The State Institute of Languages is all set to script a new chapter in the modernisation of Malayalam language with the institute all set to launch new technologies, including an English-to-Malayalam translator ‘Paribhashika’.
M R Thampan, director of the institute, said that as part of its efforts to popularise Malayalam the new initiatives would be launched on November 1, the state formation day, by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. “They include a spelling and grammar checking system, new Malayalam fonts and a complete translation system,” he said.
The software ‘Paribhashika’ has been developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The translator is a pattern directed, rulebased English-to-Malayalam machine-aided translation (MAT) system.
Badran V K, associate director, Language Technology, C-DAC, said the software is the first attempt to customise AnglaBharati MAT engine for a Dravidian language and Paribhashika is the first-of-its-kind for Malayalam.
“The key feature of the software is that the socalled intelligible translation can be carried out and it works out all possible translation. Text input and file input facilities are provided, besides post editing option,” he said.
He said that for translating a chapter from English to Malayalam, usually it takes three months but if the Paribhashika is used, it will help to speed up the entire process and finish the work within a month.
The post manual editing can also be carried out making the entire translation hassle-free, he said.
The institute is also planning to extend its language software in mobiles as well.
“We are working to introduce Malayalam applications in cell phones to encourage use of official language among kids. As the first step we will be launching Vijnana Kairali, the magazine brought out by us on the mobile platform as well, Thampan said.
The state government had given its nod to start Language Computing Department in the institute that would focus on language computing and extend training in Malayalam computing.