description Adoniram Judson Overview
Adoniram Judson (1788–1850) was an American Baptist missionary who spent nearly four decades in Burma (now Myanmar). He translated the Bible into Burmese and compiled a Burmese-English dictionary that remained a standard reference work for generations. Judson's missionary career, which began with his arrival in Rangoon in 1813, made him one of the most prominent American missionary figures of the nineteenth century.
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Why is Adoniram Judson important to Burmese lexicography?
Judson compiled a substantial Burmese-English dictionary after decades of working with the language in Burma. The dictionary and his Burmese Bible translation influenced missionary work and English-language study of Burmese for generations.
How long did Judson spend translating the Bible into Burmese?
He began intensive Burmese study after arriving in the region in the 1810s and completed the full Bible translation in the 1830s. The project required him to develop a sophisticated command of written Burmese rather than relying on direct word-for-word substitution.
Why was Adoniram Judson imprisoned in Burma?
Burmese authorities detained him during the First Anglo-Burmese War because his American identity and contacts with foreigners made him suspect. He survived harsh imprisonment at Ava while his wife, Ann Hasseltine Judson, worked to support him and seek his release.
Was Judson originally a Baptist missionary?
No, he sailed from the United States as a Congregationalist but changed his position after studying baptism during the voyage. He and Ann became Baptists in 1812, helping stimulate the American Baptist foreign mission movement.
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