Since March 7, 2024, it is possible to translate posts on the social media platform X from Sorani to English, thanks to the efforts of Kurdish language activist Bokan Jaff.
Congratulations, Mr. Bokan Jaff and his team, for being active stewards of the Sorani Kurdish language. Because of their efforts and the team at Google, posting on X Twitter is now available to all Sorani Kurdish users.
— Amcham Kurdistan (@AmchamKurdistan) March 18, 2024
AmCham Kurdistan supports the Business As A Force For Good. pic.twitter.com/20uY1j8B4H
“Congratulations, Mr. Bokan Jaff and his team, for being active stewards of the Sorani Kurdish language. Because of their efforts and the team at Google, posting on X Twitter is now available to all Sorani Kurdish users,” American Chamber of Commerce Kurdistan said in a post on X on Monday.
Read More: The Addition of Sorani Kurdish to Google Translate
In May 2022, Google introduced Sorani as one of 24 new languages on its translation service, marking a significant milestone for the Kurdish community.
On July 29, 2023, Bokan Jaff wrote in an article for Kurdistan Chronicle that this development makes it easier for Kurdish speakers to communicate with the rest of the world and helps promote Kurdish culture and identity.
Sorani is the second-most widely spoken dialect of Kurdish, with roughly 12 million Kurds using the dialect in both the Kurdistan Region and Eastern Kurdistan (northwestern Iran). It is also the official language of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
But it took time for X to adopt this service.
“As you see, X depends on Google Translate to translate posts. I contacted Google regarding X posts being translated through Google Translate. They informed me they had discussed the issue with the platform’s previous management,” Jaff told Kurdistan Chronicle.
However, after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform, it took time for Sorani Kurdish translation to be implemented on X.
Finally, with support from the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil and the American Chamber of Commerce Kurdistan, X added Google translation for Sorani.
“This journey has been full of obstacles. Finally, thanks to the support of the American Chamber of Commerce Kurdistan, Google, and X, you can translate Sorani Kurdish posts on X,” Jaff told Kurdistan Chronicle.
