[Foundation-l] RE:New language policy

[Ray Saintonge]

pikola Thierry wrote:

>According to the point 2 in
>http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposed_policy_for_wikis_in_new_languages
>
>the language proposed must have a standard writing
>system. 
>
That may not always be realistic.  The writing system for many minor 
languages were developed by outsiders because the languages were only 
oral.  How "standard" are these impositions?

>
>If we approve the creation of Wikipedias such as
>Andalusian Spanish, ...
>
I'm not in a position to comment on the specific circumstances of 
Andalusian.

>Wikimedia community should decide which role new
>Wikipedias play on new writing systems creation.
>
In Star Trek terms it is the problem of the Prime Directive.

>Anyway, what I wanted to say is that I really think
>that Wikimedia Foundation should take much into
>account two points:
>Speakers identity and existence of a standard writing
>on that language. 
>
>I think that Wikimedia should not be active part of
>language creation, neither of language identity
>discusion.
>
We still need a basis for acting.  Sometimes the language "differences" 
are more political than linguistic as in the case of former Yugoslavia.

At one time most linguistic research was being done by missionaries 
whose sole objective was to bring religion to the heathens.  Viewed in 
the context of their time their contributions to linguistics were 
significant.  At the same time they also had an effect on the 
development of the language into something other than what it might have 
been.  How to handle technical terminology is a particular problem.

Ec