Bolivia, located in South America, is home to a large population of 11 million people. What’s even more interesting is the variety of languages spoken here. It is not uncommon to hear people on the streets speaking a variety of indigenous languages. While Spanish is the most popular language; spoken by almost 40% of the population, 50% of the population uses different indigenous languages as their mother tongue. It is, therefore, a multi-linguistic country with people from varied cultural backgrounds.
It is surprising but true that the constitution lists down 37 different languages including Spanish as the official languages of Bolivia. Some of them are even extinct. A few others are spoken by a handful of people; for instance, Portuguese is spoken by a mere 0.2% of the population.
It owes its multi-cultural and multi-linguistic characteristics to its interesting past.
Bolivian Languages – History
Bolivia was known as Upper Peru for many years. Prevention of trade with other countries other than Spain and exclusion from high-ranking jobs created unrest among the people, which further resulted in The Great Rebellion by indigenous people in 1780-82. It culminated in the Independence War in the early 1800’s.
Bolivia earned its independence from Spain under the guidance of the Venezuelan military leader, Simon Bolivar in 1825. It also got its name from this able leader; thus, Bolivia.
As Bolivia was inhabited by different indigenous people with varied cultures, several native languages are in use. After it got freedom from Spain, the people protected and preserved their culture and language.
Official Languages
Spanish is the most popularly spoken native language here. However, its immense popularity failed to affect the multiple regional languages prevalent in the country.
In a bid to protect and preserve the indigenous people who have been natives of the place for many years, indigenous languages were termed official by the constitution in 2009. 37 languages, including Spanish, are the official languages of Bolivia. Colonization has sadly made a few extinct.
Well, Bolivia is one of the few countries that continues to have a large number of immigrant languages spoken by a significant percentage of people.
Popular Languages Spoken in Bolivia
Among the many languages spoken in Bolivia, the four that are used the most are listed here.
- Bolivian Spanish: 75% of the population in Bolivia speaks Spanish as their mother tongue or as their second language. Well, the dialects vary significantly. Spanish used here is influenced by several regional and foreign languages including Portuguese, Arabic, and Guarani. Andean Spanish is highly popular, but Camba Spanish and Chapaco Spanish are also spoken by a large part of the population
- Quechua: Spoken by almost 2 million people, it is one of the most spoken languages in Bolivia. This language has its roots in the Inca Empire, which Bolivia was a part of before its independence. Quechua has almost 10 million speakers across the world.
- Aymara: The second-largest indigenous language spoken in Bolivia enjoys official status in Peru. It is also a minority language spoken in Chile. Spoken by 17% of the population in Bolivia, it is very similar to Quechua. They owe their similarity to the close contact they have been in over the years. Well, the interesting point to consider is that they are not only greatly influenced by Spanish but also by each other.
- Guarani: Spoken by 1 percent of the population in Bolivia, it has its roots in the ethnic groups from the Amazonian and Chaco regions. It is primarily spoken in the department of Santa Cruz.
Spanish Translation
Spanish spoken in Bolivia is largely influenced by the most elegant languages spoken in the country. This said, the language is used in the form of different dialects across the population. Spanish spoken by one largely differs from the other. So, translation of Bolivian languages by native translators and not only bilingual people is often required.
A country rich in various minerals including silver and copper promotes international trade. Companies, therefore require accurate Spanish translation services from native translators who are well versed in the language, dialect, and cultural background.
Transcription Services US can do it for you at competitive prices in the specified time by native translators with 98% accuracy.
