Mbyá Guarani interpreting and translation

Mbyá interpreting across three countries

Country shapes everything. A Mbyá speaker from Paraguay may also understand Paraguayan Guarani, while one from Brazil will more likely use Portuguese, and one from Misiones Spanish, as a second language. We never assume that a Paraguayan Guarani interpreter will be adequate for detailed or sensitive matters, and we confirm the speaker's language and community first.

Mbyá communities place great value on spoken tradition and religious knowledge, and some sacred speech uses a special register. Decisions may involve community leaders or elders, and some cultural and religious topics must be approached with care. Our interpreters are briefed on this before health visits, school meetings or land consultations. Remote video, through the SILA Linguists® app or your chosen platform, helps us reach Mbyá-speaking linguists in South America, and telephone interpreting can be booked whenever needed. Consultations are interpreted consecutively, and a male or female interpreter can be requested.

Mbyá Guarani translation and certified translation

Mbyá is written in the Latin alphabet with Guarani-style letters for nasal vowels and the glottal stop. Spelling conventions differ slightly between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, and education materials exist in all three countries, so we confirm the readership before translating health information, school materials or consultation documents.

Identity papers and civil records will be in Spanish if they come from Paraguay or Argentina, or in Portuguese if from Brazil. We certify English translations from either language with a signed accuracy statement, accepted by UK authorities such as courts, the Home Office and universities, and by employers.

Transcription for consultation and research

We transcribe community meetings, interviews and narratives with time codes and an English version, labelling passages in Paraguayan Guarani, Spanish or Portuguese. Recordings involving sacred speech are handled only with the community's agreement. Place names and personal names are checked against the spellings used in each country, so that transcripts and documents tally.

Sectors we support in Mbyá Guarani

Our vetted, trained and qualified Mbyá Guarani linguists can support health services, schools, land and community consultations, legal and identity advisers and researchers. SILA Linguists® assigns one coordinator to each project, and all linguists sign confidentiality agreements and follow UK GDPR.