You are probably not up in arms about the fact that Google Translate doesn’t offer Welsh — but some Welsh residents are.
Most Americans think of Wales as an English-speaking country, but the small nation actually has two official languages: English and Welsh. 37.7% of Welsh children between 3 and 15 years old can speak Welsh, and interest in the language is on the upswing.
A recent article from WalesOnline emphasizes Welsh dismay at their language’s being ignored by Google Translate. Journalist Sally Williams points out that the computerized translation service offers Latvian, Galician and Maltese — but not Welsh.
“The snub has angered language campaigners,” reports Williams. “Bethan Williams, chair of the Language Act Group — Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: ‘For a multi-national company like Google failing to consider the Welsh language with translating tools is disgraceful. They offer translation services in Arabic, Hindi, Maltese and a host of other languages so why not Welsh?'”
The group has a point — at least as far as Maltese is concerned. The Maltese language, spoken in the European island nation of Malta, has only 371,900 speakers worldwide, compared to Welsh’s 750,000. But one can certainly understand why Arabic, with its 280 million native speakers, and Hindi, which boasts at least 400 million native speakers, would take precedence over Welsh in Google’s business plan.
