Nunavut company translating video game into Inuktitut
Web developers want translation to be clear in many dialects
A small online company based in Pangnirtung, Nunavut is translating a popular online game into Inuktitut.
Pinnguaq.com is working with Nelson, B.C. based-Hemisphere games to version the game Osmos. The puzzle game was created in 2009 and became a popular game for devices such as iPads.
The company hopes it’ll make the game more accessible.
"When you put something in (people’s) first language they are speaking at home and you can create the experience in their language, it kind of makes the world seem a little bit smaller," said Ryan Oliver, who works with Pinnguaq.com.
The company wants people who speak Inuktitut to submit suggestions online for how to adapt the phrases used in the game. Oliver said it’ll be a challenge to translate wording such as 'it's ready' and 'floating' into terms that make sense across the territory.
"We are hoping that we will receive many different suggestions for proper terminology, how one dialect may translate a specific term or word and how it would be pronounced and used universally," said Tommy Akulukjuk, who also works for the company.
The Nunavut Literacy council is providing prizes for people who participate.
"Ryan and I will speak to elders in the community to verify that the words that are chosen are indeed a word that can be used or recognize by all dialects," said Akulukjuk.
They hope to have the Inuktitut version of Osmos available early in 2013.