The Chamorro language (also spelled CHamoru) is the indigenous language of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, spoken by the Taotao Tano (people of the land) for over 4,000 years. Chamorro is an Austronesian language with significant Spanish-influence vocabulary due to over three centuries of Spanish colonial rule (1668-1898), creating a unique linguistic profile that requires specialist expertise to translate accurately.
Official Guam documents — particularly older vital records, Catholic Church registers, and historical government documents — may contain Chamorro-language entries, Spanish loanwords, and pre-American era formatting. Documents issued by the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation, Vital Statistics Section in recent decades are primarily in English, but names of persons, places, and traditional family structures (clans) may reflect Chamorro cultural practices.
Chamorro is officially recognized alongside English under Guam law. Our translators who specialize in Chamorro documents understand both the linguistic complexity and the historical document formats spanning the Spanish era, the Japanese occupation period (1941-1944), and the modern US territorial administration. This depth of knowledge ensures accurate, contextually appropriate certified translations for all eras of Guam official documentation.
