Abstract
Since 2024 a mobile phone with a user interface entirely in Ladin language has been available. The initiative was launched by Motorola in collaboration with the Lenovo Foundation as part of their international project to promote the digital inclusion of endangered indigenous languages. So far, the project has involved one minority language from each continent, with Ladin being chosen for Europe. Thanks to the collaboration of the Ladin Section of the Free University of Bolzano and the three Ladin institutes operating in the area – particularly the Istitut Ladin Micurá de Rü – the project was completed on time and to the required standard.
This essay outlines the formal and content-related aspects of this cooperation, emphasising the challenges encountered, particularly those related to terminology, and the solutions found during the translation process.
While few translations into Ladin have been made in the mobile technology sector to date, this project is of great importance for enriching and updating its lexicon. The project contributes to raising the profile of minority languages and preserving the culture of the populations that speak them.
Another of the promoters’ objectives is to encourage ongoing linguistic research and the use of digital technologies – such as automatic correction and translation tools, language dictionaries, and other innovative resources – to support and strengthen the presence of minority languages in the contemporary technological landscape.