Google Translate adds support to 24 new languages including 8 Indian languages. Ten of the new additions are in Africa, including Lingala, Twi and Tigrinya.
“For years, Google Translate has helped break down language barriers and connect communities all over the world,” the US-based company said.
“The new languages range from Bhojpuri, which is spoken by as many as 50 million people in northern India, Nepal and Fiji, to Dhivehi with its estimated 300,000 speakers in the Maldives.”
“For many supported languages, even the largest languages in Africa that we have supported – say like Yoruba, Igbo, the translation is not great. It will definitely get the idea across but often it will lose much of the subtlety of the language,”—Isaac Caswell, Google Translate research scientist, BBC report.
“In the end, we have to make the call. And my impression from other people I have talked to was that it was a very positive thing for them,” Mr Caswell said.
Google Translate are Assamese, Bhojpuri, Dogri, Konkani, Maithili, Mizo and Meiteilon (Manipuri).
The new addition of 8 Indian languages also includes Sanskrit.
“Sanskrit is the number one, most requested language at Google Translate, and we are finally adding it,” Isaac Caswell, Google Translate research scientist.
“We are also adding the first languages from northeast India, which is another rather underrepresented place.”
