You might be surprised to learn that there are currently well over 7,000 known languages in use worldwide. Perhaps even more astonishing is the fact that 90% of these languages are spoken by fewer than 100,000 people. Some of the rarest languages have just a handful of speakers remaining!
This leaves translators and interpreters with a unique set of challenges. However, it also presents them with a unique opportunity to preserve an endangered linguistic heritage and enable communication between speakers of little-known languages – a skill that no machine translation tool could hope to match!
Rare languages: What are they?
A rare language is classed as one that risks becoming extinct within the next two generations. According to Ethnologue, an encyclopedic reference work all about languages, over 3,000 fall into the endangered category. Just like with species of animals, once a language has become extinct, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get it back.
In fact, since rare languages are far less visible than the dominant tongues of the world (80% of online content is written in one of 10 languages!), they’re also far less likely to thrive. While the internet has made communication easier in many respects, some languages spoken in communities where digitalization is minimal struggle to gain representation, leading to further a decline in their usage.
What’s more, as younger generations gravitate towards more widely spoken languages with a high level of digital presence such as English, Mandarin or Spanish, rare languages face an even greater risk of endangerment.
Rare-language translators play a crucial role in keeping these languages alive. Their job is significantly different from that of a linguist working with a common language, such as French or Spanish. For translators of dominant languages, the past decade has seen a surge in tools and software that can simplify their role. However, the majority of these digital resources are not customized for rare languages, so if your role involves Chuukese translation, for instance, there is little online support. Equally, if you’re trying to communicate with a Chuukese speaker, all the usual machine translation apps and websites are of little use! The rarer the language, the worse the AI translation will be. Instead, you’ll need specialized print materials, as well as community links with native speakers and plenty of hands-on research to further your knowledge.
Let’s now take a closer look at some of the world’s most fascinating and underappreciated languages to understand what makes them so unique – and what distinct challenges lie in their translation!
Dinka
Dinka is spoken in South Sudan. Although English is the country’s official language, introduced during the period of British rule from the late 19th century, there are thought to be more than 60 indigenous languages in widespread use. These include Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk and Dinka.
Dinka (or Thuɔŋjäŋ, to use its native name) is spoken by around 1.3 million people. Known as a West Nilotic language, it is deeply rooted in its oral traditions. Much of its history, folklore values and beliefs are passed down from one generation to the next through songs and stories. The language not only transmits meaning, but through its rich proverbs and complex metaphors, it is also a carrier of Dinka culture and identity itself.
What obstacles does a Dinka interpreter face?
Many Dinka people have moved away from South Sudan and its diaspora can be found all over East Africa, but also in Australia and the United States. This movement explains the rise in demand for Dinka interpreter services, provided by specialist language agencies such as Capital Linguists.
One of the most significant challenges for a Dinka interpreter is the lack of written Dinka materials. This includes dictionaries and other reference materials, which make formal training much more difficult than for a formalized language such as German. That’s not all; perhaps because of the lack of definitive reference works, there is also a lot of dialectical variation in South Sudan, which means that each region has its own distinct vocabulary, pronunciation and even grammar.
A Dinka interpreter also needs to have a solid grasp of the language’s many proverbs, which serve to pass down wisdom through the generations. Here, it’s not just the words themselves that need to be communicated, but the underlying message.
For example:
- “Dhëëth bi tëkëëc kaŋ ka cëŋ” translates as: “The mouth eats, but the head suffers”. This proverb expresses the notion that all actions come with consequences – and they might not be immediately apparent.
- “Ke ye cam ke ror” translates as: “Eat and leave some for tomorrow.” This is typical of Dinka wisdom, conveying the idea that you must plan for the future and not consume everything all at once.
Nuer
Nuer is another of South Sudan’s indigenous languages. It’s also spoken in neighboring Ethiopia. Like Dinka, Nuer is also a tonal language, so the pitch is used to convey meaning. In Nuer, altering the tone or pitch of a word can directly change the meaning. For a Nuer interpreter, this means precision in pronunciation is more important than ever, as a poorly pronounced word – or even the use of a slightly different pitch – can completely alter the message. As such, Nuer is a particularly challenging language for non-natives to master.
For example, “tɔŋ” articulated with a high tone means “cow”. However, when a low tone is used, the same word refers to a spear. There is ample scope for miscommunication with tonal languages, so it’s always best to rely on a specialist Nuer interpreter – and it’s definitely not a language you’ll find on Google translate!
What makes Chuukese translation unique?
The rare language of Chuukese is spoken in Micronesia and, according to the 2000 census, has just over 51,000 speakers. However, thanks to the Compacts of Free Association with the United States, the Chuukese US population is growing rapidly, and has risen to around 14,000 according to the latest data. This explains the corresponding rise in demand for Chuukese translation services over the past decade.
This language also poses unique challenges for linguists. Chuukese has a distinct verb system, which not only signifies whether something takes place in the past, present or future, but also suggests mood and aspect! It’s also highly expressive, with many subtleties that don’t have a direct equivalent in English. When it comes to Chuukese to English translation, a linguist will often have to look for an equivalent expression that conveys the same meaning, but in a different way.
Hakha Chin translation
This rare language originates in Myanmar. Curiously, Asia is by far the most linguistically diverse continent, with over 2,300 languages spoken within its borders. Ranking last in this respect is Europe, with only 286.
Hakha Chin is spoken by around 445,000 people worldwide. While most of these are in Myanmar and neighboring India, there’s also a significant Hakha Chin diaspora across the world. These communities are mainly located in Malaysia, Australia and the United States. There are growing Hakha Chin communities in various states, including Indianapolis, Texas, Washington, Iowa and Ohio.
One of the most significant challenges facing Hakha Chin interpreters and translators is the fact that, because it belongs to a broader group of Chin languages, there are numerous dialectical variations. In English, dialectical variations often involve different phrases or words. For example, “chips” in American English refers to what Brits call “crisps.” Conversely, “chips” in British English means “fries” to Americans. However, the differences in Hakha Chin are much greater – to the extend that they can be unintelligible! For Hakha Chin to English translation, this means acquiring an in-depth understanding of all the dialectical variations, to avoid the wrong message being conveyed.
Rare languages allow an insight into a culture that is often far less visible. While it presents translators with various unique challenges, these linguists are in a highly privileged position; they have the opportunity to preserve these languages and, by extension, the cultures they represent. This ensures their stories and values are preserved for generations to come.