Damara Interpreter

Prism Language Solutions arranges Damara interpreters for USCIS interviews, court hearings, depositions and medical appointments in every state, nearly always by video or phone. Linguists class Damara as the west-central variety of Khoekhoegowab, Namibia's click language, and at the 2011 census Khoekhoegowab was the home language of 11.3 percent of Namibian households. One Damara interpreter normally serves a Nama speaker as well, and we check before assuming the same for Haiǁom.

Namibia has used English as its sole official language since independence in 1990, and a Namibian client may have handled every form in the file without help. When a Damara request does reach us, it is for the part of a case English does not carry well: a parent's medical history, a witness describing the farm or township where something happened, a statement that has to be exact.

• Certified translations prepared to meet USCIS requirements
• Human linguists only, matched to the subject
• Fixed written quote within 60 minutes in business hours
• One office in New York, linguists in every state

Damara or Nama Interpreter: One Khoekhoegowab Booking

Forms and court lists name this language several ways: Damara, Nama, Nama-Damara, Khoekhoe, Khoekhoegowab. They all point to one language. Damara is spoken in the west and center of Namibia and Nama in the south, and the two are close enough for one interpreter to serve either speaker. Haiǁom, spoken around Etosha, sits further off, so if the client comes from that area tell us, and we confirm the match with the interpreter before the date.

Damara Interpreter for Spelling Click Names on the Record

Khoekhoegowab writes its four click consonants with the symbols ǀ, ǁ, ǂ and ǃ, and names of people and places can begin with one; the ǁKharas region in the south is an example on any official map. A court reporter or an officer typing notes cannot enter those symbols and writes down whatever they hear. The result is a transcript where one village name appears three ways.

Our Damara interpreters spell names on request, letter by letter, and say plainly when a click has no English equivalent. Where a name matters to the case, agree with the attorney beforehand how it will be written in English, then use that form every time. If the underlying records need translating, see Damara translation services.

Damara Medical Interpreter by Video

Hospitals receiving federal financial assistance must give a Damara-speaking patient an interpreter at no charge, and outside an emergency they may not use an accompanying adult instead, under 45 CFR 92.201. A grandchild at the bedside is the usual substitute and the wrong one. Video puts a Damara interpreter into the consultation in a scheduled slot and handles consent, a medication review and discharge planning well. See medical interpreting.

Damara Court Interpreter for Hearings and Depositions

No state offers a Damara court interpreter examination. The judge qualifies the interpreter by questioning on the record, and we give the clerk a written note of the interpreter's training, experience and variety of Khoekhoegowab ahead of time. At a deposition, the attorneys and the court reporter should expect the interpreter to pause and spell names, so build a few extra minutes into the schedule. See court interpreting.

Damara Interpreter at a USCIS Interview

At a naturalization or adjustment interview, the officer treats the interpreter's English as the applicant's answer. So the interpreter speaks in the first person, renders every answer in full and never explains what the applicant meant. A relative who speaks both languages will naturally try to help, and helping is exactly the problem. See USCIS interview interpreting.

Scheduling a Damara Interpreter and What It Costs

Give us as many days as the matter allows, and tell us where in Namibia the speaker grew up. Remote delivery is the normal service for Damara rather than a fallback: video remote interpreting for anything with faces or papers involved, phone interpreting for a short call. An interpreter in the room is possible only in some cities, and in-person work typically runs $45 to $95 an hour in the US market with a two-hour minimum.

Ask for a fixed Damara quote on +1 (833) 282 8883 or through the quote form. It comes back within 60 minutes in business hours, and it is the price you pay; guide rates sit on the pricing page.

Questions we get asked