Before we start talking about Laz translation, it is important to note that Laz is not a dialect but a native language of the South Caucasian language family. Laz is spoken in Rize’s Pazar, Ardeşen, Çamlıhemşin and Fındıklı districts located in the eastern Black Sea region and also in Arhavi, Hopa, Borcka and Murgul which are districts of Artvin. Although Laz is not spoken in a wide area, it has its own history and culture. We know that Laz is still spoken in some parts of Georgia, and Laz culture and literature studies are carried out in some universities. Laz has been categorized by UNESCO as one of the languages in danger of extinction. This is partly due to the migration of Laz people to big cities and the limited written resources of the language. The lack of an agreed-upon alphabet also complicates lexical, linguistic, and cultural studies. It is impossible not to appreciate the valuable work of Dr. Metin Erten, Dr. Aleksiva İrfan Çağatay, Nedim Candemir, İsmail Avcı Bucaklişi and Hasan Uzunhasanoğlu in this field.
Laz in Written and Oral Context
The fact that Laz is almost entirely oral is the reason why written sources are extremely limited. Seyahatname, written by Evliya Çelebi in the 17th century, is the oldest known written source of Laz. Even though Laz’s origin goes back many years, its extensive oral literature began to be recorded in the 19th century. Studies on making Laz a written language have not achieved the desired success due to various impossibilities and pressures. As a result, Laz translation is unfortunately rarely in demand today. In non-verbal cultural heritage studies, there is almost no need for Laz translation, apart from listening to the elderly Laz and deciphering and translating the audio recordings. Very rarely, in hospitals and official institutions, the small number of people who do not speak Turkish usually get help from their younger relatives. From time to time, these non-standard practices lead to significant social and legal problems such as the sharing of personal data and the inability to benefit from individual rights and freedoms.
Customers who require Laz language translation service should do their research well.
Fields of Laz Translation
Although the Laz language does not need many translation services in the small area where it is spoken, the existing demand for Laz translation should not be ignored. Laz people who don’t speak Turkish may need help with official documents and ask for both oral and written Laz translation services. Laz translation is required in the following areas:
– Documentary/Television Productions
– Academic/Scientific Research
– In institutions such as hospitals, courthouses
What to Look for in Laz Translation Services
Since few translators have both an oral and written command of Laz, you may find it difficult to find a Laz translation service. Laz is being spoken and written less and less, so the translation demand and interpreter capacity of this language are close to disappearing. Laz translation is mostly needed in the fields we mentioned above, and even minor inaccuracies can cause irreversible mistakes. You should make sure that the company/translators from which you receive services have supporting documents proving their knowledge of Laz. We recommend that you inquire about the skills of the translation company or freelance translator by calling their professional references directly. It would be best not to rush your Laz translation needs and work with translators after sufficient research.