Palauan Translation & Interpretation Services
Palauan language
Providing Professional Translation, Interpretation, and Localization services in Palauan and more than 300 other languages and dialects.
Autonym(s)
a tekoi er a Belau
Number of Speakers
Native Speakers: 17,000
Geographic Distribution
Palau, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
Official or Recognized Status
Palau
Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian
Features
An Austronesian (Micronesian) language notable for its verb-initial word order (often VSO) and a highly developed system of verbal morphology that marks tense, aspect, mood, and voice directly on the verb. It features a complex system of agreement that shows the relationships between the verb and its arguments, as well as extensive use of particles and affixes to convey grammatical nuance. Palauan also makes heavy use of loanwords—especially from Japanese, English, and Spanish—reflecting its colonial history, and it is written using a standardized Latin-based orthography that closely represents its phonology.
Dialects
Palauan shows relatively limited dialect variation compared to many other Pacific languages, with differences occurring mainly between Koror (the urban and political center) and the outlying states of Babeldaob. These regional varieties differ subtly in pronunciation, intonation, and some vocabulary, but they remain fully mutually intelligible. Because Koror has long been the hub of government, education, and media, its variety has become the de facto standard. More distant island languages such as Sonsorolese and Tobi (Hatohobei) are sometimes grouped with Palauan for geographic reasons, but they are separate languages, not true Palauan dialects.
Writing System
Latin script (formerly katakana)
U.S. Distribution
In the United States, Palauan is spoken almost entirely within Palauan immigrant and diaspora communities, with the largest concentrations in Hawaiʻi, California, Guam-related mainland networks, Texas, and parts of the Pacific Northwest. Migration increased after Palau entered into the Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the U.S., allowing Palauans to live and work freely in the country. As a result, Palauan is maintained through family networks, community organizations, churches, and cultural events, though English is dominant for most second-generation speakers.
At Latitude Prime, we provide Palauan translation, Palauan interpretation, and Palauan localization services across various specialized subject areas and multiple dialects. Whether you need to translate SSA documents from English into Palauan, need a Palauan interpreter for a business meeting in Palau, or want to localize your website into Palauan to market your products or services in Palau, Latitude Prime has the customized language solution to meet all your Palauan language needs.
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