Microsoft Translator now supports Zulu and Somali

Not all translation apps will support the language you need help with, which means you might be out of luck if you’re looking for one of the less common languages. It’s a problem that Microsoft Translator is trying to fix, bit by bit, with updates and upgrades. The most recent of these updates includes support for Somali and Zulu languages.

Microsoft’s blog post announcing the new inclusions also has some trivia to fill you in, if you’re in the mood to learn a bit more about the two languages ​​being added to Translator.

“The Zulu language is spoken by 12 million people in South Africa and neighboring countries,” the message read. “The Zulu language belongs to the Bantu language family, related to languages ​​such as Swahili and Xhosa.” It is also one of the 11 official languages ​​of South Africa.

When it comes to Somali, Microsoft has knowledge to share on this one as well. “The Somali language is spoken throughout the Horn of Africa by more than 21 million people in Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Djibouti and northern Kenya,” the message read. “The language belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. It is related to languages ​​such as Oromo, Afar, and Hadiyya.”

Translator’s upgrades come as no surprise given that Microsoft is doubling down on its commitment to Azure AI and advancements in the AI ​​model. Translator is just one small example of what benefits from Microsoft’s upgrade to Azure and the multitude of products it powers. For example, see the new [email protected] program.