Scots, Creoles and The Importance of Book Translations

There are endless variations of English based languages, some old and gone, some old and surviving and some new and ever developing. Essentially any form of widespread slang, especially when it gives birth to a unique and varied vocabulary, can be unofficially regarded as a language. The colonisation and trade conducted by the British Empire in parts of Africa and the Caribbean leaves its mark today, not only in the architecture and infrastructure, but in the languages spoken by the people.

Jamaican Creole is one of the most famous hybrid languages, mixing its English parents roots with an exotic, West African style of grammar. Creole literature and poetry is popular today in relevant cultures, venting itself occasionally in more widespread art forms such as Reggae music. Creole poems and stories often seem impossible to decipher to non natives and although spending time on the material can prove rewarding, it is unlikely to ever become globally popular. Dialects that have close ties to the modern English language exist everywhere and each and every one has an artistic culture of poetry, literature and song. Book translation services have become increasingly popular amongst businesses and artistic entities wishing to explore materials born of the English language branches seldom uncovered. This activity holds special meaning in the UK because of the enormous amount of Scots literature – often important in historical terms – that is waiting to be proliferated via translation.

The Scots language of course stretches back further in time than the colonised dialects and has a much more indefinable quality. The difference between a dialect and a language is eternally up for debate, but recent surveys suggest that the majority of Scottish adults do not consider Scots a true language. Local variations only serve to muddy the waters and prevent any sort of seal of approval with regards to its ever pending language status. In recent Scottish history, the Scots language has been castigated to the point of ridicule. By the 18^th century the intelligentsia of Scotland sought to rebuke the language in the interest of ‘forward thinking’.  Read more about Book translation services.

However, in our modern world there is an acceptance of the various Anglophone off-shoots and, furthermore, an appreciation of their cultural importance. The translation of literature plays an enormous role in the ever-developing understanding that UK scholars are able to achieve with regards to the various creoles and dialects that exist. It’s nice to realise that translation services are not just corporate tools – they are processes which help us, as a society, progress intellectually.