Linguistic diversity is a key aspect of what makes the Philippines the vibrant, colorful nation that it is. All across the many islands of this archipelagic country live diverse ethnolinguistic groups that collectively speak more than 180 languages. Most languages in the Philippines are related, but they’re also quite distinct from one another, with speakers generally unable to understand people from other regions. Tagalog has arisen as the national lingua franca, and Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Ilocano are examples of regional lingua francas—but at the local level, many Filipinos speak native languages like Ibaloi.
Ibaloi is a minority language in the northern Philippines spoken by about 120,000 people as a native language. Also known as Inibaloi or Nabaloi, the language consists of three distinct dialects: Bokod, Daklan, and Kabayan. To communicate with people from outside of the local community, Ibaloi speakers often learn Ilocano or Tagalog, which puts Ibaloi under threat of eventual extinction. That’s why most translation firms won’t cover it, but here at TranslationServices.com, we’re proud to offer our translation services to and from Ibaloi.
We’d love to provide a free quote for our Ibaloi translation services—you need but ask!
What is Ibaloi like as a language?
Let’s first zoom in on where exactly Ibaloi is spoken. The language is native to the northern part of Luzon, itself the northernmost major island in the Philippines. Most Ibaloi speakers come from the central and southern portions of the province of Benguet, with others hailing from eastern La Union and western Nueva Vizcaya. It comes from the Austronesian language family, as do most other languages in the Philippines, and it’s closely related to the significantly larger Pangasinan language.
As is common in Austronesian languages, Ibaloi employs a verb-initial sentence structure, where the verb comes first in a sentence. The subject comes next, with the object, if any, placed at the end. Pronouns in Ibaloi are complicated, with multiple forms for each pronoun serving different grammatical purposes. Pronominal forms may differ depending on whether the sentence is transitive (has an object) or intransitive (no object), and certain pronominal forms may precede the verb. But if this all sounds confusing, don’t worry—our Ibaloi translators are native speakers, so they know exactly how to navigate these challenges.
Providing diverse and flexible Ibaloi translation services for anyone
If you need Ibaloi translation services for any reason, we endeavor to cater to your specific needs. That’s why we’ve hired skilled Ibaloi translators from all across Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, and La Union, which allows us to accommodate the various dialects that the Ibaloi people use. Though our Ibaloi translators represent various dialects, translation specialties, and regions of the Ibaloi-speaking world, they’re united in their passion for their language and their desire to help bridge the communication gap between their people and the wider world. For translation both to and from Ibaloi, our team is here for you.
Indeed, we’re here for the academic researcher who needs their research materials translated into Ibaloi to interview the local community, as well as for the businessperson who wants to engage more closely with local Ibaloi speakers by publishing promotional materials in their language. We’re here for the local Ibaloi writers who have fascinating stories to tell the rest of the world but are limited by the language barrier, and we’re here for the foreign artists who want to share their novels, poems, short stories, movies, games, and other creations with an eager new audience in the northern Philippines. And if your document contains esoteric vocabulary or technical concepts, don’t worry—many of our translators have knowledge in a variety of fields.
If you’re looking for great Ibaloi translation services, you’ve found them. Contact us today to place your first order!