Prism Linguistics arranges Mahorian (Shimaore) interpreters and certified translation across Canada, for IRB, IRCC and medical matters. Shimaore is the Bantu language of Mayotte, closely related to the Comorian varieties and carrying Swahili and Arabic influence. Because Mayotte is a French territory, civil records are issued in French, so the Mahorian part of a file is usually the interpreting.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
We arrange Shimaore interpreters for IRB refugee protection hearings, IRCC interviews, legal aid, and hospital and clinic appointments, on site where a speaker can be found nearby and, more often, by telephone or video, since the community here is small.
Shimaore is close to but not the same as the Comorian varieties of the neighbouring islands, such as Shingazidja, and many speakers also use French. At booking we confirm the speaker's home island and whether French is a comfortable fallback, so a Mahorian or Comorian interpreter is matched correctly rather than assumed.
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.
Shimaore is written in the Latin alphabet, with some religious writing in Arabic letters, but it is rarely the language of an official record. Mayotte issues civil records in French, so a Shimaore speaker's birth, marriage and death certificates are translated from French into English rather than from Mahorian.
Where a name is transliterated differently between Arabic-influenced and French spellings, we keep it consistent and note the variants, and where a birth was registered late a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths can accompany the translation. Output is issued by a certified translator, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Mahorian translation, our full Mahorian 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 Mahorian 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 Mahorian translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Mahorian (Shimaore) is a Comorian language spoken by around 150,000 people on the French overseas department of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean. It's closely related to the other Comorian languages and to Swahili. The Mahorian-speaking community in Canada is essentially non-existent. Most documents from Mayotte are in French (the official language) and routed accordingly.
Mayotte is French territory and issues civil records in French, so we translate them from French into English. The Mahorian part of your file is usually the interpreting.
They are closely related but not identical. Tell us the speaker's home island and we match a Shimaore or Comorian interpreter accordingly.
Often yes, since many speakers also use French. Tell us the speaker's preference at booking and we arrange the right language, on site in the main centres or by telephone and video across Canada.
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 Mahorian interpreter and a firm price.