Languages are systems of units and rules that serve the members of language communities as means of communication. Less than half of the approximately 6,000-7,000 known languages are actually spoken or passed on to a significant extent. At present, the most common 50 languages are spoken as mother tongues by about 80% of humanity (if one also considers their spread as second languages, their share rises to 90%). The relevance of a language for translation is determined not only by its distribution but also by the economic dynamics of its community of speakers. Consequently, the import/export dynamics and the degree of innovation in the field of industry and technology are decisive for technical translation. Political factors also play a role, such as the role of a language in a governmental context or in an international organisation, or the existence of a second language for historical or cultural reasons. The obligation to provide technical documentation and specialist translations may be mandatory. The availability of qualified technical translators for a particular language ultimately depends on all these factors as well as the quality of the relevant training system.

Important languages for technical translation are (according to subgroups, sorted alphabetically)

If you need a technical translation from or into one of these (or from or into another) language, please ask us for a free quote.