For what purpose would you need an Amharic translator? Well, there’s plenty of compelling reasons. If you’re a foreigner or a traveler in Ethiopia, someone who converts their language into your own tongue can certainly be a great help.
Amharic is one of the two official languages of Ethiopia, the other being the Oromo language. It is also known as Kuchumba or Amarinya, which is sometimes spelled as Amarigna or Amharinya. It’s primarily spoken by people in the central highlands. Amharic is the second most widely spoken Afro-Asiatic language in the world, next to Arabic. It is not only one of Ethiopia’s official languages but the official language of some of the regional states in the country.
The Southwest Semitic group speaks this language. The language also has similarities and relationships to other languages such as Tigrinya, Tigré, and the South African dialects. Amharic is a fairly difficult language to learn, which means an Amharic translator can be an extremely valuable tool for your needs. Below are some facts about the Amharic language.
Amharic History
The Amhara region in northern Ethiopia is where the Amharic language originated. Around the 11th century AD, the Ethiopian Empire moved its base to Amhara, which helped to spread the language’s influence. Amhara is an ethnic group in the central highlands in the north of Ethiopia. By the 14th century, the Amharic language became the official language of the country.
Although it is spoken primarily by people in Amhara, many other groups that are not related in the area adopted the Amharic language. The oldest existing records that use Amharic are in poems and songs, which date back to the 14th century. On the other hand, significant literature that uses the language only began sometime around the 19th century.
The Amharic Alphabet
The script used in writing the Amharic language is not easily Romanized. No university agrees on a single way to convert Amharic into the Roman or Latin script. Compared to the Roman alphabet, the Amharic alphabet is much more ornate. English and Amharic are quite different from each other, but they are also similar in the fact that the latter is a gendered language as well.
Its alphabet is written left-to-right, which uses a system originating from Ge’ez. The alphabet is also adapted mostly from Semitic languages. Amharic’s writing system is known as fidal, which means “alphabet,” “script,” “character,” or “letter.” It is called abugida as well, as the language follows consonant-vowel sequences.
Its alphabet has 33 basic characters. Every one of these characters has seven forms based on the vowel used. Perhaps one of the good things about Amharic, especially if you want to learn the language, is that there is not a great difference in its dialects. This means it will not be much difficult or confusing to learn the varieties of the language as well.
Besides using male and female pronouns, one interesting characteristic of the Amharic language is how you can use those pronouns to convey emotions. In English, the word ‘female’ can connote or symbolize being delicate. In Amharic, these two words are actually synonymous. This is an example of how ornate or descriptive Amharic is, a complex but beautiful language.
Other languages influenced Amharic, particularly the Cushitic languages. In the central part of Ethiopia and the main cities, the Amharic dialects spoken are highly influenced by Agawe, Oromo, and Arabic languages. But besides Oromo and Amharic, English has also become widely spoken in Ethiopia, and is also influencing Amharic.
Amharic Speakers
You will find that most Amharic speakers can speak other languages such as Arabic, Tigrinya, Afaan Oromo, and even English. In the U.S., it is actually the third most spoken language of African origin. Speakers of the Amharic language are in Italy, Israel, and many other European countries. There are about 21 million people who speak Amharic worldwide.
Amharic is part of the curriculum in most elementary and secondary schools in Ethiopia, as expected since it is an official language. In the U.S., various universities also offer a course to learn the Amharic language. In other developed countries, Amharic is also an elective course. It goes to say a lot of people speak the language and learning it can be useful in various ways.
How Can an Amharic Translator Help You?
The Amharic language is, for the most part, a language wholly its own. It does not have much English influence, which makes it relatively hard to Romanize the language. While many aggregator translators and apps like Google Translate support Amharic, the resulting translation is often general transliteration. So, the results can be a hit or miss.
If you are someone migrating to Ethiopia, studying, or starting a business there, you can’t afford an inaccurate translation. An Amharic translator can help craft documents converted from another language to Amharic or vice versa. But of course, the excellent results you are looking for will depend on finding a suitable translator.
On that note, below are some pointers that can help:
Choose between a general translator or a specialized translator
A general Amharic translator is someone who can produce broad translations. If you are looking to convert a legal or medical document, a general translator won’t be able to help much. That’s because they likely don’t know the correct terminologies that apply. As such, it is best to hire a specialized translator for documentations.
But if you need to translate a website into Amharic, then a general translator is good enough. Of course, don’t forget to ensure that the translator you hire has the skills and expertise you need. With that said, you can contact Bunny Studio to get to know more about our translators. Rest assured, they can tackle all kinds of translation projects.
Pick either a translation agency or a freelance translator
You have several options for an Amharic translator – use an aggregator tool or translator app, hire a freelance translator, or enlist the help of a translation agency. We highly recommend you choose either of the last two options as a human translator is the only way you can be sure of an accurate translation.
Bunny Studio is partial to hiring an agency, but a freelance translator is great as well since the price is more competitive. If you only have one or two documents to translate into Amharic and don’t think you will need more, then a freelancer is good enough. But if it’s a bulk translation project or a certified document, an agency with more translator options is better.
Decide the language to translate Amharic into
What language do you want your document or website to be converted into? Or perhaps it’s the other way around, and you want to translate them into Amharic? Either way, decide the language first so you can find a suitable translator. Between a non-native and a native speaker, the latter will have a higher level of translation skills.
But that does not mean that a non-native Amharic speaker can’t provide an excellent translation. On that note, you must find out the qualifications of the speaker and the language they specialize in. The more you know about their skills and experience, the better you can decide on whether to hire them or not.
Prepare your initial requirements
Once you found the Amharic translator you need, time to prepare your initial requirements. Translating any piece of text can be important. However, some are more vital than others. More importantly, there is a level of detail to apply depending on what it is you want to be converted into Amharic or vice versa.
If you are looking to translate contracts, legal documents, or medical correspondence, then the level of accuracy is even more important. When hiring a translator, we advise that you decide the importance of the quality of the translation beforehand. It is another factor that helps you find the right translator since not all are the same.
Amharic Translation Services Offered by Bunny Studio
Translation agencies have a wide range of services they offer. It means you can hire an Amharic translator for various projects, whether a simple email or a legal document. With professional linguists, you will be able to rely on them for translating a wide array of documents. Some of the services they offer include:
Certified translation of important documents
This includes translating birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, death certificates, adoption documents, and more. If you need a certified Amharic translation of documents, a professional translation can help.
Translation of papers in various fields
Field-specific translators can help convert Degrees, Academic Licenses, Diplomas, Academic Certificates, Wills, Probates, Affidavits, Court Papers, Police Clearance, and more. If it’s a translation related to a specific field, an expert is the better choice.
Website translation
Website translation is also a standard service offered by translators. If your online store’s target audience is Ethiopian, translating the pages into the language helps a lot. This way, you can let them know about your products and services without worry.
Audio dubbing and video subtitling
Dubbing an audio project and subtitling a video are also a form of translation. You can ask a translator to create a translation of audio or video content, then either dub or add a subtitle to them. It’s a way to make it easier to convey your message to your audience.
The best thing about professional translators is the confidentiality they promise. All translations they handle are treated confidential, so they make sure all information about your documents is a secret. Moreover, many translation agencies thrive in a quick turnaround. It means you can receive the translation back the soonest as possible.
Bunny Studio Translators at Your Service
Many translator tools support Amharic. But if you need a certified and accurate translation, it is best to hire a professional. A professional Amharic translator at Bunny Studio is someone with the credentials to convert any text to Amharic. With this, you can rest assured that you will always receive the correct translation.
