Russia is a huge country, so inevitably, it contains a wide range of languages spoken within it. While much of the population speaks Russian out of necessity, countless indigenous languages are spoken regionally, most of which face endangerment due to the widespread use and prestige of Russian in the country. Nowhere is the linguistic situation in Russia more diverse than in the northern Caucasus region, which is home to the Abaza language, among many others.
Abaza hails from the Caucasus, one of the most linguistically diverse corners of the world. Although the language has around 50,000 speakers, it has been classified as “definitely endangered,” which means that many children are not learning it. This is because the 40,000 Abaza speakers in Russia are shifting to Russia, while the 10,000 in Turkey are shifting to Turkish. The death of a language often also spells the death of a culture and a people’s identity, so even though many other translation companies ignore Abaza, we at TranslationServices.com are passionate about offering translation services for Abaza. After all, we believe in the value of this language.
Free price estimates for our Abaza translation services are available if you message us and request one.
Characteristics of Abaza
Abaza is native to Russia’s Karachay-Cherkess Republic, which borders the country of Georgia. In Russia, Abaza is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, like Russian, while speakers in Turkey use a Latin-based orthography. The language is part of the Northwest Caucasian language family and is closely related to Abkhaz, spoken in the de facto state of Abkhazia, which is internationally recognized as part of Georgia. Like other Northwest Caucasian languages, Abaza features a highly synthetic verbal system with relatively few nominal cases.
Abaza is an ergative language, which makes it tricky for English speakers to grasp. Instead of treating the subjects of transitive and intransitive subjects the same, as in most European languages, Abaza treats intransitive subjects and transitive objects (i.e., the actor affected by an action) the same and transitive subjects (i.e., the actor performing an action) differently. Verbs are placed at the end of sentences in Abaza, and relative clauses come before the nouns they modify. In its pronouns, Abaza makes gender distinctions in both the third person and the second person, and even includes a third-person pronoun for non-human referents.
Our Abaza translators are aware that their language is tricky, but they love it nonetheless and are eager to provide Abaza translation services.
Our Abaza translation services are made to accommodate your needs.
What kind of Abaza translation services are you looking for? Our team is staffed with translators specializing in Abaza-to-English translation as well as English-to-Abaza translation, so we’re confident we can cater to your needs—regardless of whether you’re using the Cyrillic or Latin alphabet for Abaza. From historical documents to culturally rich literature, we’re eager to translate Abaza-language materials into Abaza, which historians and everyday Abazins can use to share their history and culture. Similarly, we’re ready to translate English-language content like surveys, educational content, books, games, and websites into Abaza, creating more content for Abaza speakers and learners to enjoy and helping ensure the continued survival of their precious language into the future.
Would you like Abaza translation services? There’s no time like the present to reach out and discuss your project.