What you need to know
- Microsoft Translator and the Azure tech powering it are getting upgrades.
- In this instance, Translator is expanding the range of languages it supports.
- You can now use the app for the Zulu and Somali languages.
Not every translation app is going to support the language you need help with, meaning you may be out of luck if you're looking for one of the less common tongues out there. That's a problem Microsoft Translator is attempting to remedy, bit by bit, with updates and upgrades. The newest of said updates includes support for Somali and Zulu languages.
Microsoft's blog post announcing the new inclusions also features some trivia to educate yourself with, if you're in the mood to learn a little something about the two languages being added to Translator.
"The Zulu language is spoken by 12 million people in South Africa and neighboring countries," the post reads. "The Zulu language is in the Bantu language family, related to languages such as Swahili and Xhosa." It's also one of the 11 official languages of South Africa.
As for Somali, Microsoft has lore to share on that one, too. "The Somali language is spoken throughout the horn of Africa by more than 21 million people in Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and northern Kenya," says the post. "The language is in the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. It is related to languages such as Oromo, Afar, and Hadiyya."
Translator's upgrades aren't a surprise given that Microsoft is doubling down on its commitment to Azure AI and artificial intelligence model progress. Translator is just a small example of what's benefiting from Microsoft leveling up Azure and the multitude of products it powers. For example, check out the newly launched ID@Azure program.
