Aceh is a unique part of Indonesia. Located at the northernmost tip of the island of Sumatra, Aceh is known for its substantial natural resources such as oil and natural gas. Aceh was also the birthplace of Indonesia’s Islamization, with the religion spreading into the country from Aceh. Aceh has a reputation as a rebellious province, having fought the Dutch and Japanese when they occupied the territory, and there have long been separatist sentiments in Aceh.
Aceh is comprised mostly of Aceh people, who speak the Acehnese language. Most people in Aceh also speak Indonesian, which is the lingua franca for the entire country and allows the various ethnic groups in Indonesia to communicate with one another, but given Aceh’s tendency toward sentiments of cultural independence, the Acehnese language is held in high regard. Around 3.5 million people speak Acehnese, but that doesn’t mean that a lot of translation companies offer translation services for the proud language. In fact, most don’t, since Acehnese is ultimately drowned out by Indonesian on the world stage. However, at TranslationServices.com, we believe in the value of Acehnese—and that’s why we have our own Acehnese translation team.
We’d love to provide a free quote for our Acehnese translation services—just reach out and ask for one!
Let’s learn about Acehnese!
Acehnese, which is spoken primarily in Aceh but also by some Acehnese descendants in other countries, like Malaysia, comes from the Malayo–Polynesian language family, a branch of the larger Austronesian family. Acehnese’s closest relatives—Chamic languages—are found not in Indonesia but in Cambodia and Vietnam, and linguists believe the language has been influenced by the Austroasiatic languages also spoken in those countries. Acehnese can be written in the Latin script or the Jawi script, a version of the Arabic script modified for Indonesian languages, but the Latin alphabet is more common nowadays.
Like other languages in Indonesia, Acehnese has a strict politeness system built into its pronouns, with three grades of politeness for the singular first- and third persons. The first-person plural comes in two varieties: one that includes the listener, and one that doesn’t. Acehnese is also classified as a fluid-S active–stative language, meaning the speaker can decide whether an actor is the agent or patient of an intransitive verb. If the actor has control over the action, an agentive marker is used, while a patientive marker is used when the actor does not have control over the action.
Acehnese translation services for all kinds of clients
Does Acehnese sound tricky? While many learners may agree, our native-speaking Acehnese translators don’t—translating between English and Acehnese is second nature for them. They’re trained to translate both from English to Acehnese as well as from Acehnese to English, so we can cover your translation needs, no matter what they are. Even if you have a historical document written in the traditional Jawi script, we can translate it! Acehnese also has a rich literature tradition that our team can translate into English and help spread Acehnese culture. Our translators can also help with English-to-Acehnese translations for, say, business documents, or pedagogical materials, or content like books, poetry, games, website, apps, and more. Creating more content in Acehnese helps the language thrive now and in the future.
Start on your Acehnese translation project today by sending us a message with the details.