Most people don’t think of South America as exhibiting much linguistic diversity. Most countries in Latin America speak Spanish, after all. But in eastern South America, the strong hold of Spanish over the continent gives way to Portuguese in Brazil, English in Guyana, Dutch in Suriname, and French in French Guiana. And beneath the surface, you’ll find far more linguistic diversity, with hundreds of indigenous languages still proudly spoken by communities across various countries. Sometimes the same indigenous language is even split across multiple countries, such as with Macushi.
The number of Macushi native speakers is estimated at around 18,000, divided across three countries. However, less than half of the ethnic population speaks the language, and speakers constantly encounter Portuguese, English, and Wapishana (another indigenous language) in their daily lives, which puts increasing pressure on Macushi as it struggles for continued vitality in the modern world. At TranslationServices.com, we believe Macushi is just as valuable as these other languages and are proud to offer Macushi translation services to anyone who wants them.
If you send us a message requesting a free quote for our Macushi translation services, we’ll happily provide one.
Macushi: the biggest language in the Cariban family
Macushi, which can be spelled in various ways (alternatives include Makushi, Makusi, Macuxi, Macusi, and Macussi) and may also be called Teweya (or Teueia), is split among Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela, with the majority of speakers found in Brazil and Guyana. Specifically, Macushi speakers are concentrated in Brazil’s state of Roraima. It belongs to the Cariban language family, which spans various countries in northeastern South America, but most Cariban languages have few speakers, with Macushi emerging as the family’s biggest member.
Linguistically, Macushi is unique in a few ways. Notably, the language features a default word order of object-verb-subject, the world’s second-rarest word order, accounting for a mere 1% of global languages. However, a word order of subject-object-verb is also possible to highlight the subject. Both the subject and object are marked on verbs, with the object coming first. In intransitive sentences, which lack an object, Macushi uses a subject-verb word order, which may appear to contradict the transitive word order, but since Macushi is ergative, it treats transitive objects the same as intransitive subjects, which means that by Macushi syntax, its word order is perfectly consistent. Of course, though, this can make the language tricky to translate—but you can rely on our native-speaking Macushi translators.
Providing a full range of Macushi translation services
Whatever sort of translation services you’re seeking for Macushi, our team is here to help. Our team members hail from all around Roraima, Brazil, as well as southern Guyana, covering different dialects of Macushi. The complex syntax of the Amerindian language won’t trip them up, as they’re native speakers with a passion for bridging the gap between Macushi and the world. With specialists working in both translation directions—English to Macushi and Macushi to English—you can easily access the translation services you need.
What if you’re looking for a Macushi translator who specializes in a particular type of translation, such as academic translation, business translation, or literary translation? We have you covered! Our translators cover a diverse range of specializations, allowing us to translate everything from research surveys and educational materials for school-aged children, to business correspondence and advertisement copy for businesses and non-profits, to traditional Macushi folktales and modern-day media like apps and games. And since a lot of our Macushi translators also boast knowledge in fields outside of translation, we can even handle technical subject matter in various disciplines. If you have any special requests, just let us know, and we’ll do our best to set you up with our best Macushi translator for you.
If you want the best Macushi translation services on the web, just reach out and place your first order today!