The name
ilès: (ˈʔilɘs) noun, Berber for “tongue, language”
(compare with لسان ).
We are a team of translators working together in Tunis, Algiers, and Safi.
Since 2012, we translate mainly from English to Arabic and Arabic to English.
The Team
Christopher Adams
Translator and Manager
American citizen; speaks Arabic and English; enjoys language learning, editing translations, and reading theology and biography; very thankful for his wife and three children
American citizen; speaks Arabic and English; enjoys language learning, editing translations, and reading theology and biography; very thankful for his wife and three children
Hana Ben Saoud
Translator and Interpreter
Tunisian citizen who speaks Arabic, English, French, basic German, some Spanish and Turkish. Adores languages and accents, and enjoys learning them as well as communicating with people of different cultures. Aiming to inspire connections between people through Translation.
Tunisian citizen who speaks Arabic, English, French, basic German, some Spanish and Turkish. Adores languages and accents, and enjoys learning them as well as communicating with people of different cultures. Aiming to inspire connections between people through Translation.
Ahmed
Translator
Tunisian citizen and Arabic mother-tongue speaker; speaks English and French; loves astronomy and swimming
Tunisian citizen and Arabic mother-tongue speaker; speaks English and French; loves astronomy and swimming
Mona Besbes
Translator and Interpreter
Tunisian citizen and Arabic mother tongue speaker. Enjoys translating and profreading all types of documents from Arabic, Tunisian dialect into English. Desires to use translation and interpretation to impact people and bring about change
Tunisian citizen and Arabic mother tongue speaker. Enjoys translating and profreading all types of documents from Arabic, Tunisian dialect into English. Desires to use translation and interpretation to impact people and bring about change
Arne Kirchner
CEO Tunis and France
Administrator; German citizen and German mother tongue speaker; speaks English, French and Spanish, some Arabic and some Berber; loves computers and football; married with two children
Administrator; German citizen and German mother tongue speaker; speaks English, French and Spanish, some Arabic and some Berber; loves computers and football; married with two children
Our passion: Linguistics
Every Languages matters
That’s what we believe. Each language is a wealth of knowledge, filled with wisdom about the world around us. No language is quite the same in the way it describes and views the world. So each person’s mother tongue is a valuable treasure worth preserving.
And no matter how well someone speaks another language, his or her mother tongue will always have significantly more power to convey meaning, build relationships, and shape a community. That’s why we believe in language development: the analysis, documentation and promotion of minority languages in North Africa.
And no matter how well someone speaks another language, his or her mother tongue will always have significantly more power to convey meaning, build relationships, and shape a community. That’s why we believe in language development: the analysis, documentation and promotion of minority languages in North Africa.
Language Development
Our goal is to support the development of these languages through:
- Linguistic research: phonology and orthography, grammar, dictionary, etc.
- Documentation of proverbs, music forms, poetry, and language data in general
- Promotion: encouraging the verbal and written use of minority languages in all domains of life, including the home, school, work, the arts and education
Projects
The following are some of the projects we’re currently working on:
- Dictionary of Tunisian Arabic into English: We’re putting together a database for a Tunisian Arabic-English dictionary. (Finished, see derja.ninja)
- Description of the Mozabite Language (Tumzabt) in Algeria: A team is working on a description of the phonology and grammar of the Mozabite Language, with plans to produce a dictionary in the future.
- Publication of a small booklet on Chaoui orthography with a team from the area (Algeria).
- In preparation: Dictionary and website for a Berber language in Morocco.
