On Wed, Jun 3, 2015 at 5:48 PM, Sylvain Mailler <[email protected]> wrote: > Kichwa is a language with some teaching and some written documents, and > several hundred thousand speakers. It is not an endangered language, but it > is somehow a "dominated language".
I think this would be the case with many South American languages that are "in good shape". Thus, Kichwa is a paradigmatic example. > This is contrary to the Wikimedia guidelines so far > (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/List_of_articles_every_Wikipedia_should_have). > However, I agree that this would be the correct approach for indigenous > languages The list of "eventualist nature": Every Wikipedia should have those articles at some point of time. That doesn't assume that those articles should be written first, but just then everything else. Then, those are the recommendations, not the rules. And if it's about the rules -- as it is not -- they could be changed. And if they couldn't be changed, this is very good reason to do one systemic IAR, as the rules don't reflect reality. >> 2) In a year or so start writing the most basic scientific articles. I think >> we should start with the primary school knowledge, maybe even move to build >> the textbooks into the future Kichwa Wikibooks. After we complete it, it >> would be possible for Kichwa children to be educated in their native >> language. >> > Actually there is a (imperfect) system of bilingual schools in Ecuador in > indigenous areas. I guess this includes textbooks for primary school level > (so it would be the other way round compared to what you describe). I don't > have some books right now, and I live in France, but I can use a next trip to > Ecuador to find some. I agree that it would be a very good base. It's even better then! We have the concepts from the primary school textbooks, which means that we could eventually add them into Wikipedia. So, a half of the second step has been already done :) It's always good to hear something like that! > It was 100% done in 2011 (for the "core messages" or whatever the requisite > was). However, the messages have evolved and if I check it right now, many > messages are now "deprecated". This would not be such a big work to actualize > it however. > https://translatewiki.net/w/i.php?title=Special:Translate&language=qug&group=core-0-mostused&filter=&action=translate > > Actually, if I go to the incubator even now, the main messages in the > interface seem to work in kichwa. > > The list of articles is here : > https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:PrefixIndex/Wp/qug > > There was a request for a wikipedia in kichwa in 2011 which somehow got > stalled, which I think is a pity : > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Requests_for_new_languages/Wikipedia_Kichwa It's good to hear that it's not an issue. Now, the work on the project should be pushed and after few months of sustainable activity the project could be approved. > Thank you very much for your interest ! > > I think Wikipedia can be a powerful tool for developing indigenous languages > and permit them to gain prestige in their own country (where they are usually > despised with the notable exception of the Guarani in Paraguay). This would > be a beautiful achievement of the WM foundation. We share the position. I think that every living language with Wikipedia will survive. And my bold idea is that we are able to save ~3000 languages in the next 30 to 50 years. The priority in that process should be the languages like Kichwa is: A vital language with hundreds of thousands of speakers and without any serious issue which forbids it to be inserted into the computers. Such languages need just our interest and good will. _______________________________________________ Languages mailing list [email protected] https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/languages
