctrinal statements.


Providence

Approved rendering: welsindiigal Alla
Transliteration: welsindiigal Alla
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: natal (fate/al-qadar, use with caution), hasara (misfortune/chance, never use)
Original: πρόνοια
Category: God

[Inherited from Romans package.] Must be distinguished from natal, a more impersonally fatalistic Islamic theological concept. Central to Acts’ shipwreck narrative (27:22-25,34) and viper-bite deliverance (28:3-6), as well as 18:9-10 and 23:11’s night visions of assurance.


God

Approved rendering: Alla
Transliteration: Alla
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: θεός
Category: God

[Inherited from Romans package.] Universal term across Muslim and Christian Fulfulde speakers; genuine point of contact, but this curriculum must present Alla, per Acts, in explicitly Trinitarian and Christ-centered terms exceeding standard regional Islamic usage, particularly in the Pentecost (ch.2) and Cornelius (ch.10) narratives.


Holy Spirit

Approved rendering: Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Transliteration: Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: ruuhu (never use alone), jinna (never use; a jinn/spirit being in Islamic and West African folk belief)
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God

[Inherited from Romans package.] Must always be used in full. The single most theologically load-bearing recurring term in Acts (chs. 1,2,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,13,15,19); the Spirit is now a narrative actor (falls, fills, speaks, sends, is lied to), not only a doctrinal abstraction as in Romans, intensifying the need for the full form in every occurrence, even in narrative summary lines.


Imputed Righteousness

Approved rendering: peewal jibinaangal
Transliteration: peewal jibinaangal
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: peewal ɓaawaangal e golle (righteousness earned by works, the explicit rejected opposite)
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] Provisional descriptive compound, pending theologian confirmation. Underlies Paul’s reasoning before Felix (Acts 24) pairing righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment; the basis of acquittal is credited righteousness, not a deeds-weighing calculus, and must be paired with ñaawoore Alla (the judgment to come, see NEW term below) at every occurrence of that theme.


Pentecost

Approved rendering: Pantekoosti
Transliteration: Pantekoosti
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Rejected alternatives: balɗe cappanɗe joy caggal Paska (bare descriptive gloss alone; loses proper-noun/feast-day recognizability across repeated references)
Original: πεντηκοστή
Category: Holy Spirit

NEW. No crystallized Fulfulde form exists across any dialect’s existing translation literature for the Jewish festival Shavuot/Feast of Weeks. Transliterate and gloss on first use with a short explanatory clause identifying it as the specific historical day, 50 days after Passover, when the Spirit was poured out inaugurating the church (Acts 2:1). Flag for theologian/native-speaker confirmation of dialect currency before deployment.


Tongues Languages

Approved rendering: ɗemɗe kesje
Transliteration: ɗemɗe kesje
Doctrine: Tongues as Real, Understood Languages
Rejected alternatives: ecstatic/unintelligible utterance framing (rejected; Acts 2:6,8,11 confirm real, known human languages)
Original: ἑτέραις γλώσσαις
Category: Holy Spirit

NEW. Fulfulde’s shared root ɗemngal/ɗemɗe covers ‘tongue,’ ‘language,’ and (in v.3) ‘flame-shape,’ creating high ambiguity risk. Must be taught, anchored to Acts 2:6,8,11 (‘each one heard in his own language’), as real, comprehended human languages — never private ecstatic speech comparable to Sufi devotional hal/wajd trance phenomena.


Filled With Holy Spirit

Approved rendering: heewi Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Transliteration: heewi Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Doctrine: Spirit-Filling as a Recurring Pattern
Rejected alternatives: trance/possession language (rejected)
Original: ἐπλήσθησαν Πνεύματος Ἁγίου
Category: Holy Spirit

NEW. Standardized collocation for a total, Spirit-initiated filling (Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; 6:3; 9:17; 13:9). Must be distinguished explicitly from jinn-possession states and from Sufi trance (hal/wajd) phenomena recognized in the regional Islamic-folk landscape; this is personal divine indwelling, not an ecstatic state achieved by human technique. Standardize this exact collocation across every occurrence; treat deviation as a flag-worthy inconsistency.


Witness

Approved rendering: seedaŋdo / seedaŋgol
Transliteration: seedaŋdo / seedaŋgol
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: μάρτυς
Category: Persecution

NEW. Acts 1:8’s programmatic mandate; semantic range develops within Acts itself from ‘testifier’ (ch.1) to ‘one who testifies at the cost of life’ (ch.7, Stephen — the root of the later derived sense ‘martyr’). Use a single root (seedaŋ-) across both senses so the in-narrative semantic development is traceable in Fulfulde as it is in the Greek.


Boldness

Approved rendering: tergal
Transliteration: tergal
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Rejected alternatives: human bravado / political defiance framing (rejected)
Original: παρρησία
Category: Persecution

NEW. Recurs across Acts 4, 9, 13, 14, 19, 26, 28. Must connote Spirit-given confidence in gospel proclamation, not self-generated courage, and not civil/political agitation, given regional sensitivities around religious-political confrontation.


Signs And Wonders

Approved rendering: maandeeji e kaawisaaji
Transliteration: maandeeji e kaawisaaji
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: barke, sihira (NEVER substitute)
Original: σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. Recurs at Acts 2,3,4,5,6,8,14,15,19. Must be kept categorically distinct from barke (marabout-associated blessing) and sihira (sorcery); explicit, repeated fencing required at every occurrence — apostolic miracles authenticate gospel proclamation and operate through doole Alla, never person-mediated blessing objects or amulets.


Name Of Jesus

Approved rendering: e innde Yeesu
Transliteration: e innde Yeesu
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: generic incantation-formula framing paralleling dhikr-style invocation (rejected)
Original: ἐν/ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. Ties baptism (2:38), healing (3:6,16), and exorcism (16:18) to Christ’s exclusive authority. State plainly, at first occurrence, that this is authority-by-identification-with-a-specific-person, not a verbal formula with independent power.


The Way

Approved rendering: Laawol
Transliteration: Laawol
Doctrine: Church as Community
Original: ἡ ὁδός
Category: Church

NEW. Capitalized. The earliest self-designation of the Christian movement (Acts 9,18,19,22,24), before ‘Christian’ is coined. Must be carefully distinguished from both the Islamic ‘as-Sirat al-Mustaqim’ (the Straight Path) and Sharia-as-comprehensive-legal-way; here it denotes personal allegiance to the risen Christ, not a legal-ethical code.


Spirit Given Wisdom

Approved rendering: hakkille (qualified: hakkille Ruuhu Ceniiɗo)
Transliteration: hakkille Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Doctrine: Church Leadership and Offices
Rejected alternatives: plain hakkille without qualification (risk of collapse into the standalone Pulaaku virtue alone)
Original: σοφία
Category: Church

NEW. hakkille is one of Pulaaku’s own four core cultural virtues (with munyal, semteende, teddungal). Must be qualified as Spirit-given (hakkille Ruuhu Ceniiɗo) to distinguish it from the traditional Pulaaku virtue of the same name, per the same methodology the baseline already applies to manaango/teddungal. Grammatical naturalness of the qualifier needs native-speaker confirmation, not merely written compound logic.


Martyrdom

Approved rendering: seedaŋgol haa maayde
Transliteration: seedaŋgol haa maayde
Doctrine: Martyrdom
Original: μάρτυς (extended sense)
Category: Persecution

NEW. Stephen (Acts 7) is Acts’ first martyr, modeling the full development of the seedaŋdo/seedaŋgol root established at Acts 1:8. Distinguish from Islamic shahada’s classical armed-defense associations; Stephen’s death is non-violent and forgiving, under his own community’s persecution.


Sorcery

Approved rendering: sihira
Transliteration: sihira
Doctrine: Power of God versus Sorcery
Rejected alternatives: barke (NEVER substitute)
Original: μαγεία
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. Simon (Acts 8), Elymas (13), and the Ephesian scroll-burning (19) all contrast this with the Spirit’s power. Shared vocabulary with, and rejected by, orthodox regional Islam too — genuine common ground — but must not be conflated with barke or read as implying doole Alla is merely a ‘stronger’ version of the same kind of power.


Vision

Approved rendering: koyɗol immorde ka Alla
Transliteration: koyɗol immorde ka Alla
Doctrine: Angelic Guidance and Visions
Original: ὅραμα
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. Drives the Gentile Pentecost (Acts 10), Saul’s conversion (9), and later guidance (16,18). Given the active regional practice of marabout dream interpretation, must be taught plainly as God-initiated and self-confirmed by objective outcomes, not omens requiring a human specialist-interpreter.


No Partiality

Approved rendering: Alla suɓataa yimɓe ɓe geese maɓɓe
Transliteration: Alla suɓataa yimɓe ɓe geese maɓɓe
Doctrine: Universal Scope: No Distinction Between Peoples
Rejected alternatives: natal-adjacent fatalistic framing (rejected)
Original: προσωπολήμπτης (negated)
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles

NEW. Underlies the entire Cornelius narrative (Acts 10:34-35) and the wider Jew-Gentile unity theme; handle with the same ethnic sensitivity already flagged for the Romans baseline’s ‘no distinction’ guidance, without erasing legitimate Pulaaku ethnic-cultural identity.


Idols

Approved rendering: sifaaji / sujjugol sifaaji
Transliteration: sifaaji / sujjugol sifaaji
Doctrine: Idolatry and Apologetics to the Gentile World
Original: εἴδωλα
Category: Apologetics

NEW. Paul’s revulsion at idol-saturated Athens (17) and the apostles’ refusal of worship at Lystra (14). Positive common ground with regional Islamic anti-shirk sensibility, but a Muslim reader may in turn regard Christian devotion to Christ as comparable idolatry from a strict-Tawhid standpoint; this reciprocal objection must be anticipated, not avoided.


Judgment To Come

Approved rendering: ñaawoore Alla
Transliteration: ñaawoore Alla
Doctrine: The Judgment to Come
Original: τὸ κρίμα τὸ μέλλον
Category: Eschatology

NEW. Acts 17:31 and 24:25 pair righteousness, self-control, and coming judgment. Strong point of contact with the well-developed Islamic doctrine of Yawm al-Qiyāma; must clarify at every occurrence that the specifically Christian basis of acquittal is Christ’s credited righteousness (peewal jibinaangal), not a deeds-weighing calculus.


All Things In Common

Approved rendering: ɓe waɗi kala jawɗe maɓɓe gootal
Transliteration: ɓe waɗi kala jawɗe maɓɓe gootal
Doctrine: Common Life and Generosity
Rejected alternatives: enforced/permanent-collectivism framing (rejected)
Original: ἅπαντα κοινά
Category: Church

NEW. Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35. Positive resonance with Fulani pastoralist communal-sharing custom, a genuine bridge — but risk of over-literalizing into a permanent economic mandate rather than voluntary, Spirit-prompted, situational generosity. Must be taught as description, not prescription.


Medium Risk Terms

Called

Approved rendering: noddaaɗo
Transliteration: noddaaɗo
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: torraaɗo (invited, too weak)
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] Context-sensitive. Acts 2:39 (‘all whom the Lord our God calls’) uses the effectual-calling sense; torraaɗo remains too weak and must not be used.


Calling

Approved rendering: noddaandi
Transliteration: noddaandi
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] Noun form for the act/state of being called. No significant competing traditional-religion concept identified; confirm regional currency with native speakers.


Holy

Approved rendering: ceniiɗo
Transliteration: ceniiɗo
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: laaɓɗo (physically clean, reserve for ritual/physical cleanliness only)
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification

[Inherited from Romans package.] Acts 3:14 applies this term as a personal christological title for Jesus (‘the Holy One’), heightening the stakes beyond a general moral quality of believers; laaɓɗo must remain reserved for ritual/physical cleanliness (cf. wuduu).


Adoption

Approved rendering: jaɓugol wonande ɓiɗɗo
Transliteration: jaɓugol wonande ɓiɗɗo
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: υἱοθεσία
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] Descriptive compound; formal legal adoption is not a familiar category in traditional Fulani kinship structures. Not directly narrated in Acts but underlies the family-of-God/household language of Acts 16; retained for consistency.


Peace

Approved rendering: jam
Transliteration: jam
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: deeƴre (calm/stillness, too passive/psychological)
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] jam is deeply embedded in daily Fulfulde greeting-register social life. Acts 9:31 and 10:36 use it in early-church narrative summary; distinguish this greeting-register sense from Romans 5:1’s specific relational, judicial peace with God through justification.


Spiritual Gifts

Approved rendering: dokkal Ruuhu
Transliteration: dokkal Ruuhu
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Rejected alternatives: barke (Sufi-associated blessing/spiritual power, avoid as a substitute)
Original: χαρίσματα
Category: Church

[Inherited from Romans package.] Must be distinguished both from barke and from the new, narrower Acts-specific term for the Spirit’s own indwelling gift itself (dokkal Ruuhu Ceniiɗo — see the NEW term filled_with_holy_spirit/gift-of-the-Spirit family below), which denotes personal reception of the Spirit, not enablement for ministry.


Church

Approved rendering: kawtal
Transliteration: kawtal
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: moosaale (mosque, never use)
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church

[Inherited from Romans package.] Native-rooted term deliberately avoiding Arabic-Islamic-institution vocabulary. In Acts, first full narrative referent at 2:47 (before the word itself appears); explicit use from 5:11 onward. Must now be triangulated against TWO new Acts-specific assembly terms (sinaagog/synagogue, Sanedirin/Sanhedrin) as well as moosaale, so learners do not default synagogue→mosque by regional-vocabulary habit.


Kingdom Of God

Approved rendering: laamu Alla
Transliteration: laamu Alla
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom

[Inherited from Romans package.] Given the historic Fulani-led Sokoto Caliphate, must be taught as a spiritual reign distinct from any historic or contemporary political Islamic state. Acts 1:3,6-8’s political-restoration question (‘will you restore the kingdom to Israel?’) is itself the New Testament’s own correction of a political-restorationist expectation, and bookends the whole book with 28:23-31’s closing note.


Law

Approved rendering: sariya
Transliteration: sariya
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant

[Inherited from Romans package.] Standard term for the Mosaic Law/Torah, sharing its root with ‘Sharia.’ Central to the Jerusalem Council (ch.15) and Paul’s Nazirite-vow accommodation (ch.21); reinforce the distinction between the Law’s redemptive-historical role and a Sharia-style comprehensive life-code, now with a concrete narrative case study to teach from.


Gentiles

Approved rendering: leƴƴi goo
Transliteration: leƴƴi goo
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church

[Inherited from Romans package.] Descriptive, non-pejorative rendering. The single most pervasive doctrinal category across Acts’ second half (chs. 9-28); handle with sensitivity to real inter-ethnic tensions among Fulani pastoralist and neighboring farming communities.


Glory

Approved rendering: manaango
Transliteration: manaango
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: teddungal (reserve for human honor/dignity in Pulaaku contexts)
Original: δόξα
Category: God

[Inherited from Romans package.] teddungal (Pulaaku honor) must be kept conceptually distinct from God’s own transcendent glory. Acts 7:55 (Stephen’s vision) and 9:3 (light from heaven at Saul’s conversion) both invoke this term.


Prophet

Approved rendering: annabi
Transliteration: annabi
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant

[Inherited from Romans package.] Shared with Islamic usage for both OT and Quranic prophetic figures. Acts 3:22-23 applies Deuteronomy 18:15’s ‘prophet like Moses’ typologically to Jesus; must not be read through a Quranic prophetology of sequential prophetic supersession.


Prophecy

Approved rendering: annabaawo
Transliteration: annabaawo
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant

[Inherited from Romans package.] The Joel quotation in Acts 2:17-18 democratizes this gift across all believers (sons, daughters, young, old, servants), in tension with the region’s association of religious authority with a trained clerical class (marabouts, Quranic scholars).


Covenant

Approved rendering: alkawal
Transliteration: alkawal
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant

[Inherited from Romans package.] Used in existing Fulfulde NT translation titles. Underlies Stephen’s speech (ch.7, Abraham/Moses/David); must be kept distinct from the new, narrower coined term for a personal ritual vow (artaare, ch.21 — see NEW term vow below), which is not God’s relational covenant promise.


Election

Approved rendering: suɓagol
Transliteration: suɓagol
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: natal (fate/lot, use with caution)
Original: ἐκλογή
Category: Salvation

[Inherited from Romans package.] God’s sovereign personal choice, distinct from natal (fate, al-qadar). Underlies Matthias’ selection (ch.1, contrasted with the one-time lot-casting method), Paul’s calling (9:15), and 13:48’s ‘appointed to eternal life.‘


Intercession

Approved rendering: torgol wonande
Transliteration: torgol wonande
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Original: ὑπερεντυγχάνει / ἔντευξις
Category: Faith

[Inherited from Romans package.] Must be kept distinct from salaa (ritualized Islamic prayer) and from marabout-mediated petitionary practice. Not a technical narrated term in Acts; retained for consistency.


Mission

Approved rendering: yamiroore Linjiila
Transliteration: yamiroore Linjiila
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
Original: ἀποστολή / πέμπω
Category: Church

[Inherited from Romans package.] Acts 1:8’s programmatic mandate and ch.13’s formal commissioning of Paul and Barnabas anchor this term across the entire book, giving it a full narrative arc that Romans’ more occasional usage did not require it to sustain; be sensitive to the historically complex and contested religious landscape of the Sahel when framing evangelistic activity.


Israel

Approved rendering: Israa’iila
Transliteration: Israa’iila
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant

[Inherited from Romans package.] Standard proper name; note the modern nation-state shares a similar name. Acts 1:6’s political-restoration question about Israel is directly corrected by Jesus toward mission rather than a restored political state.


Jesus

Approved rendering: Yeesu
Transliteration: Yeesu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Iisa (the Quranic Arabic form, reserve only for explicit interfaith-dialogue contexts)
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology

[Inherited from Romans package.] Used throughout Acts; Iisa must never be used in doctrinal exposition, to prevent suggesting the Quranic figure is interchangeable with the biblical Jesus.


Father

Approved rendering: Baaba
Transliteration: Baaba
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: πατήρ
Category: God

[Inherited from Romans package.] Standard and doctrinally clear. Acts 1:7 (‘the times… the Father has fixed’) reinforces the Father’s sovereign personal governance.


Abba

Approved rendering: Abba
Transliteration: Abba
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: אַבָּא
Category: God

[Inherited from Romans package.] Aramaic term of intimacy preserved as a transliteration. Not directly narrated in Acts; retained for cross-curriculum consistency with Romans 8:15.


Seed Of David

Approved rendering: geɗal Daawuda
Transliteration: geɗal Daawuda
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: σπέρμα Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant

[Inherited from Romans package.] Descriptive phrase for physical lineage from David, resonating with strong Fulani genealogical culture. Acts 13:23 reapplies this Romans 1:3 concept in Paul’s Antioch synagogue sermon.


Tongues Of Fire

Approved rendering: ɗemɗe yiite
Transliteration: ɗemɗe yiite
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Original: γλῶσσαι πυρός
Category: Holy Spirit

NEW. Visible, tongue-shaped flames distributed to each person at Pentecost (Acts 2:3). Must be disambiguated by context from tongues_languages (ɗemɗe kesje, v.4) despite sharing the same lexical root.


Laying On Of Hands

Approved rendering: ɓiŋngol juuɗe
Transliteration: ɓiŋngol juuɗe
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Original: ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. A physical gesture of blessing, healing, or commissioning (Acts 6,8,9,13,19,28).


Christian

Approved rendering: Kirisiyeenaaɗo / Kirisiyeenaaɓe
Transliteration: Kirisiyeenaaɗo / Kirisiyeenaaɓe
Doctrine: Church as Community
Rejected alternatives: Kirisimasi (REJECTED — an unrelated existing loanword for ‘Christmas’ with dangerous surface-phonology resemblance; must never be substituted)
Original: Χριστιανός
Category: Church

NEW. Built from the established transliteration Kiristu (Acts 11:26; 26:28). New coinage requiring theologian and native-speaker confirmation before deployment. Flag the Kirisimasi-collision risk explicitly in any human translator/reviewer training so it is never substituted by autocomplete-style error; recommend automated string-matching QA checks in Phase 2.


Synagogue

Approved rendering: sinaagog
Transliteration: sinaagog
Doctrine: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: kawtal (church — NEVER substitute), moosaale (mosque — NEVER substitute)
Original: συναγωγή
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles

NEW. Transliterated loanword. Recurring early venue for apostolic preaching (Acts 9,13,14,17,18,19). This creates a three-way fence (sinaagog / kawtal / moosaale) that must be explicitly triangulated in glossary teaching so learners do not default synagogue→mosque by regional-vocabulary habit.


Elders

Approved rendering: mawɓe kawtal
Transliteration: mawɓe kawtal
Doctrine: Church Leadership and Offices
Rejected alternatives: mawɗo alone (too generic; risks collapsing into general social-seniority honorific)
Original: πρεσβύτεροι
Category: Church

NEW. First appointed at Acts 14:23; central to the Jerusalem Council (15) and Paul’s farewell (20,21). Must be distinguished from the general honorific ‘mawɗo’ embedded in Pulaaku age-based social structure — this is a specific appointed office, though it draws on cultural respect for age/wisdom.


Overseers

Approved rendering: reeŋtoowo kawtal
Transliteration: reeŋtoowo kawtal
Doctrine: Church Leadership and Offices
Original: ἐπίσκοποι
Category: Church

NEW. Names the same office as ‘elder,’ Acts 20:17,28, viewed from the angle of function/watchfulness rather than age/respect; must be taught as the same office, not a separate rank.


Deacon

Approved rendering: gollotooɗo / golle ballal
Transliteration: gollotooɗo / golle ballal
Doctrine: Church Leadership and Offices
Original: διάκονος / διακονία
Category: Church

NEW. The Seven’s appointment (Acts 6) to daily food distribution — the first formal ministry structure alongside the apostolic office.


Hellenists Hebrews

Approved rendering: Yahuudiyankooɓe wowluɓe Gerki / Yahuudiyankooɓe wowluɓe Ibraaniyaŋkoore
Transliteration: Yahuudiyankooɓe wowluɓe Gerki / Yahuudiyankooɓe wowluɓe Ibraaniyaŋkoore
Doctrine: Ethnic Unity in the Church
Original: Ἑλληνισταί / Ἑβραῖοι
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles

NEW. The first recorded internal ethnic-linguistic tension within the church (Acts 6), resolved through servant leadership; a direct teaching bridge to real inter-ethnic tensions between Fulani pastoralist and neighboring farming communities, requiring the same care as the Romans baseline’s ‘no distinction’ guidance.


Eunuch

Approved rendering: gaanoowo / jom-suudu laamateeri
Transliteration: gaanoowo / jom-suudu laamateeri
Doctrine: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Original: εὐνοῦχος
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles

NEW. The Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism (Acts 8:36-38) demonstrates the gospel’s reach to those excluded under the old covenant’s ritual boundary-markers (Deuteronomy 23:1); handle the physical detail with the same dignity and directness as the source text.


Persecution

Approved rendering: cukkugol / ɗacce e tampinde gomɗimɓe
Transliteration: cukkugol / ɗacce e tampinde gomɗimɓe
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: διωγμός / διώκω
Category: Persecution

NEW. Saul’s pre-conversion activity (Acts 8-9) establishes the antagonist perspective before Paul becomes the doctrine’s greatest exemplar (14, 16).


Angel

Approved rendering: malaaka
Transliteration: malaaka
Doctrine: Angelic Guidance and Visions
Rejected alternatives: jinna/jinnaaji (NEVER use — a different class of spirit being)
Original: ἄγγελος
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. Delivers Peter from prison (12) and directs Philip and Cornelius (8, 10, 27). Shared vocabulary with well-established Islamic angelology (Jibiriila, Mikaa’iila) — genuine common ground, but the specific content/mission of Acts’ angels should not be assumed automatically identical to Quranic angelic roles.


Eternal Life

Approved rendering: nguurndam duumiiɗam
Transliteration: nguurndam duumiiɗam
Doctrine: Election and Effectual Calling
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Salvation

NEW. Acts 13:48 connects election, faith, and eternal life in a single verse; built from established vocabulary and paired with suɓagol (election).


Tribulation

Approved rendering: tampere
Transliteration: tampere
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: θλῖψις
Category: Persecution

NEW. Acts 14:22, ‘we must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations,’ links suffering directly and necessarily to kingdom entry; pairs with laamu Alla, a collocation new to this curriculum’s theological vocabulary.


Yoke

Approved rendering: kaɓirgel
Transliteration: kaɓirgel
Doctrine: Justification apart from the Law
Original: ζυγός
Category: Justification apart from the Law

NEW. A concrete, well-known pastoralist implement (Acts 15:10). Strong positive resonance with Fulani herding culture; confirm the metaphorical framing (the burden of complete law-observance as a means of salvation) explicitly on first use, rather than a literal farming reference.


Sexual Immorality

Approved rendering: jina
Transliteration: jina
Doctrine: The Circumcision Controversy
Original: πορνεία
Category: Justification apart from the Law

NEW. Shared Arabic-Islamic term, well understood and rejected in both traditions — genuine common ground. One of the few requirements retained for Gentile believers (Acts 15:20, 29).


Household

Approved rendering: galle
Transliteration: galle
Doctrine: Household and Family Faith
Rejected alternatives: automatic household-salvation implication (rejected as a resolved doctrine; flagged as an open pastoral question instead)
Original: οἶκος
Category: Church

NEW. Lydia’s and the jailer’s whole households respond in faith and are baptized (Acts 16:15, 33). Strong Fulani kinship-compound resonance; must not imply automatic salvation by household membership, which would undercut the personal-faith emphasis of Acts 16:31 itself (16:32, ‘they spoke the word… to all who were in his house’).


Unknown God

Approved rendering: Alla anndaaka
Transliteration: Alla anndaaka
Doctrine: Idolatry and Apologetics to the Gentile World
Original: ἀγνώστῳ θεῷ
Category: Apologetics

NEW. Acts 17:23, an altar inscription Paul uses as an apologetic bridge in his Areopagus address; a contextualized apologetics device, low direct doctrinal risk in itself.


Shepherd Flock

Approved rendering: gaynaako (leader) / duuɓi or ndonto (flock)
Transliteration: gaynaako / duuɓi / ndonto
Doctrine: Church Leadership and Offices
Original: ποιμαίνειν / ποίμνιον
Category: Church

NEW. Pastoral care imagery applied to elders (Acts 20:28). Strong positive resonance with Fulani pastoralist identity; must be understood as spiritual care, not mere occupational management, and must not inadvertently elevate a human leader above Christ’s own status as the one Shepherd.


Whole Counsel Of God

Approved rendering: fiiltaari yamiroore Alla timmuɗndi
Transliteration: fiiltaari yamiroore Alla timmuɗndi
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Original: πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. Acts 20:27, Paul’s claim to have taught without omission or dilution — a model for this curriculum’s own doctrinal-preservation mandate.


Vow

Approved rendering: artaare
Transliteration: artaare
Doctrine: Vows and Law-Observance Accommodation
Rejected alternatives: alkawal (reserved for God’s covenant promise — do not conflate)
Original: εὐχή
Category: Church

NEW coinage. Acts 21:17-26, Paul’s Nazirite-style purification vow, demonstrating continuity with, not hostility toward, Jewish cultural practice while teaching justification apart from the law for salvation. Note resonance with, and distinction from, the Islamic concept of nazr. Check for a pre-existing underdocumented native term before accepting this coinage as final.


Zeal

Approved rendering: tiiɗnaare diine
Transliteration: tiiɗnaare diine
Doctrine: Zeal Without Knowledge
Original: ζηλωτής / ζῆλος
Category: Conversion of Paul

NEW. Paul’s self-description of his pre-conversion persecuting zeal (Acts 22:3-4; 26:9-11). Handle carefully given resonance with regional Islamic reform-movement rhetoric (the Sokoto Caliphate’s reformist tradition); teach as an instructive parallel showing sincere zeal can be theologically misdirected apart from Christ, not as an implicit condemnation of the region’s own reform history.


Hope Of Promise

Approved rendering: jortaari
Transliteration: jortaari
Doctrine: Conversion of Paul
Rejected alternatives: hoolaare alone (reserved primarily as a faith/trust synonym; kept distinct here)
Original: ἐλπίς
Category: Conversion of Paul

NEW. Acts 26:6-7, Paul frames the gospel as fulfilling, not replacing, Israel’s own ancestral hope; pair consistently with alkawal (promise/covenant). Note this word also has everyday agricultural/pastoral usage (hope for rain, herd increase); confirm this resonance is an asset rather than a register mismatch for Paul’s covenantal argument.


Without Hindrance

Approved rendering: hara alaa e haɗgo
Transliteration: hara alaa e haɗgo
Doctrine: The Great Commission Fulfilled
Original: ἀκωλύτως
Category: The Great Commission Fulfilled

NEW. Acts’ deliberate final word (28:31), echoing 1:8’s ‘ends of the earth’ mandate as substantially underway. Pairs with laamu Alla and tergal (boldness) as the book’s programmatic close; confirm the compound reads with appropriate rhetorical finality in oral performance.


Casting Lots

Approved rendering: ɓural tuggal
Transliteration: ɓural tuggal
Doctrine: Election and Effectual Calling
Original: κλῆρος
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. Acts 1:26, selecting Matthias. Distinguish carefully from regional divination-by-lots practices; a one-time, transitional pre-Pentecost method, not a normative pattern for post-Pentecost, Spirit-led decision-making (contrast Acts 13:2).


Ends Of The Earth

Approved rendering: keerol leydi
Transliteration: keerol leydi
Doctrine: The Great Commission Fulfilled
Original: ἔσχατον τῆς γῆς
Category: The Great Commission Fulfilled

NEW. Acts 1:8’s programmatic mandate, echoed at the book’s close. Standardize this exact phrase in every lesson touching either 1:8 or 28:31; treat as a structural, not merely lexical, consistency requirement.


Breaking Of Bread

Approved rendering: taƴgol mburu
Transliteration: taƴgol mburu
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου
Category: Church

NEW. Acts 2:42, 46. Earliest, undeveloped form of what later crystallizes as Communion; do not over-formalize into a fixed liturgical term in this early narrative context.


Restoration Of All Things

Approved rendering: ruttitaari kala geɗe
Transliteration: ruttitaari kala geɗe
Doctrine: Messianic Fulfillment
Rejected alternatives: cyclical-renewal framing (rejected)
Original: ἀποκατάστασις πάντων
Category: Eschatology

NEW. Acts 3:21. Distinguish from any cyclical-renewal cosmology; a single, final, linear eschatological restoration, consistent with the linear-history teaching already flagged in the Romans baseline’s ‘fulfillment of prophecy’ doctrine note.


Low Risk Terms

Thanksgiving

Approved rendering: yettoore
Transliteration: yettoore
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith

[Inherited from Romans package.] Standard term. Recurs at Acts 2:47; 3:8-9; 16:25; 27:35; 28:15. No significant risk.


Fellowship

Approved rendering: diisnondiral
Transliteration: diisnondiral
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church

[Inherited from Romans package.] Descriptive term for shared community. Acts 2:42 lists this alongside teaching, breaking of bread, and prayer as a mark of the new community’s regular practice.


David

Approved rendering: Daawuda
Transliteration: Daawuda
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant

[Inherited from Romans package.] Standard proper name, shared in root with the Quranic Dawud. Psalm citations applied typologically to the Messiah recur in Acts 2, 7, and 13; explain the biblical covenant narrative rather than assuming shared content with the Quranic Dawud narrative.


Exhort

Approved rendering: wallitde
Transliteration: wallitde
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith

[Inherited from Romans package.] Context-sensitive (torraade for urgent entreaty; wallitde/semmbinde for encouragement). Barnabas and Paul’s recurring pastoral pattern of encouragement (Acts 11:23; 14:22; 15:32; 20:1-2).


Sanhedrin

Approved rendering: Sanedirin
Transliteration: Sanedirin
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Original: Συνέδριον
Category: Apostolic Authority

NEW. Transliterated, glossed on first use as ‘the Jewish ruling council.’ Tries Peter and John (4-5), Stephen (7), and Paul (22-23). Keep distinct from kawtal (church) and any modern political body.


Citizenship

Approved rendering: jeyaaɗo diiwaan
Transliteration: jeyaaɗo diiwaan
Doctrine: Citizenship and Civil Authority
Original: πολίτης
Category: Persecution

NEW. Paul’s Roman citizenship (Acts 22, 25) protects him from illegal flogging; primarily narrative-legal, low doctrinal risk.

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