The Significance of Translation in Trade

Translators of that era were true practitioners. It was they who, in oases and trading hubs such as Samarkand:

• Created the first bilingual glossaries.
• Developed simplified trade languages (pidgins).
• Turned local markets into a global economic network.

Vast fortunes depended on the accuracy of their translations. It is fair to say that international trade and the modern economy quite literally stand on the shoulders of these early interpreters.