Eskimo is an outdated outside label for a family of Inuit and Yupik languages, and the honest opening step is to pin down exactly which language a request means. Within Canada it most commonly points to Inuktitut, and Prism Linguistics arranges interpreting and translation for these languages nationwide. Because they are separate languages tied to separate communities, getting the right one and the speaker's home region is where the work really lies.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
The word spans several distinct languages, which makes matching deliberate: someone who speaks Inuktitut does not automatically serve an Inuinnaqtun, Inuvialuktun or Yupik speaker, and even Inuktitut's own dialects vary across the Arctic. We ask for the speaker's home community so the person assigned can genuinely follow them rather than approximate.
Interpreters appear at Canadian courts and tribunals, in hospitals and clinics under PHIPA and PIPEDA, and at school, benefits and settlement meetings. With a small, largely northern speaker base, remote work by telephone or video is routine, and a consecutive style is used so each statement lands in full. Where a speaker is also comfortable in English or French, that is frequently the practical choice, which we settle at intake.
Common settings include legal and court interpreting, medical and hospital interpreting, IRCC and Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) interviews, and police and enforcement work. See all on-site interpreting options or start a free quote.
A great many northern records already come out in English or French, so document work under this label is often a syllabics-into-English rendering of a personal record, or the file is led by interpreting. In Canada the language at issue is usually Inuktitut, set down in syllabics or the Latin alphabet, while Inuinnaqtun and Inuvialuktun use Latin; we settle the exact language and script at the outset, since a request marked only Eskimo could be any of them.
Items that arise include territorial birth, marriage and status papers, band or community documents, school and medical records, and land-claim or estate material, prepared for immigration matters, provincial and territorial registration, courts and benefits. The output carries a signed declaration, or a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths where a record is incomplete, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Eskimo translation, our full Eskimo translation services, or general document translation. Every translation moves through our TEP workflow — translation, editing and proofreading by separate linguists — with free revisions.
An interpreter attends in person for hearings, medical appointments and meetings. On-site interpreting
Same-day, often within minutes, for calls, intake and urgent situations. Phone interpreting
Telehealth, remote hearings and sign language, anywhere in Canada. Video interpreting
Simultaneous interpreting for events and multilingual meetings. Conference interpreting
Legal consultations, settlement services and private appointments. Private interpreting
ASL and LSQ interpreting for accessible appointments and events. Sign language
We arrange Eskimo interpreters in cities across every province and territory — on site in the major centres and by telephone or video everywhere else:
Need documents translated locally? We provide certified Eskimo translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Eskimo is an outdated umbrella term for the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic - and their languages - extending from eastern Siberia across Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. In Canada the respectful and accurate name is Inuit, whose languages include Inuktitut - an official language of Nunavut, spoken across Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland in northern Canada - along with Inuinnaqtun and related varieties; Yupik is a separate branch spoken in Alaska and Siberia. When clients request "Eskimo translation" we identify which specific language is needed - see our Inuktitut page for the language we handle most often in Canada. Most are written using either the Latin alphabet or Inuit syllabics.
No. It is an older outside name for the Inuit and Yupik languages, and most speakers today prefer the specific name. In Canada it usually points to Inuktitut, but we settle the exact language and script first.
No. They are separate languages with regional dialects, so the interpreter is matched to the speaker's own language and home community rather than treated as interchangeable.
Yes. Inuktitut is written in either syllabics or Latin, and we translate personal and civil records from both, adding a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths where a record is incomplete.
Tell us the language, the setting and the date through our quote form or by phone. We return a written quote with the exact price and turnaround, usually within 60 minutes during business hours, before you commit.
Tell us the setting, the city and the date, and we will confirm a qualified Eskimo interpreter and a firm price.