Malaysia is famous globally for being a multicultural nation that is home to diverse races, ethnicities and religions that live harmoniously together.
Nothing exemplifies this unity in diversity more than the languages Malaysians use in normal day-to-day life, with many being able to switch from one language to another within the same sentence and still being understood by their fellow citizen.
Google Translate adds 110 new languages, including some Indigenous Malaysian languages
In fact, did you know that there are approximately 137 living languages in Malaysia? Well, for those who are seeking to learn some of these Indigenous languages, it’s now easier thanks to Google recently adding more language support in its translation web and app service, Google Translate.
In a press release, Google Translate announced that it’s using artificial intelligence (AI) to add 110 new languages to the service, some of which are languages used in Malaysia.
This marks the largest expansion of languages in Google Translate, which is possible thanks to Google’s PaLM 2 large language model.
You can now use Google Translate for Jawi, Iban, Minang and Cantonese
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From the list, there are at least 4 languages that are commonly used in Malaysia added to Google Translate, which are Iban, Minang and Cantonese.
Furthermore, Google Translate is now even supporting Bahasa Melayu written in the Jawi script by selecting the new Malay (Jawi) option.
For illustration purposes
In case you’re not familiar, the Iban language is the indigenous language of the ethnic group indigenous to Sarawak with the same namesake.
Meanwhile, Minang is the indigenous language of the Minangkabau people which is the ethnic majority in Negeri Sembilan, with roots in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
For illustration purposes
As for Cantonese, it’s widely spoken among Malaysian Chinese communities in various parts of Malaysia such as Ipoh, Klang Valley, Kuantan, Sarikei and more.
Awesome! So, what do you guys think of Google Translate adding support to more indigenous languages in Malaysia? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Also read: Impressive M’sian Polyglots Speak 6 Languages Each Including French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian & More!
