[Lexicog] how to make a new Wiktionary? and a bat

[Sabine Cretella]

Hi Jess,

>>It's tough to figure out. I spent some time and even added Yahgan..
>>    
>>
>
>Hi. I checked out the URL (http://yan.wiktionary.org) but there isn't
>anything there for my server to find. Other wiktionaries have added
>after this string minimally /wiki/ plus other material beyond to
>specify (language name, main-page, etc.).
>  
>
You cannot find anything since the wiki is not created - it is not 
enough to just add a link. Ultimate Wiktionary is on its way and this 
will help all those small languages where there isn't enough support to 
create a separate wiktionary (and step by step the contents of other 
wiktionaries will be integrated as well - this does not mean that the 
other wiktionaries are going to be closed down - this is then a decision 
to be taken by the single communities). Besides that, with UW in future 
there will also be the possibility to download data in TBX format, as 
well as some other formats.

>I also checked out the 'request for new languages' page. The procedure
>seems quite involved, but I'll have to take a closer look at it.
>Apparently one has to have an account at meta Wiki. Then you have to
>wait to get voted on.
>  
>
It is not as simple as this - sometimes there are long discussions 
involved, depending on the language you are proposing.

>The last fluent speaker of the language isn't computer literate, so
>there won't be any native-speaker postings anytime soon.
>
>If others have had experience perhaps they could walk me through the
>procedure, and may contact me offlist at phonosemantics at earthlink.net
>
>  
>
Well instead of creating a separate wiktionary that needs quite a lot of 
work on the UI and maintaining the wiki (cleaning up etc. - well it 
would be a lot to describe here) your time would be better invested by 
adding translations to an existing wiktionary (en.wiktionary.org, 
it.wiktionary.org or any other) or the future Ultimate Wiktionary.

It would be very important to have terminology lists, texts etc. in that 
language to keep it alive. Also recordings. Now if that last native 
speaker wants to help you, please ask him to release recordings, 
writings or whatever under GFDL. I sometimes receive handwritten 
articles (like before Christmas in Neapolitan) to be published on 
Wikipedia or terminology lists I may use for Wiktionary from people who 
are not computer literate. My problem then always is to find people who 
help me to add these contents since the day has only 24 hours.

Another important step to preserve this language would be the creation 
of a book containing the grammatical rules and if possible also 
exercises - so people can learn the language. Recordings of longer texts 
and not only single words are also very important since it is the only 
way to really be sure how to pronounce things. Ipa and Sampa are 
somewhat approximative and you will not be able to exclude the 
non-native accent of people who learn to speak following these codings.

What you would need is a group of people who want to maintain this 
language alive and who are willing to invest some time:
1) the only native speaker
2) people who are willing to invest time to transcribe even hand 
writings and make them available online
3) people who are willing to invest time to create word lists that can 
then be used as spell checkers
4) people who are willing to learn that language

The contents you create is only as valid as its availability. You can 
use wiktionary to add terminology, wikibooks to create a course book, 
commons to upload soundfiles and scanned images (also the text to be 
transcribed), wikisource to put at disposal free texts.

I would very much like to see your material included into Ultimate 
Wiktionary as soon as it is online since this will give really great 
exposure to that language and you will not need to do the admin work of 
a separate wiktionary being able to do things simply there and therefore 
investing your time in a better way.

I hope this helps a bit.

Best wishes,

Sabine


p.s. I am on holiday in Germany so it could happen that I cannot access 
my e-mail for some days.


		
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