Everyone knows about Ukraine in 2023 as the country has been struggling with Russia over a war. Ukraine is in Eastern Europe. It has its borders with Belarus. Ukraine is the second largest European country. The capital city is Kyiv and also the largest city in the country. The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian and interestingly Russian is also one of the important languages in the country which most people speak in the eastern and southern parts.
Ukraine happened to gain independence status in 1991 after the Soviet Union dissolved. Ukraine practices a semi-presidential system and is a unitary state. When it comes to the economy and GDP it contributes, it is one of the poorest countries in Europe and as the experts chip in the main reason for this poverty is corruption. Ukraine is a founding member of the United Nations and has also been a member of the Council of Europe. Interestingly, Ukraine used to be one of the largest grain exporters in the world before indulging in war with Russia.
Languages of Ukraine With Their Origin
As per the Ethnologue, there are 40 minority languages in Ukraine. Ukraine has been home to multiple cultures over the centuries. This place has hosted many dynasties and consequently, it is home to a variety of ethnic groups and these languages are casually spoken on the streets of Ukraine.
Back during the days of the Soviet Union, they had this policy of in-migration for Russians and out-migration for Ukraine throughout the Ukrainian Soviet socialist republic. Soon as the 21st century approached ethnic Ukrainians became to three-fourths of the total population.
Russians are the largest minority in Ukraine and contribute to one-fifth of the population. Other minorities include Belarusians, Moldovans, Bulgarians, Poles, Romanians, and other groups. These all are the ethnic groups that happened to be the reasons for different languages that made their ground in Ukraine.
All these details are important to work on the Ukrainian to English translation services. There could be different reasons for translating the content starting from business, studies, training, and a lot more.
The important languages of the Ukraine are:
Ukrainian
It is the official language of Ukraine and is spoken by the majority of the population making up 73 % of the total population. It is an East Slavic language that is closely related to Russian, but it also has some distinct features. Ukrainian is the native language of Ukrainians. It is descended from the old East Slavic language.
Writing System
Cyrillic script is used to write the Ukrainian. This language is regulated by the National Academy of Sciences.
DIaletcs of Ukrainian
There are three major dialects of the Ukrainian language.
These are
- The southwestern group
- Southeastern Group
- Northern Group
All these groups have a further division of dialects too, depending on the regions and places. It is important that people who are involved in translation services either for website translation or professional software translation services understand that dialects are important to consider while offering translations.
Russian Language
Russians, as mentioned above are the largest group of minorities. Likewise, Russian is the second most widely spoken language in Ukraine and is used by about 11% of the population as a first language. Many government institutions and institutes also opt for it while communicating. Russian to Ukrainian translation is also one of the important language pair other than the Ukrainian to English translation.
Writing System
Russian is also written with the Cyrillic alphabet, but it uses a different alphabet than Ukrainian.
Yiddish Language
It is a historical language of Ukraine and is still spoken by about 9% of the population. It is a Germanic language that came to Ukraine with Jewish immigrants centuries ago. Historically, the Jewish were always there in the large number in Ukraine. Western Ukraine was particularly full of these people and they used to speak the Yiddish language among each other.
Writing System
Yiddish is written with the Hebrew alphabet.
Dialects
There are four main dialects of the Yiddish language.
- Northwestern, which they speak in Northern Germany and the Netherlands.
- Midwestern is spoken in central Germany.
- Southwestern which they speak in France.
- Eastern Yiddish is the dialect that they speak in Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, and surrounding regions.
English Language
The people of Ukraine have limited English proficiency. However, they have been getting the knowledge of the language massively. Comparing the data from the past years to that of today makes it apparent that the Ukrainian people speak impeccable English language now. As per the latest news the official authorities have also been considering this language for international communication.
English is a West Germanic language and a strong part of indo European language family. This language has the grammar and vocabulary in West Germanic but most of these words are from French and Latin.
Writing System
Latin system is used to write the English language.
Dialects
The dialects of the English language are abundant and numerous. This language has been twisted and treated the most in terms of accent and vocabulary. Hence, the people in Ukraine have their own dialect and accent while speaking English.
The two famous variants of the English language are
- American English
- British English
German Language
German is another important language of the Ukraine. It is a minority language in the country, but it is still spoken by about 2% of the population. There is a significant number of German people who live in western Ukraine. German is the most important foreign language, particularly after the English language. It is also a popular language for translation agencies that offer professional software translation services.
Writing System
German is written with the Latin alphabet.
Dialects
The German language has eighteen dialects in general. German is spoken differently all across Europe.
Conclusion
Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe. It is a below-average country when it comes to economy and contribution to the world’s GDP. Ukrainian is the official language. Ukraine has been historically a happening place where different ethnic groups invaded and stayed. Consequently making a place for the important language such as Russian, Yiddish, English, and German among a few others. It is important that translation agencies understand and have profound knowledge of the languages of the region they are translating for.
