Manjui interpreting and translation

Interpreting for a small Chaco community

Our first step is to confirm which languages the person speaks well. Many Manjui speakers know Spanish, and some know Nivaclé, which may offer a practical route for a short appointment. If Manjui itself is necessary, for example in a sensitive health discussion or an identity matter where precision counts, we provide a community interpreter and work through Spanish relay into English.

We keep sessions short and check understanding at regular points. Remote video is the most practical option, on the SILA Linguists® app or your preferred conferencing system, and a telephone line can be arranged at any hour. Community consultations are interpreted consecutively, with time for discussion, and clients can ask for a male or female interpreter. If the client has moved between Paraguay and Salta, we note both places.

Classification, translation and certified documents

Chorote is usually described as two closely related languages, Iyo'wujwa Chorote and Iyojwa'ja Chorote, and the Paraguayan Manjui are generally placed with Iyo'wujwa Chorote. Classifications have differed over time, so we treat them with caution and rely on what the community itself says.

Chorote has a modest written tradition in the Latin alphabet, produced mainly through education and documentation work in Paraguay and Argentina. For most purposes a Spanish text with spoken explanation reaches more people, and we can prepare both. Official documents from Paraguay and Argentina are in Spanish; we certify English translations of them with a signed accuracy statement, accepted by UK authorities such as courts, the Home Office and universities.

Transcription for documentation

With few speakers, every good recording of Manjui matters to researchers and to the community. We transcribe interviews and narratives with time codes and an English or Spanish version, labelling passages in Nivaclé, Guarani or Spanish and flagging unclear words for review rather than guessing at them.

Settings for our linguists in Manjui

Our vetted, trained and qualified Manjui linguists can support healthcare programmes in the Chaco, community consultations, research and documentation teams, and advisers helping with identity and legal documents. SILA Linguists® gives each request one coordinator, and all linguists sign confidentiality agreements and follow UK GDPR, protecting the privacy of a community where everyone is known.