Metaglossia: The Translation World

"The launch of the first national digital Maltese dictionary begins

On 19 June, at the University’s Aula Magna in Valletta, the Department of Maltese at the University of Malta announced the launch of the first national digital Maltese dictionary.

A new chapter in the history of the Maltese language – on 19 June, the first national digital Maltese dictionary was launched.

The Department of Maltese at the University of Malta announced the start of the national digital dictionary project – an authoritative, modern reference resource that is accessible to everyone free of charge.

Maltese already has many printed dictionaries, but for the first time we will have a dictionary that everyone can access from anywhere, free of charge, and which we can continue to update that is the beauty of being online. It is not like having a printed dictionary, where once it is printed, that is the end of it; we can add new words and new meanings that enter the language. This way, the Maltese language can remain up to date and also enter the digital era.

PROF. MICHAEL SPAGNOL
The idea began two years ago, and thanks to experts in the fields of lexicography, linguistics, corpus linguistics, and information technology, a dictionary began to be developed that provides definitions in Maltese, English equivalents, grammatical information and pronunciation guides, examples based on the natural use of the language, idioms and phrases, and the origins of words.

In terms of structure, it will include the main entry word, for example ‘frisk’. The first innovative feature is that you have the audio – how the word is pronounced. (…) Then you have the meanings. ‘Frisk’ as a noun and ‘frisk’ as an adjective. We also include phrases, such as ‘frisk frisk’ or ‘frisk bħal ħassa’. We continue down to the etymology – where the word comes from."
By Maria Christina Mallia
June 20, 2026
Aqra bil- Malti
DWAYNE ELLUL
https://tvmnews.mt/en/news/the-launch-of-the-first-national-digital-maltese-dictionary-begins/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"The Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language has launched an automated text-to-speech service on its website, aimed at enhancing user experience and facilitating access to and use of the dictionary's content through multimedia tools.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the dictionary stated that the service enables users to listen to dictionary entries, definitions, and historical citations contained in the dictionary, including prose texts, poetry, and verses from the Holy Quran. The feature provides an additional means of interacting with and exploring the content, while enhancing accessibility for researchers, students, Arabic language enthusiasts, and non-native learners.
Executive Director of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language, Dr. Mohammed Al Obaidi said that the launch of the automated text-to-speech service comes as part of ongoing efforts to develop the dictionary's online services and enable users to verify the correct pronunciation of entries, definitions, and historical citations.
He noted that the service will broaden access to the dictionary's content, particularly for users who prefer audio formats or need to listen to texts while browsing and studying, thereby strengthening the presence of Arabic in the digital sphere and improving the accessibility and usability of lexicographical content.
Al Obaidi explained that users can activate the service directly from the dictionary entry page by clicking the designated play icon, allowing them to listen to entries in a clear automated voice that ensures accurate and high-quality pronunciation.
The Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language also reaffirmed its commitment to continuously developing its digital platform through adopting the latest technologies and introducing advanced services that enhance access to lexicographical content and enrich user engagement, further reinforcing the dictionary's position as a dynamic knowledge project that keeps pace with rapid technological developments. (QNA)"
https://qna.org.qa/en/news/news-details?id=doha-historical-dictionary-launches-text-to-speech-feature-on-its-website&date=21/06/2026
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"The Global Interpretation & Translation Market Study, a comprehensive analysis of the market that spans more than 143+ pages and describes the product and industry scope as well as the market prognosis and status for 2026-2034. The marketization process is being accelerated by the market study's segmentation by important regions. The market is currently expanding its reach.

Key Players in This Report Include:

TransPerfect, LanguageLine Solutions, RWS Group, Lionbridge Technologies, Welocalize, CyraCom International, Acolad Group, Thebigword Group, Hanna Interpreting Services, Propio Language Services, AMN Language Services, CTS LanguageLink.

Unlock the Report Insights 👉
https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/4395679-interpretation-translation-market

HTF Market Intelligence projects that the global Interpretation & Translation market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9 % from 2026 to 2034, from 62.50 Billion in 2025 to 108.40 Billion by 2034.

Our Report Covers the Following Important Topics:

By Type
Simultaneous Interpretation; Consecutive Interpretation; Remote Interpretation; Translation Services; Localization Services

By Application
Healthcare & Medical; Legal & Court Proceedings; Business Conferences; Government & Diplomacy; Education & Training

Definition:
The interpretation and translation industry provides language conversion services for spoken and written communication, enabling effective interaction across different languages in business, legal, healthcare, and public sectors.

Dominating Region:
• North America

Fastest-Growing Region:
• Asia-Pacific

Market Drivers
🔹 Growing international business activities and multilingual workforce environments.
🔹 Increasing demand for language support in healthcare, legal, government, and education sectors.
🔹 Expansion of global conferences, virtual meetings, and cross-border collaborations.
🔹 Rising migration and cultural diversity creating greater communication needs.

Market Trends
🔹 Adoption of remote interpretation platforms and virtual language services.
🔹 Integration of AI and speech recognition technologies to support interpreters.
🔹 Growing demand for on-demand language services across digital communication channels.
🔹 Increased use of hybrid human-machine translation workflows.

Market Challenges
🔹 Shortage of qualified interpreters for specialized and less-common languages.
🔹 Maintaining linguistic accuracy in real-time interpretation environments.
🔹 Data security concerns when handling confidential conversations and documents.
🔹 Pricing pressure due to increasing availability of automated language technologies.

Market Opportunities
🔹 Expansion of remote interpretation services for global events and virtual workplaces.
🔹 Growing demand for specialized interpretation in healthcare, legal, and technical industries.
🔹 Development of AI-enhanced language platforms supporting real-time communication.
🔹 Rising investments in multilingual customer support and international business services.

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Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share, and growth rate of the following regions:
• The Middle East and Africa (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Egypt, etc.)
• North America (United States, Mexico & Canada)
• South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, etc.)
• Europe (Turkey, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)
• Asia-Pacific (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia).

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Interpretation & Translation Market Research Objectives:

Focuses on the key manufacturers, to define, pronounce and examine the value, sales volume, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans in the next few years.
- To share comprehensive information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (opportunities, drivers, growth potential, industry-specific challenges and risks).
- To analyze the with respect to individual future prospects, growth trends and their involvement to the total market.
- To analyze reasonable developments such as agreements, expansions new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.
- To deliberately profile the key players and systematically examine their growth strategies.

FIVE FORCES & PESTLE ANALYSIS:
Five forces analysis-the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, the threat of competition, and the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers-are carried out to better understand market circumstances.
• Political (Political policy and stability as well as trade, fiscal, and taxation policies)
• Economical (Interest rates, employment or unemployment rates, raw material costs, and foreign exchange rates)
• Social (Changing family demographics, education levels, cultural trends, attitude changes, and changes in lifestyles)
• Technological (Changes in digital or mobile technology, automation, research, and development)
• Legal (Employment legislation, consumer law, health, and safety, international as well as trade regulation and restrictions)
• Environmental (Climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability)

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Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Interpretation & Translation Market:

Chapter 01 - Interpretation & Translation Market Executive Summary
Chapter 02 - Market Overview
Chapter 03 - Key Success Factors
Chapter 04 - Global Interpretation & Translation Market - Pricing Analysis
Chapter 05 - Global Interpretation & Translation Market Background or History
Chapter 06 - Global Interpretation & Translation Market Segmentation (e.g. Type, Application)
Chapter 07 - Key and Emerging Countries Analysis Worldwide Polyester Fiber Market
Chapter 08 - Global Interpretation & Translation Market Structure & worth Analysis
Chapter 09 - Global Interpretation & Translation Market Competitive Analysis & Challenges
Chapter 10 - Assumptions and Acronyms
Chapter 11 - Interpretation & Translation Market Research Method Polyester Fiber

Thank you for reading this post. You may also obtain report versions by area, such as North America, LATAM, Europe, Japan, Australia, or Southeast Asia, or by chapter.

Nidhi Bhawsar (PR & Marketing Manager)
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About Author:
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https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/4395679-interpretation-translation-market";
https://www.openpr.com/news/4556350/interpretation-translation-market-may-see-a-big-move-major
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Considering one's own language as being superior to someone else’s exposes the narrowness of one’s own mind
Pratik Bapat     18 June, 2026 04:26 pm IST

Not too long ago, Mumbai had its municipal elections. With it came the ‘once-in-five-years’ attempts by political parties to remind voters how their language was under threat from an increasing influx of outsiders. The central point of debate around who would become mayor was whether they would be a Maharashtrian or not.

Some people were “slapped” for not speaking in Marathi. Every party has gone out of its way in recent elections to remind voters that they ought to vote for them because they are the so-called protectors of the language, and therefore, the people of the state. This is not only the case in Maharashtra, but in many other states where language has become a source of polarisation on par with caste and religion.

As a polyglot, this phenomenon is rather strange. I am a native Maharashtrian who learned to speak fluent English and Hindi through education and interaction. I began learning Spanish in high school and now possess a B2 (professional fluency) level certification. I have also learned some French (A1) and Mandarin (HSK 1-speaking). I can say with certainty that no language needs any political party’s protection. Each language is beautiful in its own way and some expressions in one language cannot be translated into another language.

Let us take the example of age. In English, you ‘are’ of a certain age, but in Spanish you ‘have’ so many years. In Hindi and Marathi, a person ‘is’ of a certain age, but in French, a person ‘has’ a certain age. Something as simple as age is expressed so differently in different languages.

Knowing more than one language gives a person the chance to acquire diverse conceptual maps of the world. If someone spoke a different language, I would want to learn theirs and speak theirs as well as I can speak mine. However, some people seem to be having a rather flabbergasting approach to this. They would rather hate someone who speaks another tongue.

No great city in the world is great because only one kind of language is spoken there. Most international level cities harbour diverse crowds. Geneva is in the French speaking part of Switzerland but you don’t just hear French there. You also hear a lot of Spanish, English, German, Mandarin, other European languages and, sometimes, also Hindi. It is the ability of cities to assimilate diverse crowds that determines a city’s ability to tap into a wide pool of talent in its workforce. In India, cities like Bangalore and Mumbai have become hubs because of their ability to utilise blue and white collar labour from other states. Linguistically monoclonal cities will never reach those heights.

It is sad to see language used as a political weapon. It is not necessary for a person to hate Hindi in order to love Marathi or vice versa. In fact, both are similar languages and can easily be learned by speakers of the other. Learning languages increases the plasticity of one’s mind and is never a minus in life. If this is not enough, let us remember that the leaders who divide voters on the lines of language often send their kids to English-medium international schools. I am sure that their kids learn German and French alongside English. However, they want their voters to be narrow minded because that suits their politics.

In a country of diverse languages, urban centres must strive to become as linguistically diverse as possible so as to attract talent from all over the country.

Pratik Bapat is a student of Geneva Graduate Institute.
https://theprint.in/campus-voice/the-futility-of-linguistic-chauvinism/2963210/?amp
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"French and Spanish success in the Anthea Bell Translation Competition

 

Translation Competition

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators was launched in 2020 by the Translation Exchange at The Queen’s College, Oxford. The competition is inspired by the work of the translator, Anthea Bell OBE (1936–2018), one of the finest and most influential literary translators of the 20th and 21st centuries, best known for her witty translations of the Asterix comic books. Not only did she translate works from French but also from German and Danish, tackling major works of European literature, including Kafka and Sebald.

 

The competition was founded to promote language learning across the UK, to inspire creativity in the classroom and to motivate more pupils to study modern foreign languages throughout their schooling and beyond.

 

It runs across four levels in six languages, French, German, Russian, Mandarin, Spanish and Italian. There are close to 25,000 entries every year and this year, pupils of French and Spanish were highly commended for their translations. Albert P in Year 10 translated an extract from Marguerite Audoux’s 1911 novel Marie-Claire and Clementine F and Evie J translated an extract from the Chilean author, José Ignacio Valenzuela’s, Mi Tío Pachunga. With close to 25,000 entries per year, this is a superb achievement for our pupils."

18 June 2026

https://www.greshams.com/french-and-spanish-success-in-the-anthea-bell-translation-exchange-competition-2026/

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

Transync AI Highlights New 2.0 Models for Faster, More Natural Multilingual Meetings

"As global teams increasingly rely on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other online meeting platforms, real-time translation is becoming an important part of daily collaboration.

 

Cross-language meetings, however, are rarely as simple as translating one complete sentence at a time. Real conversations often include short phrases, interruptions, background noise, mixed-language speech, and irregular pauses. These conditions can make traditional translation systems feel slow or inconsistent.

 

Transync AI has introduced its new 2.0 translation models to make multilingual meetings faster, more stable, and more natural.

 

New Translation Models Built for Real Conversations

 

The update includes upgraded versions of three Transync AI models: Gale 2.0, Monsoon 2.0, and Jetstream 2.0.

 

Each model has been improved to deliver better translation speed, accuracy, and continuity across different communication scenarios. The new models are especially optimized for the challenges that commonly occur in real meetings, including:

 

Short or incomplete sentences

 

Mixed-language speech

 

Background noise

 

Irregular sentence breaks

 

Fast exchanges between speakers

 

These improvements are designed to help translations remain easier to follow during active conversations, rather than only during prepared speeches or presentations.

 

Supporting Faster Multilingual Collaboration

 

Transync AI provides bidirectional real-time translation in 60 languages. Participants can speak in either of the two selected languages, while the system automatically identifies the language being spoken and translates it into the other.

 

The original speech and translated text are displayed side by side, giving users a clear view of both versions of the conversation. Translated voice playback is also available for users who prefer listening instead of continuously reading subtitles.

 

For online meetings, Transync AI works alongside platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. As a standalone application, it does not need to appear as a participant bot inside the meeting.

 

This makes it suitable for international project meetings, overseas client calls, product demonstrations, remote training, and communication between regional offices.

 

More Natural Voice Translation

 

The v2.0 update also adds voice preview for AI broadcast.

 

Users can listen to different voice options before starting a meeting and choose one that better fits the situation. This can be useful when teams want a professional voice for client meetings, a clearer voice for training, or a more natural tone for everyday conversations.

 

Transync AI also supports multiple voice styles and voice cloning, allowing translated speech to sound more personal and consistent.

 

Better Support for Professional Terminology

 

Names, brand terms, technical phrases, and industry-specific vocabulary are common sources of translation errors.

 

To address this, Transync AI allows users to enter keywords and meeting context before a session begins. Teams can add company names, product names, professional terms, or personal names, while also describing the meeting topic or industry background.

 

The latest update expands the available keyword limits, giving individuals and enterprise users more room to prepare specialized vocabulary for professional discussions."

https://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/article/abnewswire-2026-6-20-transync-ai-highlights-new-20-models-for-faster-more-natural-multilingual-meetings

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

The translated work, "The Stolen Bicycle" (單車失竊記), was made possible through the efforts of IBDE's Abdullah Hussaini,

"Malaysian publishing house promotes Taiwan literature to Malay readers

Kuala Lumpur, June 20 (CNA) A project manager at a publishing house in Malaysia said Saturday that he hopes to introduce literature from Taiwan to more Malay readers, following its first Malay-language translation of a work by author Wu Ming-yi (吳明益).

The translated work, "The Stolen Bicycle" (單車失竊記), was made possible through the efforts of IBDE's Abdullah Hussaini, who said he hopes the Malay edition will help more Malay readers discover the diversity of Taiwanese literature and deepen literary exchanges between Taiwan and Malaysia.

In an interview with CNA, Abdullah said IBDE has previously translated works from Arabic, French, German and English into Malay, but introducing a full-length Taiwanese novel to Malay readers remained a new venture for his publishing firm.

The book was featured at this year's Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF), held from May 29 to June 7.

IBDE project manager Abdullah Hussaini. CNA photo June 20, 2026
Originally published in Chinese in 2015, the novel tells the story of a man searching for his missing father and a lost bicycle, while weaving together stories of memory and reality across China, Myanmar, Japan and Taiwan. It also explores the wartime experiences and historical wounds of Taiwan's different communities.

Abdullah said he first heard about Wu about 10 years ago and was introduced to his works again by friends in the Malaysian Chinese literary circle three years ago.

He later attended Wu's talk at the George Town Literary Festival in Penang, where he began reading his works and was particularly impressed by "The Stolen Bicycle."

Abdullah said he felt a personal connection with the book, and that many of its themes also resonated with Malaysian social experiences.

During the interview, he thanked the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia for helping him reach out to Wu, saying he hopes to continue working with the office to promote other Taiwanese works in Malaysia.

Chinese-Malay translator Lee Hao Jie. CNA photo June 20, 2026
Lee Hao Jie (李浩傑), a translator of works from Chinese to Malay, including "Journey to the West" (西遊記), said the biggest challenge in bringing Taiwanese works into the Malay market is not language, but adapting cultural references.

Many Chinese-language works contain historical contexts, place names and cultural references, and the key challenge for translators is how to preserve the spirit of the original while enabling Malay readers to understand and relate to the text, Lee said.

Translators serve not only as converters of text but also as bridges between languages and cultures, he added.
(By Huang Tzu-chiang and Ko Lin)
Enditem/ASG"
06/20/2026 06:19 PM
https://focustaiwan.tw/culture/202606200011
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Never before have translators faced such immense pressure to become obsolete as they do today. AI tools capable of translating tens of thousands of words in just a few seconds at virtually no cost have significantly altered the landscape of the translation market.

In the context of globalization, translated literature serves as a bridge connecting the finest aspects of human knowledge to domestic readers, while simultaneously paving the way for local culture to reach the world . However, with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the pressures of the market economy, this field is facing numerous challenges.

Translator Pham Duc Hung edited the manuscript.
That impact is evident right here in Thai Nguyen . German translator Pham Duc Hung, a member of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Union of Literature and Arts Associations, a member of the Vietnam Writers Association since 2018, and the only German translator in the 10th term of the Literary Translation Council, has had to make the decision to close his reputable personal translation center in 2025 after many years of operation.

That story reflects a thought-provoking reality: Amidst a vibrant market for translated books, translators cannot make a living from their profession. Limited compensation hinders professional development in this field. Many people with strong foreign language skills are shifting to commercial or legal translation to earn a more stable income.

However, it is precisely under such pressure that the inviolable boundary between humans and machines is affirmed. Translator Pham Duc Hung points out a reality: AI can only translate documents, but literary translation requires human emotion and sensitivity. Idioms, proverbs, dialects, or the layers of cultural meaning hidden behind words are things that machines find difficult to fully convey.

Having ventured into translation in 2005, he has quietly amassed a considerable body of work with 8 published books on literature and skills (The Buried Candle, The Deruga Case, The Child of the Age, Outstanding Short Stories from Around the World, The Wheel of Fate, Money is Useless...) along with hundreds of short stories and poems by many German authors published in central and local newspapers and magazines.

A Harvard professor and a Vietnamese poet are working together on a project to translate The Tale of Kieu into English.
The successful translation also yielded positive results when the novel *The Deruga Affair* was honored with the Thai Nguyen Provincial Literature and Arts Award for the period 2017-2021.

However, producing such valuable translations requires a team of translators with a deep understanding of the language, culture, and literature. In Thai Nguyen, despite possessing a wealth of language experts from universities, the field of literary translation in the locality remains relatively quiet and largely spontaneous.

Preserving the essence of Vietnamese literature in the face of algorithms is difficult enough; figuring out how to perform the "reverse translation" task, bringing the indigenous literary and cultural resources of the Tea region to the world in the digital age, is an even greater concern.

Associate Professor Tran Thi Viet Trung (Critical and Critical Studies Branch, Union of Literature and Arts Associations of Thai Nguyen Province) believes that: To develop translation resources and bring the literature and culture of the tea-growing region to the world, there needs to be a mechanism for commissioning translations from the State, while also encouraging foreign students learning Vietnamese to participate in translating works into their languages.

Clearly, promoting local culture internationally cannot rely solely on the dedication and resources of translators. For local literary works to reach international readers, support in terms of mechanisms, publishing partnerships, and large-scale promotion is necessary.

This also includes training a team of translators, developing specialized translation models linked to universities, and implementing policies to encourage international students and researchers to participate in translating Vietnamese works into their own languages."
Báo Thái Nguyên
21/06/2026
https://www.vietnam.vn/en/van-hoc-dich-va-nhung-noi-niem-tran-tro
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Lithuanian translator wins Metų vertėjo krėslo 2026 for translating Vasyl Shkliar’s novel
Sunday, 21 June 2026, 09:44

The Lithuanian translator of Ukrainian literature Donata Rinkevichenė became a laureate of the Metų vertėjo krėslo 2026 prize for the translation of Vasyl Shklyar’s novel “The Rabbit Church”.

According to Chytomo, the laureate was recognized for exceptional translation and the ability to convey the historical context of the work. The award ceremony took place with the participation of the Lithuanian PEN Center and the Ministry of Culture of Lithuania; the ceremonial act occurred in the hall of the Library of Vilnius University.

The awarding process and significance of the prize
The prize was presented by Lithuania’s Minister of Culture Vaida Aleknavičienė; the jury highlighted Rinkevichenė’s meticulous work, linguistic sensitivity and the richness of the translation, and also expressed gratitude for the opportunity for Lithuanian readers to see Ukrainian historical experience through literary fiction.

This award is a recognition of the highest translation mastery, and at the same time a thank you for the bridges built between Lithuania’s and Ukraine’s historical experience. The book “The Rabbit Church” tells of the joint resistance to empire, and today, as Ukraine continues to bravely defend its freedom, this work gains an even deeper significance

– Vaida Aleknavičienė

In 2025, the Lithuanian edition of the novel appeared in a publication by the Lithuanian Writers’ Union.

Donata Rinkevichenė has been translating from Ukrainian for six years. Among her translations are “Hemingway Knows Nothing” by Artur Dron, “The Age of Red Ants” by Tetiana Pyankova, “Carbide” by Andriy Liubka, “Who Are You?” by Oleksandra Myheda, “Codename for Job” by Oleksandra Myheda, the children’s book “36 and 6 Cats” by Halyna Vdovichenko, the publication Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv’s “The War That Changed Rondo,” as well as texts in the anthology “Martial Law” and others.

Metų vertėjo krėslo is one of the most prestigious prizes in the field of literary translation in Lithuania. Laureates are awarded a diploma, a monetary prize, and a symbolic chair, which symbolizes the translator’s solitary work; each year the chair has a different design. The tradition is supported by poet and patron Gintaras Bleizgis.

Participants in this competition note that the prize highlights the significant contribution of translators to intercultural dialogue and allows Lithuanian readers to become acquainted with Ukrainian historical prose through high-quality translation."
https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/ad2ebffc_lithuanian_translator_wins/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"When most English-speaking readers knew little about contemporary Chinese literature, one British publisher set out to change that. In this episode, we sit down with veteran publisher and translator Martin Savery, whose decades-long career has helped bring contemporary Chinese literature to English-speaking readers around the world. In an era dominated by short videos, social media, and shrinking attention spans, why does he still believe in books? And what can stories reveal about China that headlines cannot? Don't miss out!"
https://www.modernghana.com/amp/videonews/669497
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"This article examines translation alignment patterns in parallel corpora of ancient and historical languages, derived from Ugarit, a crowdsourcing platform designed to manually align texts in low-resourced languages. The study analyzes bilingual alignments involving languages such as Ancient Greek, Latin, Classical Persian, Coptic, and Georgian, focusing on the ratios of word correspondences classified as one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many. Findings indicate that linguistic structures—such as inflection and agglutination—and cultural factors, including translation practices and textual genres, significantly influence alignment patterns; for example, English translations of Classical Persian often show expansions and paraphrases reflecting cultural tendencies, while Georgian’s polysynthetic nature leads to different alignment dynamics with Ancient Greek. The research highlights the complex interplay between linguistic typology, cultural context, and translation strategies in the creation of aligned corpora, offering insights valuable for developing training data and guidelines for automatic translation models in ancient language studies.

Authored By: Palladino, Chiara; Yousef, Tariq 3 of 3

Authored By:

Palladino, Chiara;

Yousef, Tariq

 

Abstract

 

Source:

Digital Scholarship in the Humanities. 2023/09, Vol. 38, Issue 3, p1200

Document Type:

Article

Subject Area:

Language and Linguistics

Publication Date:

2023

ISSN:

2055-768X"

https://www.ebsco.com/articles/language-and-linguistics/76345535-69d4-5904-9188-480dc1a2aa2c/to-say-almost-the-same-thing-a-study-on-cross-linguistic-variation-in-ancient-texts-and-their-translations

#metaglossia 

1. #metaglossia_mundus 

"...Accuracy does not guarantee understanding

So, what if the translation is technically correct but the participant still has to ask the site team what it really means? This is where localisation becomes essential.

It would be easy to assume a correctly translated sentence automatically conveys the intended meaning. In clinical research, this assumption can create challenges.

Before localisation even begins, we carefully craft the master document with the right tone, turning complex medical language into clear, plain English. Right from the start, this approach helps make our materials easier to understand. Once that solid foundation is set, our localisation experts adapt the content for each target language, making sure phrasing and sentence structures flow naturally while preserving the necessary medical accuracy. Ultimately, this process bridges the gap between technical correctness and real participant understanding.

 

 

 

How tone and intent shift across borders

 

Language is deeply tied to culture. What sounds polite and encouraging in one country might sound demanding or inappropriately casual in another.

 

 

 

For example, in some cultures, participant-facing materials are expected to use highly formal language, while in others a more conversational, approachable style is preferred. If materials written in plain English are directly translated without adapting the tone, they can come across as either too informal or overly authoritative, depending on the context. Localising content carefully adapts not just the words but the underlying intent, making sure it resonates with local expectations and, most importantly, helps foster participant trust.

 

 

 

Why right can still feel wrong

 

Even with perfect grammar, content can still feel unnatural. Best-practice research on translation and cultural adaptation in clinical studies has long shown that concepts and phrasing may need to be adapted, not just translated, to remain meaningful and relevant for the target audience. A recent study by Gregório et al. (2025) is one of many to evidence this.

 

 

 

Idiomatic expressions or metaphors used to explain how a drug works rarely cross borders intact. A ‘lock and key’ metaphor makes perfect sense to an English speaker, but it might have a totally different meaning in another region.

 

 

 

When trial participants read materials that feel distinctly foreign, they may question if the trial truly understands their needs. It’s vital that every piece of information reads as if it were written specifically for that local participant, in their own cultural context.

 

 

 

Spotting the warning signs

 

Poor translation can create operational challenges long before participants raise concerns directly. Trial teams may see the impact in added site queries, slower consent processes, misunderstandings around trial requirements and, over time, risks to protocol adherence and retention.

 

 

 

The value of getting it right

 

Standard translation gets your words across the border, but strategic localisation gets your meaning into the hands of the participant. We pride ourselves on delivering localised clinical trial materials that minimise confusion, reduce operational challenges and keep trials running smoothly.

 

 

 

Recognising where translation falls short is the first step. Next, we’ll look at what effective localisation actually looks like in practice."

 

https://pmlive.com/pmhub/cuttsycuttsy/where-translation-falls-short-in-practice/

 

#metaglossia

 

#metaglossia_mundus 

"DeepL expands into Silicon Valley, adds Mixhalo team and technology to accelerate Voice AI at scale
2026-06-17
DeepL is bringing its real-time voice translation capabilities from meetings to the big stage with Mixhalo’s ultra-low latency audio technology – trusted by MLB, NASCAR, T-Mobile, Verizon and more
Marks the opening of DeepL’s first office in San Francisco, accelerating momentum in its fastest-growing market where nearly 50% of US Fortune 500 are users
COLOGNE, DE and SAN FRANCISCO, CA - June 17, 2026 - DeepL, a global leader in Language AI, today announced that the team and technology behind Mixhalo, the San Francisco-based platform for real-time, ultra-low latency audio, have joined DeepL. The investment expands the capabilities of DeepL Voice, the company’s real-time AI voice translation solution, to include larger and more complex environments where speed, clarity, and reliability are critical, including major events, conferences, customer support and business workflows.

DeepL Voice already leads the category in real-time voice translation for spoken conversations - from virtual meetings to in-person interactions- far outperforming Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet on accuracy, fluency, and reliability with a 96.4/100 quality score and a 4% fail rate versus a 17% market average (2026 independent Slator assessment). With Mixhalo’s team and technology now part of DeepL, the company is integrating ultra-low-latency audio infrastructure into DeepL Voice to support live, large-scale environments. This enables translated speech and captions to reach audiences clearly and instantly, from smaller live settings to tens of thousands of attendees, while preserving the pace and natural fluency of live speech.

"DeepL Voice is already changing how people and businesses work across languages every day, and the Mixhalo team and technology let us bring this to even larger, more complex settings," said Jarek Kutylowski, Founder and CEO, DeepL. "The team has solved one of the hardest problems in live audio, which is delivering high-fidelity sound to thousands of people at once with basically zero latency. Together, we're building the real-time Language AI layer for communication, so people can understand each other naturally wherever they are interacting, whether that's in team meetings, customer calls or even major international events."

Founded in 2016 by Incubus guitarist and songwriter Mike Einziger, violinist Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger, and technologist Vik Singh, Mixhalo was built to reimagine how people experience live sound. Its platform delivers high-fidelity, synchronized audio to thousands of listeners simultaneously with extremely low latency, and has powered live audio across major sports, entertainment, and brand experience. Its work spans the MLB, NASCAR, EQUINOX, Verizon, T-Mobile, the Sacramento Kings, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, and TSX; leading global events and conferences including the CES, Mobile World Congress, Salesforce’s flagship conferences, the Databricks AI Summit, and Microsoft AI Tour Paris; as well as concerts and residencies for artists including Metallica, Aerosmith, Sting and Charlie Puth.

“We launched Mixhalo to deliver the best quality audio to live audiences at any size, all within 20 milliseconds. As we expanded into real-time translation, the hardest part was finding technology that could keep up with live speech without compromising quality,” said Vik Singh, Co-Founder, Mixhalo. “After testing technology from nearly all of the leading providers, DeepL was the only one that could deliver accurate translations at the speed we needed to achieve real fluency. We’ve already seen what this combination can do in real-world settings, and by joining DeepL, we can now bring this experience to even more audiences and customers globally.”

DeepL and Mixhalo have already brought their combined technology to market, with the DeepL Voice API powering real-time translation across Mixhalo’s live-audio platform. The teams are also piloting customer support use cases through integrations like Amazon Connect.

“Voice AI is ultimately a fight for latency, quality, and real-world reliability,” said Sebastian Enderlein, CTO, DeepL. “The Mixhalo team has deep experience bringing APIs and audio infrastructure into live environments where there is no room for delay or failure. That expertise is incredibly valuable as we continue to scale DeepL Voice, and their presence in San Francisco brings us even closer to the customers, partners, and developer ecosystem shaping the next generation of AI products.”

The announcement also marks the opening of DeepL’s first San Francisco office, strengthening its footprint in the US, the company’s fastest-growing market. DeepL’s US customer base already includes NVIDIA, Cisco, and Nasdaq, and nearly 50% of the Fortune 500 are DeepL users.

Audiences will be able to experience this technology in action at GITEX Europe 2026 at the end of June, where DeepL will serve as the official translation partner, powering live German-to-English captions on the main stage. DeepL will also showcase its next-generation Voice AI capabilities live at upcoming US events including Databricks Data + AI Summit, Esri User Conference, and Salesforce Dreamforce.

About DeepL

DeepL is a global AI company building the language infrastructure that powers global business. More than 200,000 business teams and millions of individuals use DeepL’s Language AI platform to communicate globally, collaborate and operate across languages in real time. By combining breakthrough AI models with enterprise-grade security and privacy, DeepL enables organizations to work seamlessly across markets and cultures. Founded in 2017 by CEO Jarek Kutylowski, DeepL now has more than 900 employees and is backed by leading investors including Benchmark, IVP and Index Ventures. Learn more at www.deepl.com."
DeepL https://share.google/GGiA9di79kwonJzCY

"Le spécialiste européen de la traduction par intelligence artificielle DeepL intègre l’équipe et la technologie de la start-up américaine Mixhalo, spécialisée dans l’audio en temps réel à très faible latence. Cette opération s’accompagne de l’ouverture du premier bureau de DeepL à San Francisco, marquant une offensive directe sur le marché américain où la société allemande enregistre sa croissance la plus rapide. DeepL Voice franchit un cap avec l’intégration de Mixhalo Annoncée le 17 juin 2026, l’opération permet à DeepL d’élargir les capacités de sa solution DeepL Voice, déjà positionnée comme leader de la traduction vocale en temps réel pour les réunions virtuelles et les interactions en présentiel. L’apport de Mixhalo consiste en une infrastructure audio à très faible latence — inférieure à vingt millisecondes — capable de diffuser un son haute fidélité à des milliers d’auditeurs simultanément. DeepL Voice peut désormais couvrir des environnements en direct à grande échelle..."
https://refrance.fr/deepl-rachete-mixhalo-et-sinstalle-a-san-francisco-pour-dominer-lia-vocale/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Permettre « à tous, dans le monde entier, d’utiliser sa propre langue sur les téléphones et ordinateurs »,

 

"Alignée sur la vision de la Décennie internationale des langues autochtones (2022-2032), la collaboration entre l’UNESCO et Unicode vise à consolider le travail de préservation et revitalisation des langues et l’accès équitable aux biens publics numériques.

 

La collaboration entre l’UNESCO et Unicode met en lumière un engagement commun : garantir l’accès aux environnements numériques aux communautés qui en sont isolées, en particulier celles autochtones, afin qu’elles puissent créer, communiquer, apprendre et participer dans leur propre langue. 

 

Cette collaboration reflète l’esprit multipartite du Plan d’action mondial IDIL2022-2032, qui reconnaît l’importance croissante des organisations privées et de la société civile pour renforcer la préservation et la revitalisation des langues dans le monde entier. 

 

The Unicode Consortium [Le Consortium Unicode], créé en 1988 comme une organisation à but non lucratif et d’utilité publique, développe des normes ouvertes pour l’internationalisation de logiciels et de services numériques. Son travail joue un rôle clé dans l’amélioration de l’inclusion numérique, en particulier en garantissant que les systèmes d’écriture des langues du monde soient correctement représentés sur tous les appareils numériques et les plateformes. Depuis son lancement, Unicode a été intégré dans tous les principaux systèmes d’exploitations et est désormais utilisé sur plus de 20 milliards d’appareils dans le monde entier, permettant à ces utilisateurs de participer librement dans l’environnement numérique, quel que soit la langue, le lieu ou l’appareil.

 

Unicode reconnaît que la possibilité pour les communautés autochtones de communiquer, participer et s’épanouir en ligne dans sa propre langue est essentielle pour la préservation et la revitalisation de la langue, et la force communautaire...

 

Nous reconnaissons la valeur importante du travail mené par Unicode pour garantir que toutes les langues, dont autochtones, soient représentées et accessibles dans le monde numérique.

 

L’engagement d’Unicode de permettre « à tous, dans le monde entier, d’utiliser sa propre langue sur les téléphones et ordinateurs », en particulier pour les populations autochtones, tout en reconnaissant l’importance de réduire la fracture numérique, est en phase avec la Recommandation sur la promotion et l’usage du multilinguisme et l’accès universel au cyberespace de l’UNESCO de 2023 et la Feuille de route mondiale pour le multilinguisme à l’ère numérique. Portés par la même ambition, l’UNESCO et Unicode posent les fondations pour des progrès transformateurs."

UNESCO

17 juin 2026

https://www.unesco.org/fr/articles/lunesco-et-unicode-renforcent-leur-collaboration-pour-les-langues-autochtones-en-ligne

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

"« Le breton, c’est ma langue natale » : comment Carhaix continue de faire vivre la langue bretonne

 

La municipalité de Carhaix mène une politique volontariste depuis plus de vingt ans pour favoriser la pratique de la langue bretonne, notamment la traduction systématique des noms des lieux

 

"À Carhaix (Finistère), selon la dernière enquête dite d’initiative locale dans le cadre du recensement de l’Insee (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques), 1 600 personnes parlent breton. La langue occupe une place centrale dans la commune et plus largement le centre Bretagne, même chez les jeunes.

 

La municipalité de Carhaix mène une politique volontariste depuis plus de vingt ans pour favoriser la pratique de la langue bretonne, notamment la traduction systématique des noms des lieux. | 

 

C’est la langue que j’utilise tous les jours. Le breton, c’est ma langue natale. Le français, je l’ai appris à l’école.. Nombreux sont les jeunes à Carhaix (Finistère) qui, comme Milio Bricaud, élève au lycée d’enseignement immersif en breton Diwan, parlent couramment breton, parfois même avant le français. On essaie entre amis de le parler de plus en plus pour que la langue continue d’exister, précise-t-il.

 

En Bretagne, environ 3,5 % de la population parle breton sur les cinq départements, selon l’Office public de la langue bretonne (OPLB). À Carhaix, selon la dernière enquête dite d’initiative locale dans le cadre du recensement de l’Insee (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques), 22 % des ménages ayant répondu à l’enquête parlaient breton à Carhaix, soit un peu moins de 1 600 personnes. Et 30 % des enfants sont scolarisés en bilingue, complète le maire régionaliste Christian Troadec..."

👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿

https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/langue-bretonne/le-breton-cest-ma-langue-natale-comment-carhaix-continue-de-faire-vivre-la-langue-bretonne-e454d8a4-3fda-11f1-969a-46adb62a237c

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

"New MA Translation and Intercultural Studies receives professional accreditation

 

In a boost to the professional prospects of its graduates, one of the School’s latest taught postgraduate programmes has been formally “validated” by the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

 

The new MA Translation and Intercultural Studies has received a seal of approval from the UK’s largest professional association for language professionals, gaining “Validated” status from CIOL, the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

 

The Institute’s team confirm that “the programme offers an inclusive and specialised course for multilingual students seeking to apply their language skills across a broad range of linguistic, cultural and social contexts to support communication between communities and cultures.” The reviewers also note that the new programme builds on the “strength and reputation” of Bristol’s translation teaching, and is “delivered by an experienced and committed academic team.”

 

Crucially, CIOL states that the MA Translation and Intercultural Studies “equips students with the professional, practical and research skills needed for a wide range of careers in language-related fields.”

 

The University’s Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies, which hosts the programme, has welcomed the Chartered Institute’s decision, saying that “the new programme marks a step-change in our teaching offer, in light of the many changes in which language professionals are currently involved across the world, and so we are pleased that a relevant professional body agrees that we are on the right track.” Dr Christophe Fricker, the programme director, adds that “there is a lot for linguists to do in the world today, where misunderstandings and polarisation are rife, and technology often makes things worse rather than better.”

 

The programme offers a comprehensive introduction into the way languages work, research can account for the working of language, technology can affect language use, and linguists can aid others in designing and deploying language effectively.

 

The MA Translation and Intercultural Studies replaces the MA Translation, an online programme offered by the University of Bristol since 2008. It is complemented by a new MSc Interpreting.

 

For more information about the new programme, visit https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/ma-translation-and-intercultural-studies/

 

If you have any questions, contact Dr Christophe Fricker at christophe.fricker@bristol.ac.uk

 

 

 

Feedback

Contact

University of Bristol,

Beacon House,

Queens Road,

Bristol,

BS8 1QU,

United Kingdom

 

Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000"

17 June 2026

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/sml/news/2026/professional-accreditation--ma-translation-and-intercultural-studies.html

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

"UWinnipeg scholar co-leads UNESCO Indigenous language initiative

 

Heather Souter, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, has been appointed co-chair of UNESCO's Global Task Force for Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032). With 40 per cent of the world's 6,700 languages at risk of disappearing, the task force plays a vital role.

 

Heather Souter, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, has been appointed co-chair of UNESCO's Global Task Force for Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032). Photo supplied.

 

One of the main goals is to ensure that Indigenous languages are recognized as essential resources for education, cultural continuity, and sustainable development.

 

Souter, along with co-chairs Chinwe Veronica Anunobi (National Library of Nigeria), Sera Martinez (Ministry of Cultures, Colombia) and Bintou Camara (Nalou Indigenous People, Guinea) form an international collaborative leadership team guiding the initiatives for the 2026-27.

 

What the task force will do

They continue to establish and review parts of the roadmap to achieve the goals of International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032, centring the perspectives and priorities of Indigenous Peoples in policy development and program implementation; strengthening links between Indigenous communities, member states, civil society, and international heritage and development organizations; and advocating for policies that support mother-tongue education, community-led language revitalization, and sustainable cultural transmission.

 

"I view this appointment as a significant opportunity to advance Indigenous representation and community-driven approaches in language advocacy," said Souter. "My goal is to amplify grassroots knowledge and practical experience in the efforts to safeguard and revitalize Indigenous languages worldwide."

 

Language revitalization in action

This appointment follows decades of Souter's language revitalization work. She is a reclaimer of Southern Michif, an Indigenous language of the Red River Métis. After learning Southern Michif as an adult, she has spent decades teaching it to others and developing teaching methods, resources, and programs to make Indigenous language learning accessible to all.

 

In addition to her work teaching Southern Michif at UWinnipeg (and previously University of Manitoba), she is co-founder of the Prairies to Woodlands Indigenous Language Revitalization Circle, which supports Indigenous languages across Manitoba and beyond through mentor-apprentice programs, language documentation, development of language learning materials and digital resources, community classes, and language advocacy.

 

"Heather Souter is a passionate and deeply informed advocate for Indigenous languages," said Shelley Tulloch, Coordinator of the Indigenous Languages Program. "Her appointment reflects her commitment to local, national and international collaboration toward achieving all Indigenous Peoples' right to learn, know, and use their languages.""

June 17, 2026

https://educationnewscanada.com/article/education/level/university/1/1206910/uwinnipeg-scholar-co-leads-unesco-indigenous-language-initiative-.html

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

"Bilingualism is Driven by a Single Neurological “Grammar Engine”
New study finds a common neural system builds a language across languages

NYU researchers have found that bilingualism is not powered by separate grammar engines in the brain, but, rather, by a common neural system that works across languages. Above: A restaurant in Silves, Portugal. Photo credit: Mary Salen/Getty Images
It’s not uncommon for bilingual speakers to mistakenly apply the grammatical rules of one language while speaking the other—for example, saying “I have 20 years” instead of “I am 20” when asked about their age.

Some may wonder if these language mashups are evidence of deeper neurological distinctions among languages: If you speak English and Spanish, for instance, do you have an English “grammatical engine” that learns and applies English rules and a Spanish one that learns and applies Spanish rules?

A new study by a team of New York University scientists finds that, in fact, bilingualism is not powered by separate grammar engines in the brain, but, rather, by a common neural system that works across languages.

“Our research suggests that brains have a single grammatical engine that fuels all of the languages we speak—rather than separate engines for each one,” explains Esti Blanco-Elorrieta, an assistant professor of psychology and neural science at NYU and the senior author of the study, which appears in JNeurosci. “We show that the same brain patterns support grammar in English and Spanish, indicating that human language may be built from neural computations that transcend any one language.”

While previous research has found neurological commonality across speakers of different languages and other NYU research has explored “bilingual brains,” less clear is how the brain builds grammar across languages in bilingual speakers.

To address this, Blanco-Elorrieta and Xuanyi Jessica Chen, an NYU doctoral student and the paper’s first author, used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to track brain activity millisecond-by-millisecond while Spanish-English bilingual speakers transformed both English and Spanish words into grammatically correct forms. For instance, participants would hear a singular form of a word (“boat” [English] or “barco” [Spanish]) and were asked to say the plural version of the term (e.g., “boats” or “barcos”).

We show that the same brain patterns support grammar in English and Spanish, indicating that human language may be built from neural computations that transcend any one language.

Esti Blanco-Elorrieta
Assistant Professor of Psychology
The researchers also tested how participants responded to both cognates—words in different languages that share a similar meaning, spelling, and pronunciation because of their common linguistic roots—and “pseudowords” (made-up words such as “paple”).

This method, which reached beyond existing words in English and Spanish, was aimed at determining if the same neural mechanisms apply when novel words enter our vocabulary.

The findings showed that the brain relies on a shared neural mechanism for grammar across languages, even when words differ in sound or structure. Moreover, the same neural system also applied to completely novel words (i.e., pseudowords), further suggesting that the brain implements grammar as a reusable computation—or universal language template—rather than deploying multiple language-specific rulebooks.

“The results provide some of the clearest neural evidence to date that grammatical computations are shared across languages in bilingual speakers,” says Blanco-Elorrieta, who previously teamed up with Chen to create a calculator to measure multilingualism. “More broadly, because the brain appears to use a common neural system across languages, our findings offer new insight into how we communicate and learn new languages.”

This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (BCS-Grant 2446452) and the National Institutes of Health (R00 DC019973-01)."
Original publication date: Jun 15, 2026
https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2026/june/bilingualism-is-driven-by-a-single-neurological--grammar-engine-.html
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Organisée par l’Association des traducteurs de Chine (ATC), la 44e édition du Séminaire de traduction chinois-français s’est tenue le 12 juin à Beijing avec le soutien de l’Université de commerce international et d’économie (UIBE), qui célèbre cette année le 75e anniversaire de sa fondation.

La cérémonie d’ouverture a réuni Gao Anming, rédacteur en chef du Groupe de publication internationale de Chine (CIPG) et vice-président exécutif ainsi que secrétaire général de l’ATC, Chen Deqiu, vice-président de l’UIBE, ainsi que Huang Yulong, président de l’Institut de traduction du CIPG et vice-président de l’ATC.

Plus de 40 experts et traducteurs ont participé au séminaire. Ils représentaient notamment l’Institut de recherche sur l’histoire et la littérature du Parti communiste chinois (PCC), le ministère chinois des Affaires étrangères, le ministère chinois des Ressources naturelles, l’Agence de presse Xinhua, China Media Group (CMG), le CIPG, l’Université des langues et de culture de Beijing, l’Université des études internationales de Beijing, l’UIBE et d’autres universités.

Les participants ont procédé à un échange approfondi sur les équivalents français de plus d’une centaine de termes chinois, couvrant des domaines aussi variés que la politique, la diplomatie, l’économie, le commerce, les sciences et technologies, l’écologie, l’éducation et le bien-être. Les discussions ont abouti à un consensus largement partagé. Les résultats de ces travaux seront rendus publics dans les prochaines semaines.

Suivez China.org.cn sur Twitter et Facebook pour rejoindre la conversation."
http://french.china.org.cn/china/txt/2026-06/15/content_118549207.htm
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

How a new “dictionary for rappers” is helping writers rhyme by continuing an ancient Chinese tradition

 

"The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Reverse Edition) has been compiled by the Institute of Linguistics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and published by The Commercial Press, China’s oldest modern publishing house and publisher of this magazine. The book quickly gained traction online after being humorously dubbed “a dictionary customized for rappers.”

 

 

 

 

Tracing the Evolution of the Modern Chinese Language:

 

 

 

 

Letters of Revolution: The Failed Movement to Eradicate Chinese Characters

 

Two-Way Communication: How China Adopted Japanese Terms to Discuss Modernity

 

How China Adopted Western Punctuation

 

While the first modern English dictionary, A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson, was compiled in 1755, the modern Chinese equivalent has a much shorter history. Since the early 20th century, along with the search for a modern national identity, intellectuals have sought to standardize spoken Chinese and replace classical Chinese with vernacular writing to form a modern unified language. The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary, first published in 1978, emerged from this quest for standardization—its more than 56,000 entries are a comprehensive standard for the language, setting the model for modern Chinese lexicography.

 

 

 

 

The new reverse edition is based on the seventh edition of The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary from 2016, with minor updates. Where the standard edition lists words in alphabetical order according to the pinyin (romanized spelling) of their first character, the reverse edition organizes multi-character entries, which make up the majority of Chinese words, according to the pinyin of their final character. For instance, the reverse dictionary collects 236 words under the character 心 (xīn, heart), including 耐心 (nàixīn, patience), 良心 (liángxīn, conscience), and 野心 (yěxīn, ambition).

 

 

 

 

For editor Chen Yuqing, who worked on the latest edition on and off over the past eight years, this broadens the reverse dictionary’s appeal beyond just literary reference. “It’s extremely functional, and fun to keep around,” says Chen, “you can even use it as an encyclopedia.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under 心 (heart), related words ending in the same character are grouped together (Jiayu Zhang)

 

 

 

 

Li Yuming, President of the China Association for Lexicography and noted linguist, explained how this works in an April interview with Guangming Daily. Li notes that Chinese nouns often follow one of two structural patterns: a modifier preceding a head noun, as in 金 (gold) + 鱼 (fish) = 金鱼 (goldfish); or a lexical stem followed by a suffix such as 子 (-zi), as in 儿子 (son) and 妻子 (wife). Because the reverse dictionary organizes entries by their final character, all nouns with the same head and suffix appear together, essentially grouping related concepts and objects like trees, flowers, or horses. Looking up the character 星 (xīng, star), for example, opens up a world of celestial objects, from comet (彗星 huìxīng) and Mars (火星 huǒxīng), to supernova (超新星 chāoxīnxīng).

 

 

 

 

The reverse dictionary is also a powerful aid for poets and songwriters looking to create rhymes. China’s extended history of classical poetry comes with a long tradition of rhyming dictionaries, the earliest surviving examples of which date back to the seventh century. A particularly voluminous rhyming dictionary was compiled in the 18th century for literati to look up word origins and literary allusions, spanning 444 volumes and including around 10,000 characters across 1.4 million entries.

 

 

 

 

The first modern iteration, compiled in 1987, continued this ancient tradition. “It was by reader demand—people who wanted to write poetry or conduct lexical research,” explains Chen. In standard Chinese, a syllable consists of an initial (a consonant sound), a final (the vowel-based component that follows), and a tone mark. Words rhyme when they share the same or similar finals, regardless of the initial. Because the reverse dictionary includes a syllable index arranged by finals—such as gua, kua, hua—a writer can quickly find all characters and multi-character words that end with a chosen sound, making it much easier to find rhyming words that fit their work.

 

 

 

 

Compiling a dictionary of this scale and complexity is no easy feat. According to Chen, the six months leading up to release were intense, as the manuscript underwent more than 10 meticulous proofreading cycles. Since the launch, Chen has been monitoring the book’s reception online, much of which jokes about its usefulness for rappers who produce awkward bars, as well as examples, such as A-do’s notorious gaffe, of forced rhyming in pop lyrics. One netizen exclaimed, “Finally, rap lyrics could use such literary refinement.”

 

 

 

 

“We highlight a few aspects and explain how to use the dictionary,” says Chen, “but some readers have explored it on their own and uncovered things that, honestly, go even further than what we intended or noticed ourselves.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seventh edition of the Contemporary Chinese Dictionary, released in 2016, added more than 400 new words and expressions, including terms such as 二维码 (QR code) and 人工智能 (artificial intelligence), along with nearly 100 new meanings for existing entries (Jiayu Zhang)

 

 

 

 

Xu Chen, an editor of eight years’ experience at Nanjing Publishing House, is among the dictionary’s earliest recipients. Specializing in classical Chinese texts, Xu finds the dictionary extremely useful. “Sometimes in my work, I come across words with an obscure first character, and the reverse dictionary is perfect for those situations.” The dictionary’s unique structure allows him to reference these words according to the more familiar second character, streamlining his work. “It pairs really well with the standard edition,” adds Xu, who keeps both editions on his desk. “My first reaction when I got the dictionary was to show off the set to my colleagues.”

 

 

 

 

Xu also shared his pair on Xiaohongshu (RedNote), receiving thousands of likes and hundreds of comments on the post. Some users were surprised to find out about the new edition, since the standard Contemporary Chinese Dictionary has been a household name in China for decades as an essential reference text recommended by schools. Others recalled their experiences using the dictionary, with one junior high school student admitting that her classmate enjoys reading it for fun as a break from homework during evening study sessions.

 

 

 

 

But alongside the nostalgia and intrigue are doubts about whether a print dictionary is necessary in the digital age. “You can look up anything with your phone,” remarked one commenter. While dictionaries and other reference books still hold ground in the Chinese book market—The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary has sold over 70 million copies since it was first published, with sales peaking every year before the start of the school semester—their overall market share is shrinking, giving way to digital dictionaries, free apps, and the broader internet.

 

 

 

 

Internationally, English dictionaries like Merriam-Webster have long faced similar operational challenges, from the early impact of the internet, which made answers to lexical questions readily available online, to the rise of AI models allegedly trained on their copyrighted content without permission.

 

 

 

 

For editor Xu, however, dictionaries in China are not easily replaced by AI models. “Right now, AI isn’t an authoritative source. Only when it earns that authority can we start talking about whether it might replace traditional reference books,” he says. “Until then, we should continue making authoritative reference books and constantly refine and improve them.”

 

 

 

 

Rapid technological change may one day threaten the future of dictionaries, but it also relies on them in its own way by giving birth to hundreds of new Chinese words each year. Just this March, the Chinese translation for “token” in the context of AI—the basic unit of text that an AI model reads and generates—was officially standardized as 词元 (cíyuán, literally “text unit”) by the National Data Administration and China National Committee for Terms in Sciences and Technologies. Each update to the dictionary serves not only to standardize the language that everyone in a society relies on, but also to document the era that produced it. In that sense, there will always be a need for dictionaries and the lexicographers who make them.

 

 

 

 

https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2026/06/a-reverse-dictionary-of-modern-chinese/

 

#metaglossia 

 

#metaglossia_mundus 

One of the everyday challenges of police work is the language barrier

 

Sheriff’s Office implements language translation tech

 

“Obviously, there are non-English speakers in our area and this greatly assists us with being able to effectively communicate with them.”

 

One of the everyday challenges of police work is the language barrier. Officers often have to use translation services online or work with an interpreter to communicate. However, this can take considerable time. 

 

Earlier this month, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office announced that it is now implementing an artificial intelligence-based language translation software. 

 

Team members can access the tool through their body worn cameras. It is already being utilized for investigations, traffic stops and community events. 

 

The law enforcement agency’s team has access to 57 languages (with English being the base): Afrikaans, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Marathi, Maori, Nepali, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese and Welsh. 

 

“We’re always consistently looking for new and innovative ways to improve our public safety,” said PCSO traffic sergeant John Mullins. “Obviously, there are non-English speakers in our area and this greatly assists us with being able to effectively communicate with them.” 

 

Since the technology is artificial intelligence-based, it has an accuracy rate of 90 to 95%.

 

He added that the PCSO began a 90-day trial in November 2025 to “make sure things are functional and that it was actually beneficial.” The participating deputies provided feedback that was “overwhelmingly positive.” 

 

“Everyone who had access to it and used it in the field during the trial period spoke nothing but good things about how it bridged the barrier,” Mullins explained. 

 

The Sheriff’s Office received access to the tool through a partnership with public safety technology company Axon, which manufactures the agency’s body cameras. It is available to all certified law enforcement deputies in the field and at the Pinellas County Jail. Bailiffs at the county’s courthouses also have access to the technology. 

 

Additionally, multiple civilian team members at the Pinellas County Jail, including probation officers and medics, can utilize the software. 

 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Tampa Police Department have been utilizing artificial intelligence-based language translation technology as well. 

 

He said that there are many benefits to using the new system. Officers can “quickly and effectively communicate with people in emergency situations.” Additionally, the technology “drastically reduces the wait time in trying to get someone who speaks that language to the scene or potentially waiting on the phone on a language line.” 

 

PCSO team members can access vital information firsthand and alert other responding units if necessary. 

 

Mullins explained that the software can also “reduce frustration with the citizen, allowing for “a much more fluid and natural conversation.” They can communicate with officers in real time without a delay. These individuals, he added, are “usually not going through their happiest hour.” 

 

More languages will be added over time as Axon expands the technology. According to the PCSO, deputies have reported two languages that are not represented: Creole and Albanian."

Michael Connor

June 15, 2026

 

https://stpetecatalyst.com/sheriffs-office-implements-language-translation-tech/

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The decision comes after several incidents that drew criticism from journalists and fans. The most striking one occurred before Brazil’s debut against Morocco, when a Spanish journalist asked Vinícius Jr. a question in English to comply with FIFA regulations, which until now had only allowed for English and the languages of the two participating teams.

 

FIFA will include Spanish in translations of all World Cup press conferences

 

 

 

 

FIFA will now allow simultaneous translation into Spanish at press conferences during the 2026 World Cup, following the controversy sparked by the exclusion of one of the official languages of Mexico, the tournament’s co-host alongside the United States and Canada.

 

 

 

 

A source close to the organization told AFP on Sunday that the translators available at the conferences are requested directly by each team according to their needs, but specified that Spanish will be incorporated into the interpretation system going forward.

 

 

 

 

AFP also confirmed that the FIFA website now offers the option of simultaneous translation into Spanish for press conferences.

 

 

 

 

The decision comes after several incidents that drew criticism from journalists and fans. The most notable incident occurred before Brazil’s debut against Morocco, when a Spanish journalist asked Vinícius Jr. a question in English to comply with FIFA regulations, which until now had only allowed for English and the languages of the two participating teams.

 

 

 

 

The Brazilian forward, who has played in Spain since 2018, interrupted the exchange and encouraged the journalist to continue in Spanish.

 

 

 

 

"Yes, you can," he said with a laugh.

 

 

 

 

However, a FIFA official cut off the exchange and reminded them that the language was not available in the interpretation system. Finally, Vinícius had to put on headphones to listen to the translation.

 

 

 

 

Similar situations occurred with other soccer players accustomed to speaking Spanish. Moroccan player Achraf Hakimi, born in Madrid, tried to help a Mexican journalist who was interrupted while asking a question in Spanish.

 

 

 

 

Dutch player Frenkie de Jong, of Barcelona, also downplayed the language used by a journalist before the match against Japan. The restriction sparked widespread criticism on social media, where users questioned why one of the most widely spoken languages on the continent was excluded from a World Cup partially hosted in Mexico."

 

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"JCCC inmates spend their sentences making Braille books for the blind

Joe Gamm/News Tribune Inmates working in the Center for Braille and Narration Production inside the Jefferson City Correctional Center have been involved in back-to-school activities. On Wednesday, Steve Hoffman was in the process of taking a textbook and putting it into a large-print format before the next school year begins.

A team of inmates in Jefferson City are keeping a 53-year-old program going at the Center for Braille and Narration Production.

This year, 53 men work at the Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC) translating thousands of pieces of printed material into Braille text for blind individuals around Missouri.

The center translates anything and everything into Braille: novels, textbooks, calendars, maps and magazines, and all in a variety of languages. It also does vocal narration for video content.

Founded in 1973, the Braille center is a "close-knit group of men," according to inmate Stuart Grebing.

Grebing, 62, has been incarcerated for more than half his life. The Cole County native is serving a life sentence after his conviction for first-degree murder and kidnapping in 1988.

According to court documents, Grebing and his girlfriend went to a Jefferson City home where visitors were known to use drugs. Grebing and another man took a third man, John Allen, from the residence and later returned without him. Allen's body was later found lying in tall weeds in an isolated area of Cole County.

Grebing bounced around the prison system for a number of decades until he received a good conduct convenience transfer to move to JCCC in 2023. Shortly after arriving at JCCC, Grebing began his six-month training for the Braille program.

"The worst part for me was the computers," he said.

After so many years in prison, Grebing was not very familiar with modern computer systems. He had experience as a machinist, but working all the programs needed for Braille translation proved to be a much different challenge.

Now with three years of experience, Grebing is one of the primary coordinators for the center within JCCC. On Wednesday, his office was filled with calendars for 2027 soon to be enhanced with Braille text. Grebing said the inmates have more than 9,000 calendars to get through before the new year arrives.

At the Braille center, inmates can be found working on computers formatting text and making sure everything lines up properly. Braille is comprised of a series of raised dots on paper arranged in particular patterns. Blind and hard-of-sight individuals run their hands along the page and use their sense of touch to read the letters. Grebing said it is important to "come at it from the perspective of the Braille reader" when translating.

Many of the center's work requests come from schools around Missouri. Teachers with incoming blind or hard-of-sight students can send books to the center to be translated into Braille at a low cost.

Inmates work from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. On Wednesday, 77-year-old Marvin Irvin worked on a translation of the Bible's Book of Joshua.

"We're in the binding department. We QC (quality-check) the QCs. If there's any errors, we send it back," he said.

Irvin, a former police officer, pleaded guilty to three Buchanan County murders in 1991, avoiding the death penalty. He is serving three life sentences for two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.

Irvin said the program has been a "godsend" for him as he spends the remainder of his life behind bars. Working six days each week gives him and other inmates at JCCC a task to break up the monotony of daily prison life, and it allows them to do some good in the process.

"They bring clients in every now and then. They are so grateful that we're doing this job," Irvin said. "It's a great reward. It makes me appreciate what we've done."

With limited resources, inmates at the center have to make the most with every piece of equipment they get. The center's designated handyman is Derrick Jones, a 45-year-old serving a life sentence for second-degree murder.

"Any electronic that we have in the center, it is my job to keep it operational," he said. "If a coffee pot goes down, it's trouble."

Individual Braille printers can cost the center more than $12,000, and sending individual parts back to Japan for repairs costs thousands more. After Jones joined the center in 2016, he committed to learning how to fix the printers and other equipment in-house to avoid the costly expenses.

Jones said he does not know what the exact budget for the center is, but he does know that being fiscally responsible is the best way to ensure it has everything it needs to operate smoothly.

"Sometimes I ask for stuff and I can't get it," he said.

Braille text expands accessibility for written material, but it can also be very cumbersome to produce. A single scientific computation can sometimes take up to 20 pages to reproduce. Inmate John "John John" Crowder said the center did a full translation of the King James Bible last year. The finished collection of volumes, each 150 pages, was two stories tall when stacked up, around 17 feet.

Crowder, who is serving a 50-year sentence for first-degree assault, assists other inmates in completing their training for Braille translation. Crowder's favorite part of working in the program is helping those in the local communities who are "overlooked at times."

In the front hallway of the Center for Braille and Narration Production is a string of letters from students thanking the inmates for translating books for them. Crowder described receiving notes from the same students from kindergarten all the way through high school. He said hearing from them each year brings him elation and joy."
June 14, 2026 by Jack Wardynski
https://www.newstribune.com/news/2026/jun/14/jc-inmates-spend-their-sentences-making-braille/
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The study of the neologisms of ‘nature in the city’ in a trilingual perspective within the Simulated Translation Bureau...

"Pascale Elbaz was invited to lead a session of a Simulated Translation Bureau, as part of the undergraduate program of the School of Languages and Translation Studies at the university of Turku (Finland). Her host were Tiina Tuominen and Leena Salmi, researchers in the English and French departments respectively. The aim was to introduce students to the study of the neologisms of ‘nature in the city’ in a trilingual perspective within the Simulated Translation Bureau.

The students were working for a simulated Finnish-French architectural agency which aim was to create urban projects integrating nature in the sustainable cities, both in France and in Finland. The proposed activity, with a total duration of 7 hours, consisted of two face-to-face sessions of three hours and 30 minutes each, with a break. Eighteen students attended the workshop. The working languages were Finnish, English and French. 

Three teachers from the Translation department took part in the workshop: Kalle Konttinen, Tiina Holopainen and Lea Huotari. They were able to participate in the discussions with the students and to help them make bridges between their learnings in class and this hands-on workshop, between theory and social implementation of neology.

This project explored how new terms emerge in different languages in the domain of ecourbanism. Students tracked terminology trends and assessed linguistic adaptation strategies, a useful competence when working in a specialised field. They participated in debates on the emergence of new terms, standardization, and cross-cultural terminology challenges."
https://eneoli.eu/grant/stsm-teaching-neologisms-of-nature-in-the-city-within-a-simulated-translation-bureau-in-the-university-of-turku-finland/
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