Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Matthew 1–28 (Fulfulde)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md. Terms marked “Reused” = “Yes” are recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json/bible_term_registry.json and MUST be used exactly as recorded there, with no renegotiation. Terms marked “No” are new to the Matthew curriculum and require entry into an updated translation memory version, per the baseline’s enforcement instructions, with the risk tier and routing shown below driving Phase 2 review assignment (Critical/High = human theologian; Medium = native speaker; Low = automated).
A. Terms Reused Exactly from the Baseline Romans Package
| English Term | Fulfulde Rendering | Risk | Chapters (Matthew) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | Alla | Critical | throughout | Baseline term; Trinitarian/Christ-centered content must always exceed default regional Islamic usage |
| Jesus | Yeesu | Critical | throughout | Never Iisa (Qur’anic form) in doctrinal exposition |
| Holy Spirit | Ruuhu Ceniiɗo | Critical | 1, 3, 12, 28 | Never shortened to “ruuhu” alone; never jinna/jinnaaji |
| Son of God | Ɓiɗɗo Alla | Critical | 3, 4, 8, 14, 16, 17, 26, 27 | Reserved exclusively for Christ’s unique Sonship; never conflated with generic “ɓiɓɓe Alla” (believers) |
| Father | Baaba | Medium-High | 3, 6, 28 | Capitalized for God as Father |
| Lord | Joom | Critical | 3, 8, 9, 12, 21, 22 | Never Laamiiɗo as primary term (Sokoto Caliphate resonance) |
| Messiah/Christ | Almasiihu | Critical | 1, 2, 11, 16, 22, 24 | Shared Qur’anic vocabulary; content must be taught explicitly |
| Resurrection | immorde e maayde | Critical | 12, 17, 22, 27, 28 | Direct counter to Qur’an 4:157 crucifixion-denial; state plainly |
| Incarnation | Alla wontii neɗɗo | Critical | 1 | Underlies Immanuel/virgin-birth material |
| Faith | gomɗinal | High | 8, 9, 15, 17, 21 | Object of faith (Christ specifically) always explicit |
| Righteousness | peewal | High | 3, 5, 6 | Matthew’s range (conduct + standing) broader than Romans’ forensic sense; same term retained |
| Justification | waɗugol peewal | High | (implicit, ch. 5–6) | No direct Matthean citation but underlying doctrine present |
| Salvation | kisal | Critical | throughout (implicit) | Never aljanna as stand-alone gloss |
| Apostle | nulaaɗo | High | 10 | Never rasuulu |
| Holy | ceniiɗo | Medium | 4, 5, 6 | Distinct from laaɓɗo (ritual purity) |
| Sanctification | ceniinde | High | 5, 15 | Distinct from laaɓal (wuduu-style ritual washing) |
| Church | kawtal | Medium | 16, 18 | Never moosaale (mosque) |
| Kingdom of God | laamu Alla | Critical | 6, 12, 19, 21 | Confirmed identical referent to “Laamu Kammu” |
| Law | sariya | High | 5, 7, 11, 22, 23 | Distinguish redemptive-historical Mosaic Law from Sharia-style total life-code |
| Sin | bakkaatu | High | 1, 9 | Weight of guilt before personal God stated explicitly |
| Gentiles/Nations | leƴƴi goo | Medium | 21 | Contrast-marked form; cf. new “leƴƴi kala” for universal scope (28) |
| Glory | manaango | Medium | 24, 25 | Distinct from teddungal (human honor) |
| Power of God | doole Alla | High | 19 | Never barke |
| Prophet / Prophecy | annabi / annabaawo | Medium | 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 17, 21 | Distinguish linear covenant fulfillment from Qur’anic prophet-supersession |
| Covenant | alkawal | Medium | 26 | ”Alkawal Kesol” (New Covenant) already attested regionally |
| David | Daawuda | Low | 1, 21, 22 | Shared Qur’anic Dawud form; narrative differs |
| Seed of David | geɗal Daawuda | Medium | 1 | Distinct from “Son of David” title (Ɓiɗɗo Daawuda) |
| Israel | Israa’iila | Medium | (implicit) | Contemporary state-name ambiguity noted |
| Intercession / Prayer | torgol wonande | Medium | 6, 21 | Distinct from salaa (ritualized daily prayer) |
| Providence | welsindiigal Alla | High | 24 | Distinct from natal (fate/al-qadar) |
| Mission | yamiroore Linjiila | Medium | 9, 28 | Sensitivity to Sahelian religious landscape |
| Election | suɓagol | High | (implicit, 22:14 “many called, few chosen”) | Distinct from natal |
| Adoption | jaɓugol wonande ɓiɗɗo | Medium | (implicit) | Underlies “ɓiɓɓe Alla” (children of God, ch. 5) |
| Gospel | Linjiila | High | (implicit throughout) | Currency reconfirmed per baseline note |
B. New Terms Introduced by Matthew
| English Term | Original (Greek) | Fulfulde Rendering | Risk | Chapters | Key Risk Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Heaven | βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν | Laamu Kammu | Critical | 3–25 (32x) | Must be taught as identical reign to “laamu Alla,” present-and-coming; guard against collapse into aljanna (deeds-based afterlife place) |
| Disciple(s) | μαθηταί | jokkuɗo / jokkuɓe | Critical | throughout | NEVER taalibe/taalibaaɓe (Quranic-school/marabout/child-begging associations) |
| Blessed (Beatitude) | μακάριος | weltaniiɗo / weltaniiɓe | Critical | 5 | NEVER a barke-rooted form (Sufi/marabout blessing); confirm with theologian before deployment |
| Sons of God (plural, believers) | υἱοὶ Θεοῦ | ɓiɓɓe Alla | Critical | 5 | Must remain formally distinct from “Ɓiɗɗo Alla” (Christ’s unique title) |
| Son of Man | ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου | Ɓiɗɗo Neɗɗo | High | 8–28 (30+x) | Guard against flattening into mere “human being”; Danielic authority/judge sense must be unpacked |
| Son of David | υἱὸς Δαυίδ | Ɓiɗɗo Daawuda | High | 1, 9, 12, 15, 20, 21, 22 | Distinct title from Ɓiɗɗo Alla despite shared “Ɓiɗɗo” |
| Immanuel | Ἐμμανουήλ | Amanuwel (glossed “Alla e amen”) | Critical | 1 | Direct Incarnation flashpoint; rare positive overlap: Qur’an also affirms virgin birth |
| Virgin | παρθένος | descriptive compound (TBC) | Medium | 1 | Confirm best regional term; genuine common ground with Qur’anic Maryam narrative |
| Poor in Spirit | πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι | waasuɓe ka ruuhu | High | 5 | Distinguish lower-case “ruuhu” from capitalized Ruuhu Ceniiɗo |
| Meek | πραεῖς | newiiɓe | High | 5 | Tension with Pulaaku teddungal (honor/assertiveness) |
| Pure in Heart | καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ | laaɓɓe ɓernde | High | 5 | Risk of collapsing into wuduu-style ritual purity (laaɓal) |
| Peacemakers | εἰρηνοποιοί | wallooɓe jam | Medium | 5 | Inherits jam’s everyday-greeting-register risk |
| Persecuted (for righteousness) | δεδιωγμένοι | tampinaaɓe | High | 5, 10 | Avoid “fitina” root (Islamic civil-strife connotation) |
| Reward | μισθός | njoɓdi | High | 5 | Risk of merit-earned-wages (deeds-weighing) framework |
| Repent | μετανοέω | tuubde | High | 3 | Positive bridge with Islamic tawba; must re-anchor to Christ specifically |
| Baptism/Baptize | βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω | batisma | High | 3, 28 | Distinct from laaɓal (wuduu-style ritual washing) |
| Authority (of Jesus’ teaching) | ἐξουσία | hattan | High | 7, 8, 9, 28 | Contrast with scholarly transmission-chain (isnad/ijazah) authority model |
| Alms | ἐλεημοσύνη | sadaka | High | 6 | Risk of zakat’s merit/pillar framework (deeds-weighing) |
| Fasting | νηστεία | koorka | High | 6, 9 | Extremely loaded: regional term specifically for Ramadan fast |
| Mammon | μαμωνᾶς | kaalis (personified) | Medium | 6 | Retain personification (“cannot serve God and money”) |
| Judge (verb)/Judgment | κρίνω / κρίσις | ñaaw- / ñaawoore | Medium-High | 7, 24, 25 | Distinguish interpersonal judgment (ch. 7) from eschatological judgment (chs. 24–25) |
| Sabbath | σάββατον | Alasabtu | Medium-High | 12 | Distinguish from Islamic Friday (Jumu’a); no Sunday-worship debate implied |
| Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit | βλασφημία εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα | descriptive, reusing Ruuhu Ceniiɗo | Critical | 12 | Must not be conflated with the Islamic category of unforgivable shirk |
| Parable | παραβολή | yeru | Low-Medium | 13 (+ 18, 20, 21, 22, 25) | Positive fit: matches Fulani proverb/oral-wisdom tradition |
| Secrets/Mysteries of the Kingdom | μυστήρια | gundi Laamu Kammu | High | 13 | Risk of Sufi-esoteric-knowledge (sirr) misreading; kingdom secrets revealed to all receptive hearts |
| Church Discipline (“tell it to the church”) | (procedural, ch. 18) | reuses kawtal + kabbal e ubbitgol | High | 18 | Restorative, not clan-honor-based sanction |
| Keys of the Kingdom | κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας | kabbe Laamu Kammu | High | 16 | Church’s Christ-given authority, not a fatwa-issuing parallel |
| Binding and Loosing | δέω / λύω | kabbal e ubbitgol | High | 16, 18 | Direct parallel/collision with regional fiqh/fatwa authority (haram/halal rulings) |
| Cross (object)/Take up the cross | σταυρός | kuruwa | Critical | 10, 16, 26, 27 | Full weight of crucifixion-denial (Qur’an 4:157) risk |
| Deny himself | ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτόν | salaa hoore-mum | High | 16 | Tension with Pulaaku teddungal (honor/self-assertion) |
| Ransom | λύτρον | soodgol | Critical | 20 | Substitutionary atonement claim; guard against reciprocal/merit (barke-style) misreading |
| Least of these | τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων | ɓiɓɓe pamaraaɓe am | High | 25 | Sheep-and-goats final judgment criterion |
| Eternal Fire | πῦρ αἰώνιον | yiite duumiiɗe | Critical | 25 | Paired with “eternal life” below |
| Eternal Life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος | nguurndam duumiiɗam | Critical | 25 | Never defaults to aljanna alone |
| Age / End of the Age | αἰών / συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος | jamaanu / battane jamaanu | High | 24, 28 | Overlaps Islamic Yawm al-Qiyāma vocabulary; content (Son of Man’s return) differs |
| Body / Blood (Last Supper) | σῶμα / αἷμα | ɓaŋngu am / ƴiiƴam am | Critical | 26 | Atonement language; avoid literalistic misreading |
| Pharisees | Φαρισαῖοι | Farisiyanke | High | 5, 9, 12, 15, 22, 23 | Sensitivity: avoid reading as direct polemic against local ulama/marabouts |
| Scribes | γραμματεῖς | jangoowo sariya | High | 2, 5, 7, 23 | Same ulama/fuqaha sensitivity as Pharisees |
| Hypocrite | ὑποκριτής | neɗɗo cuucoowo | Medium | 6, 7, 23 | Resonates with Pulaaku honor/shame (teddungal/semteende) dynamics |
| Tax Collector | τελώνης | mo coodata asraaji (descriptive) | Medium | 9 | Social-stigma parallel aids understanding of table-fellowship scandal |
| Demon(s) | δαιμόνια | seytaane / ruuhu bonɗo | High | 8, 9, 12 | Never jinna/jinnaaji; distinguish Jesus’ exousia-based exorcism from amulet/marabout mediation |
| Satan/Devil | διάβολος / Σατανᾶς | Ibliisa / Sitaana | Medium | 4 | Shared vocabulary with Islamic Iblis; narrative content not assumed identical |
| Yoke (Christ’s) | ζυγός | TBC (native pastoral/agricultural term) | Medium | 11 | Confirm regional term; positive resonance once confirmed |
| Talents (parable) | τάλαντον | denari mawɗi (descriptive) | Medium | 25 | Guard against false-cognate reading as “skill/ability” |
| Great Commission “all nations” (universal) | πάντα τὰ ἔθνη | leƴƴi kala | High | 28 | Universal-scope variant, distinct from contrast-marked “leƴƴi goo” |
| Make disciples (causative) | μαθητεύσατε | jokkinee | Critical | 28 | Causative of jokkuɗo; never taalibin- |
| Trinitarian baptismal formula | εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος | Baaba + Ɓiɗɗo (Alla) + Ruuhu Ceniiɗo | Critical | 28 | Direct Tawhid flashpoint; state plainly, never soften |
C. Risk Summary (Matthew-specific additions to baseline registry)
| Risk Tier | Count (new terms, Section B) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 12 | Human theologian |
| High | 22 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 9 | Native speaker |
| Low/Low-Medium | 2 | Native speaker / Automated |
Total new terms requiring theologian review before Phase 2 deployment: 34 Total new terms requiring native-speaker-only review: 9
D. Cross-Cutting Notes for Phase 2 Enforcement
- “Laamu Kammu” vs “laamu Alla” must be taught throughout as one identical reign, never two different concepts, despite the “heaven/kammu” wording risk toward aljanna.
- “jokkuɗo/jokkuɓe” (disciple) is a load-bearing decision across the entire book (Discipleship doctrine) — “taalibe” is permanently forbidden, consistent in spirit with the baseline’s forbidden-substitution list for “apostle” (rasuulu) and “grace” (barke).
- “weltaniiɗo/weltaniiɓe” (blessed) must never shift to a barke-rooted form; this is a NEW forbidden-substitution rule that should be added to the Matthew curriculum’s AI translation requirements alongside the baseline’s existing forbidden list.
- “Ɓiɗɗo Alla” (Christ’s unique Sonship) vs. “ɓiɓɓe Alla” (believers’ derivative sonship) vs. “Ɓiɗɗo Daawuda” (Son of David) vs. “Ɓiɗɗo Neɗɗo” (Son of Man) — four distinct, formally similar titles requiring careful, consistent typographic and contextual differentiation across every chapter.
- Every Critical-risk term above must be footnoted with a [TRANSLATOR NOTE] per the baseline’s footnote requirement when a non-obvious doctrinal choice is made, and routed to human theologian review before being marked approved, per the baseline’s escalation rules.
This glossary must be merged into an updated translation_memory.json (version increment required) before Phase 2 segment translation of the Matthew curriculum begins, per the baseline’s Translation Memory Load and Enforcement Instructions.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: Alla
Transliteration: Alla
Doctrine: Deity of Christ / Nature of God
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (unchanged). Alla is the universal term for God across both Muslim and Christian Fulfulde speakers. This curriculum must consistently present Alla, per Matthew, in explicitly Trinitarian and Christ-centered terms (esp. 3:16-17; 28:19), never assumed automatically equivalent to standard regional Islamic usage of the same word.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Yeesu
Transliteration: Yeesu
Doctrine: Christology
Rejected alternatives: Iisa (Qur’anic form, reserved only for explicit interfaith-dialogue contexts)
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Never the Qur’anic form Iisa in doctrinal exposition. Matthew 1:21’s naming etymology (‘he will save his people from their sins’) directly grounds the Salvation doctrine and must be preserved verbatim.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Transliteration: Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Doctrine: God / Trinity
Rejected alternatives: ruuhu (never use alone), jinna/jinnaaji (jinn, never use)
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Must always be used in full. The Spirit’s visible descent as a dove at Jesus’ baptism (3:16) must be taught carefully to avoid a folk-religious ‘spirit descending’ reading assimilable to jinn/spirit-possession categories; named in the Trinitarian baptismal formula (28:19).
Lord
Approved rendering: Joom
Transliteration: Joom
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Laamiiɗo (reserve for political ruler; carries Sokoto Caliphate resonance, never the primary Lordship term)
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Matthew 12:8 (Sabbath) and 22:41-45 (David calling the Messiah ‘Lord’) are dense, high-value Critical Christological texts; must read as personal, spiritual, exclusive Lordship, never political-state authority.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Ɓiɗɗo Alla
Transliteration: Ɓiɗɗo Alla
Doctrine: Deity of Christ / Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: nulaaɗo mawɗo (a great messenger, explicit downgrade, rejected), non-filial substitutes such as ‘the one God sent’ or ‘God’s beloved/representative’ (Muslim-Idiom-Translation-style softenings, forbidden)
Original: υἱὸς Θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Confessed at Jesus’ baptism (3:17), by the disciples (14:33), by Peter (16:16), charged as blasphemy at his trial (26:63-65), confirmed by the centurion (27:54). Must remain formally and typographically distinct from generic plural ‘ɓiɓɓe Alla’ (believers, 5:9).
Sons Of God Believers
Approved rendering: ɓiɓɓe Alla
Transliteration: ɓiɓɓe Alla
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: υἱοὶ Θεοῦ
Category: Salvation
New term for Matthew. The plural, corporate, derivative status conferred on peacemaking believers (5:9), deliberately distinguished in form from the capitalized singular ‘Ɓiɗɗo Alla.’ Conflating the two either inflates believers’ status to Christ’s uniqueness or, more likely given Islamic theological pressure, relativizes Christ’s unique Sonship into a shared honorary title.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Almasiihu
Transliteration: Almasiihu
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Original: Χριστός / מָשִׁיחַ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Shared vocabulary with the Qur’anic Isa al-Masih; Matthew 24:5,24’s warning against ‘false messiahs’ reuses this term in a warning context without weakening its positive Critical use elsewhere (1:1,16-17; 2:4; 16:16,20; 22:42; 26:63,68).
Incarnation
Approved rendering: Alla wontii neɗɗo
Transliteration: Alla wontii neɗɗo
Doctrine: Incarnation
Original: (theological name for) ἐγένετο σὰρξ, cf. Matthew 1:18-23
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies the Immanuel/virgin-birth material of Matthew 1; must be taught with direct engagement of the shirk objection, not sidestepped. Bookended structurally by 28:20 (‘I am with you always’).
Immanuel
Approved rendering: Amanuwel
Transliteration: Amanuwel
Doctrine: Incarnation / Christology
Original: Ἐμμανουήλ
Category: Christology
New term for Matthew. Transliteration of Ἐμμανουήλ, mandatorily glossed ‘Alla e amen’ (God is with us) at every occurrence to supply the doctrinal content in-line. Directly invokes the Critical Incarnation doctrine; the 1:23-to-28:20 literary bookend must be made explicit as a structuring device of the whole Gospel.
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 / ἐγείρω
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package. The single highest-priority passage-type in the Matthew curriculum given mainstream Sunni interpretation of Qur’an 4:157 denies the crucifixion occurred at all; anticipated by the sign of Jonah (12:38-41), debated with the Sadducees (22:23-33), narrated climactically at 28:1-10, whose angelic proclamation is the definitive counter-statement and must be stated plainly.
Cross
Approved rendering: kuruwa
Transliteration: kuruwa
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atonement / Discipleship
Rejected alternatives: a generic ‘suffering/trial’ term used to sidestep the crucifixion-denial controversy (rejected — must not avoid Qur’an 4:157’s denial by vagueness)
Original: σταυρός / σταυρόω
Category: Christology
New term for Matthew (transliterated loanword, standard in regional African Christian vocabulary). Carries the full weight of the Critical crucifixion-denial risk; ‘take up his cross’ (10:38; 16:24) also sits in tension with Pulaaku’s teddungal (honor/dignity) code and must be taught as Christlike costly discipleship, not shameful loss of dignity.
Ransom
Approved rendering: soodgol
Transliteration: soodgol
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atonement
Rejected alternatives: a commercial-loan-repayment term (rejected as too transactional/reciprocal)
Original: λύτρον
Category: Salvation
New term for Matthew, from native root sood- (‘to buy/redeem’). Matthew’s clearest substitutionary-atonement statement (20:28); must directly engage both the Islamic denial of the crucifixion and the risk of a reciprocal-exchange/merit misreading (echoing the barke concern flagged for grace) rather than Christ’s own unilateral, sacrificial initiative.
Body And Blood
Approved rendering: ɓaŋngu am / ƴiiƴam am
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atonement / Lord’s Supper
Rejected alternatives: an overly literalistic rendering risking a cannibalism-adjacent misreading (rejected, requires explicit figurative-but-doctrinally-loaded teaching framing)
Original: σῶμα / αἷμα
Category: Christology
New term for Matthew. Jesus’ words instituting the new covenant meal (26:26-28); direct atonement language, must be taught plainly against the Islamic denial of the crucifixion, with explicit teaching to avoid a literalistic misunderstanding.
Authority To Forgive Sins
Approved rendering: hattan waɗugol yaafuyee bakkaatu
Transliteration: n/a (descriptive compound)
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: ἐξουσίαν ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας
Category: Christology
New compound term for Matthew (9:1-8), combining hattan and bakkaatu. Jesus’ direct, self-authorized forgiveness of sins is a divine prerogative the Pharisees rightly recognize as an implicit claim to deity; must not be softened into a mere moral-teacher’s comfort-pronouncement.
Trinitarian Baptismal Formula
Approved rendering: Baaba, Ɓiɗɗo Alla, e Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Trinity / Great Commission
Rejected alternatives: descriptive substitutes for ‘Son’ such as ‘the one God sent’ (Muslim-Idiom-Translation-style softening, forbidden), modalist/unipersonalist reframing of Father/Son/Spirit as titles of one unipersonal being (forbidden), reducing ‘Holy Spirit’ to an impersonal force of Alla (forbidden)
Original: εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος
Category: God
New compound entry for Matthew (28:19), the Bible’s most concentrated Trinitarian formula. A direct, unavoidable flashpoint with strict Tawhid doctrine; must be stated plainly and taught with direct engagement, never softened into a merely functional or metaphorical reading.
Kingdom Of Heaven
Approved rendering: Laamu Kammu
Transliteration: Laamu Kammu
Doctrine: The Kingdom of Heaven
Rejected alternatives: any rendering that lets ‘kammu’ collapse into a synonym for aljanna (Islamic deeds-weighed paradise), rejected
Original: βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν
Category: Kingdom
New term for Matthew, the single highest-leverage translation decision in the curriculum (32 occurrences). Must be taught at every occurrence as identical in reign to ‘laamu Alla,’ present now and consummated later, entered by faith rather than accumulated merit — never a future-only, merit-based afterlife destination.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: laamu Alla
Transliteration: laamu Alla
Doctrine: The Kingdom of Heaven
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package; risk elevated to Critical for Matthew given its role confirming ‘Laamu Kammu’ and ‘laamu Alla’ denote the identical reign (6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31,43). These rare direct occurrences are key teaching texts and must never be treated as two different concepts.
Disciple
Approved rendering: jokkuɗo / jokkuɓe
Transliteration: jokkuɗo / jokkuɓe
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Rejected alternatives: taalibe / taalibaaɓe (PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN — the standard West African term for a Qur’anic student attached to a marabout’s daara, additionally loaded with the social-justice controversy of child talibés sent to beg)
Original: μαθητής / μαθηταί
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew, from native root jokk- (‘to follow/attach to’), following the same pattern as the baseline’s nulaaɗo (apostle) decision to use a native-rooted term over a loaded Arabic loanword. Load-bearing across the entire book (5:1; 28:19).
Make Disciples
Approved rendering: jokkinee
Transliteration: jokkinee
Doctrine: The Great Commission
Rejected alternatives: any taalibin- causative form (forbidden, consistent with the disciple-term prohibition)
Original: μαθητεύσατε
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew, causative of jokk- matching jokkuɗo (28:19). Must never be built on the forbidden taalibe root.
Grace
Approved rendering: Arjunde
Transliteration: arjunde
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: yurmeende (reserve for mercy/compassion generally), barke (never use; marabout-associated blessing/spiritual power)
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Matthew 20:1-16’s equal-wage-regardless-of-hours parable is a primary teaching text for the ‘apart from merit’ contrast arjunde’s Islamic deeds-responsive connotation risks erasing; njoɓdi (reward/wages) must be explicitly distinguished from arjunde at 5:12 and 20:1-16.
Salvation
Approved rendering: kisal
Transliteration: kisal
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: dancal (protection, never a stand-alone substitute), aljanna (paradise, never a stand-alone gloss)
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Matthew ties salvation concretely to Jesus’ name (1:21, ‘he will save his people from their sins’) and to his substitutionary ransom (20:28); this basis in Christ’s finished work must be stated explicitly against the deeds-weighing default.
Blessed
Approved rendering: weltaniiɗo / weltaniiɓe
Transliteration: weltaniiɗo / weltaniiɓe
Doctrine: The Beatitudes and Kingdom Ethics
Rejected alternatives: any barke-rooted form (PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN — attested in some regional Fula NT renderings but carrying strong reciprocal, marabout-mediated blessing connotations)
Original: μακάριος / μακάριοι
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew, from native root welt- (‘to rejoice/be glad’). God’s own sovereign, unearned pronouncement of favor on the humble, grieving, and persecuted (5:3-11); a barke-rooted alternative risks readers hearing the Beatitudes as ‘those whom a holy man has blessed.’ Requires theologian confirmation before deployment.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: nguurndam duumiiɗam
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Rejected alternatives: aljanna used unqualified as a stand-alone gloss (forbidden)
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Eschatology
New term for Matthew, deliberately built to avoid defaulting to aljanna. Must be paired with eternal_fire and taught as flowing from relationship to Christ (19:16,29; 25:46), not an independent deeds-ledger.
Eternal Fire
Approved rendering: yiite duumiiɗe
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Rejected alternatives: a universalist-softened rendering implying all are ultimately saved regardless of response (forbidden)
Original: πῦρ αἰώνιον
Category: Eschatology
New term for Matthew (25:41). Matthew’s definitive final-judgment text; must be taught to distinguish from Islamic deeds-weighing eschatology (mizan) while acknowledging the passage’s emphasis on deeds of mercy as evidence, not ground, of genuine faith.
Blasphemy Against Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: yaawtaari bakkaatu wonande Ruuhu Ceniiɗo
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: collapsing into the Islamic category of unforgivable shirk (rejected — theologically distinct, since shirk concerns partnering with Allah while this concerns willful rejection of the Spirit’s testimony to Christ)
Original: βλασφημία εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα
Category: Sin
New descriptive term for Matthew (12:22-32), reusing Ruuhu Ceniiɗo. Must not be mistaken for a general category of unforgivable sin.
High Risk Terms
Father
Approved rendering: Baaba
Transliteration: Baaba
Doctrine: God / Adoption
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package; risk elevated from Medium for Matthew given the concentration of Father-language in the Lord’s Prayer (6:9) and the baptismal/transfiguration voice (3:17; 17:5), and its centrality to the Muslim-Idiom-Translation controversy over non-filial substitutes for ‘Father’/‘Son.’ Capitalized for God as Father; must render identically across all curriculum documents.
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: Ɓiɗɗo Neɗɗo
Transliteration: Ɓiɗɗo Neɗɗo
Doctrine: Christology
Original: ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology
New term for Matthew; no baseline precedent. Jesus’ characteristic self-designation (30+ occurrences), drawn from Daniel 7:13-14’s exalted apocalyptic authority-figure, spanning humble suffering (8:20; 20:28) and end-time glory and judgment (24:30; 25:31; 26:64). Chief risk is flattening into merely ‘a human being’; the humility-now/glory-later paradox must be unpacked at every occurrence.
Son Of David
Approved rendering: Ɓiɗɗo Daawuda
Transliteration: Ɓiɗɗo Daawuda
Doctrine: Messianic Promise / Davidic Covenant
Original: υἱὸς Δαυίδ
Category: Christology
New term for Matthew. A fixed Jewish messianic royal title (1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9,15; 22:42-45), distinct from the baseline’s descriptive ‘seed of David’ (geɗal Daawuda, physical lineage). Shares its head noun ‘Ɓiɗɗo’ with ‘Ɓiɗɗo Alla’ and ‘Ɓiɗɗo Neɗɗo’; a standing cross-reference table distinguishing all three titles is required in every teaching document.
Authority
Approved rendering: hattan
Transliteration: hattan
Doctrine: The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching
Rejected alternatives: doole (raw power/might — a distinct concept, not substituted)
Original: ἐξουσία
Category: Christology
New term for Matthew. Jesus’ teaching authority (7:29), authority to forgive sins (9:6), authority over demons/disease (ch. 8), and ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’ (28:18). Self-authenticating, not derived from a rabbinic/scholarly transmission chain — a direct contrast with the regionally prestigious isnad/ijazah/silsila authority model; must be taught propositionally, not assumed self-evident.
Secrets Of The Kingdom
Approved rendering: gundi Laamu Kammu
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: The Kingdom of Heaven
Original: τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας
Category: Kingdom
New term for Matthew (13:11,16). Regional Sufi tradition’s emphasis on esoteric spiritual knowledge (sirr) transmitted only to initiates through a spiritual master (tariqa) could be misread as a parallel restricted-gnosis system; must be taught that these secrets are revealed to all with receptive hearts, not an elite spiritual hierarchy.
Keys Of The Kingdom
Approved rendering: kabbe Laamu Kammu
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: The Church and Church Discipline
Original: αἱ κλεῖδες τῆς βασιλείας
Category: Church
New term for Matthew (16:19). Direct parallel/collision with the regional Islamic fiqh/fatwa authority structure (a mufti issuing binding halal/haram rulings); must be taught as the church’s Christ-given authority to extend/withhold the gospel’s declaration of forgiveness, not a parallel legal-ruling system.
Binding And Loosing
Approved rendering: kabbal e ubbitgol
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: The Church and Church Discipline
Original: δέω / λύω
Category: Church
New term for Matthew (16:19; 18:18). The rabbinic idiom for authoritative ruling, applied to Peter and the gathered church; direct parallel/collision with regional fiqh/fatwa authority. Must be taught as authority exercised toward repentance and reconciliation, not a fatwa-issuing legal-ruling system.
Church Discipline
Approved rendering: waaju kawtal / kabbal e ubbitgol
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: The Church and Church Discipline
Original: (procedural instruction, 18:15-17)
Category: Church
New doctrinal-procedural term for Matthew (18:15-20), combining kawtal and kabbal e ubbitgol. Must make clear this restorative process aims at repentance and reconciliation, not punitive social exclusion conflated with clan-based Fulani honor/shame sanction, which operates on lineage standing rather than repentance toward Christ.
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. The Twelve are named ‘apostles’ at their commissioning (10:2); deliberately native-rooted to avoid mapping their apostleship onto Muhammad’s prophetic office.
Great Commission All Nations
Approved rendering: leƴƴi kala
Transliteration: leƴƴi kala
Doctrine: The Great Commission
Rejected alternatives: leƴƴi goo used where the universal, non-contrastive sense of 28:19 is intended (rejected as an understatement of scope)
Original: πάντα τὰ ἔθνη
Category: Church
New term for Matthew. leƴƴi kala is used because 28:19’s scope is comprehensively universal, not contrastive with Israel; must be taught distinctly to avoid flattening the Great Commission’s breadth, while not appearing to erase legitimate Pulaaku ethnic-cultural identity.
Gospel
Approved rendering: Linjiila
Transliteration: Linjiila
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: kabaaru moƴƴo (acceptable only as an explanatory gloss)
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Matthew’s distinctive phrase ‘gospel of the kingdom’ (4:23; 9:35; 24:14; 26:13) ties this term directly to Laamu Kammu; term’s currency must be reconfirmed against the dialect’s specific existing NT translation; the Islamic tahrif doctrine (al-Injil as later corrupted) applies equally here.
Faith
Approved rendering: gomɗinal
Transliteration: gomɗinal
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: hoolaare (trust, acceptable supporting synonym)
Original: πίστις / πιστεύω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Matthew’s faith episodes are narrative and relational (centurion 8:10, Canaanite woman 15:28, ‘faith like a mustard seed’ 17:20) rather than argued doctrinally; the object of faith (trust in Jesus specifically) must be made explicit at each occurrence.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: peewal
Transliteration: peewal
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Rejected alternatives: nunɗal (fairness/justice, too civic)
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Matthew’s usage (5:6, 5:10, 5:20, 6:33) spans forensic standing, righteous conduct exceeding external legal compliance, and eschatological longing — broader than Romans’ primarily forensic sense; the same Fulfulde term is retained, with the range clarified in teaching rather than a second term introduced.
Justification
Approved rendering: waɗugol peewal
Transliteration: waɗugol peewal
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees / Salvation
Rejected alternatives: yaafuyee (forgiveness, too narrow)
Original: δικαίωσις (implicit)
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. No direct Matthean citation uses this compound, but the underlying doctrine is present (5:20; 21:28-32; 20:1-16); must not be abbreviated to a forgiveness-only sense.
Law
Approved rendering: sariya
Transliteration: sariya
Doctrine: The Law Fulfilled, Not Abolished
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, risk elevated to High for Matthew given the density of Law material (5:17-19; 22:34-40). Jesus’ claim to fulfill rather than abolish the Law requires explicit unpacking against a Sharia-observance framework, since sariya shares its root with Sharia; 22:34-40 is Matthew’s own clarifying hermeneutical key.
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. The basis of Jesus’ naming (1:21) and of his self-authorized forgiveness (9:6); the weight of guilt before a personal, holy God, and Jesus’ unique authority to forgive it directly, should be stated explicitly.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: ceniinde
Transliteration: ceniinde
Doctrine: Sanctification and Inward Purity
Rejected alternatives: laaɓal (ritual/ceremonial purification, avoid as a substitute)
Original: ἁγιασμός (implicit, underlying κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, 15:11,18-20)
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Chapter 15:1-20 is Matthew’s own explicit articulation of the laaɓal-vs-ceniinde distinction the baseline flags generally; should be taught as confirming, not merely illustrating, that distinction. Also underlies ‘pure in heart’ (5:8).
Election
Approved rendering: suɓagol
Transliteration: suɓagol
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: natal (fate/al-qadar; use only with explicit definition)
Original: ἐκλογή (implicit; cf. 22:14 πολλοὶ…ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί)
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Named at 22:14 (‘many are called, but few are chosen’) and 24:22,24,31 (the elect gathered at the end); distinct from natal, a more impersonally fatalistic Islamic predetermination concept than Matthew’s personal, relational election.
Providence
Approved rendering: welsindiigal Alla
Transliteration: welsindiigal Alla
Doctrine: Providence and the Father’s Sovereign Timing
Rejected alternatives: natal (fate/al-qadar, use with caution), hasara (misfortune/chance, never use)
Original: (theological name for God’s governance; cf. 10:29-31, 24:36-44)
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. God’s personal, purposive care and sovereign timing over ‘the day and hour’ (24:36-44) and the Father’s care for sparrows/lilies (6:25-34; 10:29-31) must be distinguished from natal, a more impersonally fatalistic Islamic predetermination concept.
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. Evident in Jesus’ authoritative miracles and the ‘all things possible with God’ statement (19:26); must be kept categorically distinct from barke, sought from marabouts through amulets and blessed objects.
Poor In Spirit
Approved rendering: waasuɓe ka ruuhu
Transliteration: waasuɓe ka ruuhu
Doctrine: The Beatitudes and Kingdom Ethics
Rejected alternatives: waasuɓe alone (collapses into economic poverty only, losing the spiritual-humility sense)
Original: πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (5:3). Total, acknowledged spiritual bankruptcy before God. Lower-case ‘ruuhu’ (human spirit) must be kept typographically and contextually distinct from capitalized ‘Ruuhu Ceniiɗo’ (Holy Spirit) within the very same sentence-register.
Meek
Approved rendering: newiiɓe
Transliteration: newiiɓe
Doctrine: The Beatitudes and Kingdom Ethics
Rejected alternatives: a ‘weak/submissive’ gloss carrying negative Pulaaku overtones of lost teddungal (rejected)
Original: πραεῖς
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (5:5; attributed to Jesus himself at 11:29; 21:5). Sits in real tension with Pulaaku’s teddungal (honor/dignity) code; must be taught as Christlike strength-under-restraint entrusted to God’s vindication, not loss of dignity.
Pure In Heart
Approved rendering: laaɓɓe ɓernde
Transliteration: laaɓɓe ɓernde
Doctrine: The Beatitudes and Kingdom Ethics / Sanctification
Original: καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ
Category: Sanctification
New term for Matthew (5:8; reprised 15:1-20). Sits precisely on the laaɓal (ritual purity, wuduu)-versus-ceniiɗo (moral holiness) boundary; must be taught as inward moral integrity before God, not outward ritual washing.
Persecuted For Righteousness
Approved rendering: tampinaaɓe
Transliteration: tampinaaɓe
Doctrine: Persecution and Confession of Christ
Rejected alternatives: fitina (deliberately avoided — regional Islamic term for civil strife/sedition, echoing the historic Fitna)
Original: δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (5:10-12; 10:16-39). Suffering hostility on account of righteousness and explicit allegiance to Christ (‘on my account,’ 5:11); must not be mapped onto a different historical-political category of sectarian discord.
Reward
Approved rendering: njoɓdi
Transliteration: njoɓdi
Doctrine: Grace Versus Works
Original: μισθός
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (5:12; 25:14-30). Literally ‘wages, pay’; risks defaulting into a merit-earned-wages framework paralleling Islamic deeds-weighing soteriology; must be explicitly taught alongside arjunde (grace) to prevent a legalistic misreading.
Repentance
Approved rendering: tuubde
Transliteration: tuubde
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Original: μετάνοια / μετανοέω
Category: Faith
New term for Matthew (3:2; 4:17), from the Arabic-shared root also underlying Islamic tawba. A genuine positive bridge term but must be explicitly re-anchored to entry into the kingdom inaugurated in Christ, bearing fruit (3:8), not general moral reform detached from him.
Baptism
Approved rendering: batisma
Transliteration: batisma
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Original: βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω
Category: Church
New term for Matthew (transliterated loanword), distinguished from laaɓal (wuduu/ghusl-style ritual washing). John’s baptism of repentance (3:1-17) and the Trinitarian baptism of the Great Commission (28:19); must be a once-for-all sign, not repeatable ritual purification.
Alms
Approved rendering: sadaka
Transliteration: sadaka
Doctrine: Piety Practices: Almsgiving, Fasting, and Prayer
Original: ἐλεημοσύνη
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (6:1-4), from the same root as ‘mercy’ (5:7). Sadaka’s Islamic association with zakat risks importing a deeds-weighing framework opposite Matthew’s emphasis on hidden, unrewarded-by-men, heart-motivated giving.
Fasting
Approved rendering: koorka
Transliteration: koorka
Doctrine: Piety Practices: Almsgiving, Fasting, and Prayer
Original: νηστεία
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (6:16-18; 9:14-15). Koorka is the specific regional term for the Islamic Ramadan fast; must be taught as voluntary, private, non-calendrical, Spirit-motivated fasting, not a fixed obligatory Pillar.
Pharisees
Approved rendering: Farisiyanke
Transliteration: Farisiyanke
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Original: Φαρισαῖοι
Category: Covenant
New term for Matthew (transliteration; chs. 5, 9, 12, 15, 22, 23). Readers may map this critique onto respected local ulama/marabouts; must be framed as a universal critique of religious externalism, not a targeted polemic.
Scribes
Approved rendering: jangoowo sariya
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Original: γραμματεῖς
Category: Covenant
New term for Matthew, reusing sariya (chs. 2, 5, 7, 23). Same ulama/fuqaha sensitivity as Pharisees given the parallel to regional Islamic legal scholars.
Demons
Approved rendering: seytaane / ruuhu bonɗo
Transliteration: seytaane
Doctrine: Spiritual Conflict: Demons and Satan
Rejected alternatives: jinna / jinnaaji (never use, per the baseline’s forbidden-substitution rule for the adjacent Holy Spirit category)
Original: δαιμόνια
Category: Sin
New term for Matthew (chs. 8, 9, 12). Readers may appropriately map onto the jinn of regional folk/Islamic belief, but Jesus’ authority to expel them decisively and permanently, without amulets, incantations, or marabout mediation, must be the taught distinguishing point.
Deny Himself
Approved rendering: salaa hoore-mum
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτόν
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (16:24), paired with taking up one’s cross. Sits in real tension with Pulaaku’s teddungal (honor/self-assertion) code; must be taught as Christlike self-giving modeled on Jesus himself, not a demeaning loss of dignity.
Judgment
Approved rendering: ñaawoore / ñaaw-
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: κρίνω / κρίσις
Category: Eschatology
New term for Matthew, spanning interpersonal judgment (‘judge not,’ 7:1-5) and eschatological judgment (chs. 24-25). Must distinguish these two senses explicitly, given overlap with Islamic Yawm al-Qiyāma categories.
End Of The Age
Approved rendering: jamaanu / battane jamaanu
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος
Category: Eschatology
New term for Matthew. aiōn/jamaanu genuinely overlaps Islamic eschatological categories (Yawm al-Qiyāma) — a point of contact — but content differs, tied explicitly to the Son of Man’s personal, visible return (24:30).
Least Of These
Approved rendering: ɓiɓɓe pamaraaɓe am
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Stewardship and Final Judgment
Original: τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων
Category: Eschatology
New term for Matthew (25:31-46’s sheep-and-goats criterion). Must be taught as identification with Christ himself (25:40,45), not a generic humanitarian-ethics criterion detached from him.
Medium Risk Terms
Virgin
Approved rendering: debbo mo alaa gorko yiɗi
Transliteration: n/a (descriptive compound)
Doctrine: Virgin Birth
Original: παρθένος
Category: Christology
New term for Matthew, PROVISIONAL — flagged for mandatory native-speaker confirmation of the best regional term before Phase 2 lock-in. Rare genuine point of doctrinal overlap: the Qur’an (Surah 19, Maryam) also affirms Mary’s virginity; teaching should note this shared starting point while clarifying Matthew ties it to the Incarnation, not merely a prophetic sign-miracle.
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. First NT usage at 16:18; the Peter/petra wordplay cannot be reproduced in Fulfulde and must be explained by footnote rather than a forced Fulfulde pun; avoid over-literalizing ‘rock’ and avoid importing unrelated papal-authority debates.
Mission
Approved rendering: yamiroore Linjiila
Transliteration: yamiroore Linjiila
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
Original: ἀποστολή / πέμπω (cf. 9:38; 10:2)
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Being sent to proclaim the kingdom, first to Israel (ch. 10) and then to all nations (28:19); sensitivity to the historically complex and contested religious landscape of the Sahel required when framing evangelistic activity.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: leƴƴi goo
Transliteration: leƴƴi goo
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Contrast-marked sense (10:5-6, mission first to Israel), distinct from the universal-scope ‘leƴƴi kala’ (28:19). Sensitivity to real inter-ethnic tension between Fulani pastoralist and neighboring farming communities applies throughout.
Holy
Approved rendering: ceniiɗo
Transliteration: ceniiɗo
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: laaɓɗo (reserve for physical/ritual cleanliness only)
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies ‘Holy Spirit’ and the sanctification/purity themes of chs. 5, 6, 15; distinct from laaɓɗo (relevant to wuduu, Islamic ritual ablution).
Adoption
Approved rendering: jaɓugol wonande ɓiɗɗo
Transliteration: jaɓugol wonande ɓiɗɗo
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: υἱοθεσία (implicit, underlying υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, 5:9)
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies the ‘sons of God’ language of 5:9 (ɓiɓɓe Alla); the full inheritance-rights sense should be stated explicitly rather than assumed from a ready cultural equivalent, since formal legal adoption is not a familiar Fulani pastoralist kinship category.
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. Associated with the Son of Man’s eschatological return (24:30; 25:31); must remain distinct from teddungal, Pulaaku’s socially-conferred human honor.
Peacemakers
Approved rendering: wallooɓe jam
Transliteration: wallooɓe jam
Doctrine: The Beatitudes and Kingdom Ethics
Original: εἰρηνοποιοί
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (5:9), reusing baseline’s jam. Must be distinguished from jam’s everyday greeting-register sense; taught as active reconciliation, including across real Sahelian inter-ethnic tensions.
Mammon
Approved rendering: kaalis
Transliteration: kaalis
Doctrine: Piety Practices: Almsgiving, Fasting, and Prayer
Original: μαμωνᾶς
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (6:24, ‘you cannot serve God and mammon’). Retain the personification explicitly rather than flattening into a neutral abstract-noun rendering of money.
Sabbath
Approved rendering: Alasabtu
Transliteration: Alasabtu
Doctrine: Christ’s Lordship over the Sabbath
Original: σάββατον
Category: Covenant
New term for Matthew (12:1-14), the regional Arabic-derived day-name for Saturday. Must be distinguished from Islamic Friday (Jumu’a) and from any implied Sunday-vs-Sabbath debate; the theological point is Jesus’ Joom-level authority (‘the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath,’ 12:8).
Hypocrite
Approved rendering: neɗɗo cuucoowo
Transliteration: neɗɗo cuucoowo
Doctrine: Religious Hypocrisy and External Religion
Original: ὑποκριτής
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (chs. 6, 7, 23). Resonates with Pulaaku’s honor-shame dynamics (teddungal/semteende); a genuine teaching bridge if handled carefully.
Tax Collector
Approved rendering: mo coodata asraaji
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Discipleship
Original: τελώνης
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (descriptive; 9:9-13). Social-stigma parallel may usefully resonate with regional experience of colonial/state tax collection, aiding understanding of why table-fellowship with tax collectors scandalized the Pharisees.
Satan
Approved rendering: Ibliisa / Sitaana
Transliteration: Ibliisa / Sitaana
Doctrine: Spiritual Conflict: Demons and Satan
Original: διάβολος / Σατανᾶς
Category: Sin
New term for Matthew (4:1-11). Shared vocabulary with Islamic Iblis; the referent is broadly compatible, but Matthew’s specific narrative should not be assumed automatically mapped onto Islamic Iblis narratives.
Yoke
Approved rendering: TBC — native pastoral/agricultural term pending confirmation
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Discipleship
Original: ζυγός
Category: Discipleship
New term for Matthew (11:28-30), the draft-animal yoke used metaphorically for Christ’s discipleship burden, contrasted implicitly with Torah/Sharia-style total-life-code observance. PROVISIONAL — flagged for mandatory native-speaker confirmation before Phase 2 lock-in.
Talents
Approved rendering: denari mawɗi
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Stewardship and Final Judgment
Original: τάλαντον
Category: Eschatology
New term for Matthew (descriptive; 25:14-30). A large monetary denomination entrusted for stewardship; must be clarified as a sum of money, guarding against the English false-cognate reading of ‘talent’ as innate skill.
Losing Finding Life
Approved rendering: yaawgol nguuru / heɓugol nguuru
Transliteration: n/a
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: ἀπολέσῃ / εὑρήσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ
Category: Discipleship
New descriptive-compound term for Matthew (10:39; 16:25). Must be taught as a paradox resolved only in union with Christ, not literal self-destruction.
Covenant
Approved rendering: alkawal
Transliteration: alkawal
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant Continuity
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. The new covenant instituted through Christ’s blood (26:28), building on the Davidic covenant background (1:1; 22:42-45); ‘Alkawal Kesol’ (New Covenant) is already attested regionally.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: annabaawo
Transliteration: annabaawo
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy
Original: προφητεία / ἵνα πληρωθῇ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Marked throughout Matthew by the recurring ‘that it might be fulfilled’ formula (1:22; 2:15,17,23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:9), Matthew’s most distinctive structural device; must be locked into one settled Fulfulde rendering reused verbatim at every citation.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: geɗal Daawuda
Transliteration: geɗal Daawuda
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant Continuity
Original: σπέρμα Δαυίδ (cf. γενέσεις, 1:1-17)
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Physical, genealogical descent from David established by Matthew’s opening genealogy (1:1-17); distinct from the fixed messianic title ‘Son of David’ (Ɓiɗɗo Daawuda).
Israel
Approved rendering: Israa’iila
Transliteration: Israa’iila
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant Continuity
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. The covenant people, addressed as the primary initial audience of Jesus’ earthly ministry (10:6; 15:24) before the Great Commission’s universal expansion (28:19); the modern nation-state shares a similar name, so context should clarify the biblical referent.
Intercession
Approved rendering: torgol wonande
Transliteration: torgol wonande
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Inherited from Romans package. Prayer on behalf of others; must be kept distinct from salaa (the ritualized Islamic five-times-daily prayer) and from any suggestion of marabout-mediated petitionary practice. Relevant to the ‘house of prayer’ text (21:13).
Low Risk Terms
Parable
Approved rendering: yeru
Transliteration: yeru
Doctrine: The Kingdom of Heaven
Original: παραβολή
Category: Kingdom
New term for Matthew (ch. 13 and throughout). Positive cultural fit: Fulani culture has a strong proverb/oral-wisdom tradition, making yeru a natural, welcome vehicle for parabolic teaching.
Prophet
Approved rendering: annabi
Transliteration: annabi
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Shared with Islamic usage for both OT prophets and Qur’anic prophetic figures; readers must not assume a Qur’anic prophetology of successive superseding books rather than a unified covenant history.
David
Approved rendering: Daawuda
Transliteration: Daawuda
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant Continuity
Original: Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. King David, ancestor and covenant-type of the Messiah (1:1,6,17; 12:3; 21:9; 22:42-45); shared in root with the Qur’anic Dawud, but the biblical covenant narrative differs and should be explained rather than assumed shared.
Referenced passages