Google Translate has recently expanded its language support to include 110 new languages, reaching approximately 614 million speakers. This is part of Google Translate’s 1,000 Languages Initiative, announced in late 2022. Some of the newly supported languages include Afar, Cantonese, Manx, NKO, Punjabi (Shahmukhi), Tamazight (Amazigh), and Tok Pisin.
The addition of these languages marks the largest expansion of Google Translate’s services, with the PaLM 2 Large Language Model (LLM) playing a key role in making these languages available on both desktop and mobile applications. Approximately a quarter of the newly added languages come from the African continent.
Google acknowledges the complexity of identifying and supporting new languages, as factors such as dialects and spelling variations can pose challenges. The company aims to select common language varieties in use while incorporating elements from related languages or dialects. Even languages that are quite similar, such as Seychellois Creole and Mauritian Creole, or Awadhi and Marwadi, have been included in this expansion.
The Translate team attributes the successful implementation of these languages to PaLM 2 LLM and plans to continue collaborating with native speakers and linguistics experts to support more languages in the future.
Despite not providing a complete list of the newly added languages, Google encourages users to explore the diverse range of languages now available on Google Translate. The company highlights the example of the Manx language, which has been revived from near extinction, and invites English speakers to discover Tok Pisin, an English-based creole language spoken in Papua New Guinea.
Overall, Google Translate’s expansion of language support represents a significant step towards breaking down language barriers and improving accessibility for millions of speakers worldwide. The company’s ongoing efforts to include more languages and dialects demonstrate a commitment to promoting linguistic diversity and inclusivity in the digital age.
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