What is a Dialect?
A dialect’s distinguishing characteristics are its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. When we talk about dialects we may be referring to different types of phenomena.
Translating Dialects and Niche Languages
Translating dialects and niche languages is a challenge for a professional. There are some essential steps in such a process.
Definitions
First of all, translators must define exactly what they are dealing with and ask themselves certain questions.
1. Is this a Dialect?
A dialect, as we have seen, is a very specific linguistic phenomenon, often occurring alongside a dominant language. A translator’s work is typically to translate a dialect of a very specific area to the dominant language in the area and vice-versa. Such a situation would happen, for instance, when a person who only speaks Moroccan Arabic dialect, must communicate with medical professionals who know little of such dialect and mostly communicate in Modern Standard Arabic.
Hope this helps!
