Some say that where you come from is as important as where you want to go. Until you look back you cannot take the right steps ahead. While the jury is out on how much importance past must be given, one cannot deny that the past provides gems of information.
Earth has such a great history in all aspects. Humankind has left its imprint on the planet and recorded events it has witnessed in various formats. From primitive cave drawings to treatises on discoveries, vernacular literature, folk music, religious texts, engravings, artifacts etc. we are discovering something new each day about life in the past. But how can present-day man decode ancient words, numerals, and symbols when he cannot understand them? Archaeologists, explorers, linguists over centuries after backbreaking efforts have deciphered drawings, inscriptions and writing over millions of monuments, scrolls etc. This has not been a simple task as they had to literally unearth stuff, decode the content, compare to similar looking content, seek references, cross check with astronomical events, historical facts etc. before translation – translation services Abu Dhabi.
Translation of ancient languages is not easy as the original content may be incomplete, overwritten, coded to protect it, difficult to access, split into parts across different places, damaged etc. Besides, there is no way you can take help from a dictionary or a local as there are no living people who speak that language. Some content has a mixture of more than one language. Therefore translation of ancient languages is no less that decipherment or decryption. Here are some ways that help.
Cross-reference-Cross checking content with the geographical area in which it is found, dating techniques to determine how old the content could be, running references of archaeological or astronomical events during the estimated period and geographical location, whittling down to the languages spoken there and then helps to narrow the focus.
Comparison-Once geographical area and time scale have been verified, one can narrow down the probability by comparing it with any similar or derived modern language.
Transliteration- Again, a comparative system in which similar sounding symbols/letters of an ancient and modern language are matched. However, this requires some knowledge of the ancient language.
Reading glyphs-Many ancient languages are symbolic or pictorial. If the context is known, the meaning and sound of a particular drawing can be determined.
Computer programs- Today several online and offline programs and websites provide instant ancient language translation services along with pronunciations, usage, and information of the said language.
It is only after these steps are taken that an ancient language can be translated into a modern language. Besides, it is not only about decipherment. The intent behind the content must also be carried across perfectly.