How many languages do you think are spoken in the Philippines? You probably already know about Tagalog, and you might have heard of other major Philippine languages, such as Cebuano, Ilocano, or Hiligaynon. But these are only the tip of the iceberg, as more than 180 distinct languages are spoken all across the Philippines. Tagalog and English work as the multilingual nation’s lingua francas, necessary to tie the diverse country together at the national level. But locally, the various native languages of the country, such as Yakan, are still used vigorously.
Yakan is the first language of about 110,000 people, and although that’s much fewer than Tagalog, it nonetheless makes Yakan a relatively large indigenous language in the Philippines. However, the language’s relatively small speaker base does make it vulnerable to erosion from bigger languages, such as Tagalog and English at the national level and Chavacano, Cebuano, and Tausug at the local level. Though Yakan is a culturally important language whose use is encouraged in its native region, that doesn’t mean translation companies are apt to pick it up. Of course, we at TranslationServices.com are an exception, and it’s with pride that we offer Yakan translation services, with our brand-new team.
If you want to see a free quote for our Yakan translation services, we’d be happy to provide one! Sending a simple message is all you need to do.
Understanding Yakan, the native language of Basilan
The Philippines is comprised of over 7,000 islands, but today, we’re focusing on Basilan, a relatively large island off the northwestern coast of Mindanao, the southernmost major island in the Philippines. Around half of the ethnic Yakan people speak their ancestral language, with some non-Yakan residents of Basilan even learning the language. Of course, most Yakan speakers also learn the local lingua franca of Chavacano.
Yakan is an Austronesian language—this is true of most languages in the Philippines. Diving deeper, it hails from the Barito branch, a diverse grouping of languages spoken in the southern Philippines as well as Indonesian Borneo, Madagascar, and Mayotte. Zeroing in on Yakan’s roots, we see it comes from the Sama–Bajaw subgrouping, with the Sama–Bajaw languages maintaining an important presence in other islands in the southwestern Philippines. Yakan and its cousins in the area are distinct from most other languages spoken in the linguistically diverse country, making them particularly unique and all the more important to protect and preserve.
Our team is passionate about providing access to Yakan translation services.
Yakan is a culturally important and relatively large minority language in the Philippines, but if you’re looking for Yakan translation services, you can be hard-pressed to find them. We’ve worked hard to gather the best Yakan translation talent all in one place, so with us, you can access the exact services you need with ease. Our translators are native speakers of Yakan and truly love their language—and this passion translates into extra effort to deliver high-quality, accurate translations that suit your specific needs. This goes for both translation services from Yakan to English or from English to Yakan—we provide both!
The skills a translator needs to produce a great translation differs depending on the type of translation. A business translator requires a different skillset from a literary translator, who, in turn, is vastly different from an academic translator. But don’t worry, because no matter what kind of Yakan translation project you’re coming to us with, we probably have the right translator for you. We’ve specifically hired translators with different specialties and strengths, so all you have to do is let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll match you to the right expert. This even applies if you require a translator with subject expertise in a particular field!
Would you like to see just how much our Yakan translation team can transform your project? Contact us today to set the process in motion!
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