Talk:Language committee

Language committee (contact page about requests)

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Notifications from Langcom about proposed approvals

Rakhine Wikipedia

The Language Committee intends to approve Requests for new languages/Wikipedia Rakhine. If you have any objections to that based on the Language Proposal Policy, please tell us here on this page in the next 7 days. Meanwhile, the community is asked to check (and if necessary, complete) the wiki settings as indicated on the request page. --MF-W 19:46, 2 October 2024 (UTC)

For the record: Still trying to obtain verification of the content. --MF-W 18:19, 13 October 2024 (UTC)

...but it is going on! --MF-W 09:29, 21 October 2024 (UTC)

Any update? --ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 06:14, 20 November 2024 (UTC)

@MF-Warburg, Is there anything I can help for this? Ninja✮Strikers ^«☎» 12:42, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

I've sent you an email. -- MF-W 15:42, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

I am noting here that the issues are planned to be resolved in January or February. --MF-W 15:12, 6 January 2025 (UTC)

Sylheti Wikipedia

The Language Committee intends to approve Requests for new languages/Wikipedia Sylheti. If you have any objections to that based on the Language Proposal Policy, please tell us here on this page in the next 7 days. Meanwhile, the community is asked to check (and if necessary, complete) the wiki settings as indicated on the request page. --Amir E. Aharoni (talk) 18:58, 6 December 2024 (UTC)

While I have no objections based on Language Proposal Policy, to approving Sylheti Wikipedia, I feel it's unfair to the other 5 Sylheti projects, which have been active for more than 6-12 months (required only 3 months) and still remain active for over a year. I urge the Wikimedia body to review the approach of Langcom, specifically regarding Talk:Language committee/2024#Request for Sylheti Wiktionary Approval (which was ghosted, no follow up with the community in the incubator) handling of the Sylheti Wiktionary approval, where repetitive questioning and delays discouraged community involvement, even though I continued. And please compare the discussion with Talk:Language committee#Sylheti Wikipedia (In discussion section). The current bureaucratic approach seems to demoralize contributors rather than encourage them. I’m attaching the discussion here for review. Can we improve the process so new language communities are supported, not discouraged, by unnecessary hurdles? Additionally, discussions on language-script combinations should be handled in a separate process to avoid hindering progress. --ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 19:22, 21 December 2024 (UTC)

Congratulations @ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ and to everyone who has been working hard for a long time to achieve this approval. I have a question: I recall seeing script-related objections some years ago—were those issues resolved? Also, I believe it is practical to approve Wikipedia first, observe its sustainability, and then move forward with other projects.

If you need any support from other Bangladeshi communities, we are always here to help. Congratulations once again! ~ Yahya (talk • contribs) 13:34, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

So, was it an objection with no intent to contribute using any specific language script combination? -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 16:30, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

Central Kanuri Wikipedia

Tracked in Phabricator:
Task T385181

The Language Committee intends to approve Requests for new languages/Wikipedia Central Kanuri. If you have any objections to that based on the Language Proposal Policy, please tell us here on this page in the next 7 days. Meanwhile, the community is asked to check (and if necessary, complete) the wiki settings as indicated on the request page. --Sotiale (talk) 14:24, 11 January 2025 (UTC)

@Sotiale I checked the request page there is no any indicated wiki settings that's need to be completed. MohammedBama123 (talk) 12:27, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

@MohammedBama123: I tried to create a ticket for the developers about this today, but I still found some empty space in the settings; Project namespace(Project:) and Project talk namespace(Project talk:). Is it correct that the timezone for West Africa is Africa/Lagos(GMT+1)? And will you request the logo separately after you create the wiki? --Sotiale (talk) 11:47, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

@Sotiale I have updated the wiki settings, as for the time zone is Africa/Lagos(GMT+1) and for the Logo we will use Wikipedia logo for the project. MohammedBama123 (talk) 13:03, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

@MohammedBama123: Could you please check if the namespace is correct? For example, the current settings: in the English Wikipedia, there is Wikipedia:Five pillars; in your project, 'Central Kanuri Wikipedia:Five pillars'. In the enwiki, Wikipedia talk:Five pillars; in your project, 'Mana kǝla Wikipedia yǝn:Five pillars'. (Project name is Wikipédia; Mana kǝla Wikipédia yǝn?) --Sotiale (talk) 13:18, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

@Sotiale I have updated the project name is correct. MohammedBama123 (talk) 13:35, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

@MohammedBama123: Could you please also check the project namespace? It is rare to put language names in namespaces. This needs to be done very carefully as once set it is very difficult to change later. --Sotiale (talk) 13:48, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

@Sotiale It's Done MohammedBama123 (talk) 14:12, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

@MohammedBama123: Sorry to keep asking questions, but could you please... fix the timezone you mentioned above? And empty the logo file. I can't do this for you(this must be done by members of the community), and if it's unclear, it will delay the creation by receiving additional questions from developers. To prevent that, please double check the other boxes so I don't have to ask you any additional questions. --Sotiale (talk) 14:28, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

@Sotiale I have updated the time zone and empty the file logo. MohammedBama123 (talk) 14:41, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

it will delay the creation by receiving additional questions from developers - for the record this is generally no longer true - new wikis get created with placeholder config and then the requested settings are applied in a later step, so only that step can be delayed. If no further changes to the settings are made what will happen is that no logo will get set (which I think means it will default to the English Wikipedia's logo), and the namespaces will be applied as they are. You can set it later through the Wikimedia site requests process. * Pppery * _{it has begun} 16:54, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

I forgot it was now after the expedited process for creating wikis was introduced. Thanks. --Sotiale (talk) 04:12, 31 January 2025 (UTC)

Discussions

Sylheti Wikipedia (discussion)

Hello Language Committee, I recently received an email from a community member in the Wikimedia Incubator inquiring about the status of the approval for the Sylheti Wikipedia. I share the same question and would appreciate any updates you can provide regarding this matter. -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 05:47, 18 September 2024 (UTC)

Comment This question has accounted by [1], but still has some issues to be answered by linguistics. Liuxinyu970226 (talk) 01:51, 19 October 2024 (UTC)

I heard that a request has been sent out for advice from linguists on this. I hope this issue will be resolved soon so that your community can have a wiki. --Sotiale (talk) 13:30, 21 October 2024 (UTC)

Thanks. Any update? --ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 11:03, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

The Language committee had a discussion about this and has some questions.

In the Incubator, you are writing the Sylheti language in the Sylheti script. Sometimes, however, this language is written in the Bengali. If anyone asks to contribute content in the Bengali script, will it be allowed?

Will it be OK to enable a script converter, similarly to how it's done in the Manipuri Wikipedia? By default, the content there is shown in the native script, but pressing the "ꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯣꯟ" button at the top of the page allows showing it in the Bengali script. (The script converter doesn't exist yet, but will possibly be developed.) Amir E. Aharoni (talk) 04:46, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

If any contributors (if not required atleast 3) wish to write Sylheti in a valid language-script combination (1, 2, 3 etc.), it is generally acceptable as long as there is no explicit orthographic restriction set by the language policy (see also: incubator:Wp/syl-beng). The Language Committee is responsible for validating any specific language-script combinations (see also: d:Q107549714, d:Q120142383, d:Q123848480) and checking with orthography or any other Langcom guidelines. If Sylheti can be represented in multiple scripts, and this is supported by the language community or policy, then contributions in the Bengali script (which has many variations) could be allowed. This would accommodate at least two relevant variations, such as the Sylheti-Assamese script variation (example text: 'ছিলটি সংবাদৰ ফইলা দুইটা সংকাএ ছিলটি মাইনসৰ বড় আদর ফাউআএ তিচৰা সংকা বাৰ করা অইলঅ,' by Muslim Sylheti writers in India) and the Sylheti-Bengali script variation (example text: 'ইবারর "জড়র টানে" ই ম্যাগাজিনর পয়লা প্রকাশক শ্রী তন্ময় চক্রবর্ত্তীর কামো আমি মুগ্ধ।' by Hindu Sylheti writers in India), which can be explored by the Langcom. If any writers from these two groups approach in the future and Langcom needs to find technical solutions, Phabricator may be helpful. If any readers from these groups approach in the future, please discuss their needs, conversion documentation, etc. -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 08:08, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

Just a thought or perhaps a bit of confusion: Muslims can use the Sylheti Bengali script, and Hindus can use the Sylheti Assamese script. I am really confused about what religion has to do with that. Or is there something I’m missing? (Coming from a Sylheti myself.) Asked42 (talk) 17:46, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

And just to clarify, Bengali and Assamese are not entirely distinct scripts; there are only a few (2-3) alphabets that vary between the two languages. See more here: w:en:Bengali–Assamese script#Script. Asked42 (talk) 17:57, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

The choice is often influenced by a mix of factors like religion, region, national policies, economic reasons, and historical context, rather than being solely about religion. The choice of script also includes other variations, such as Latin-based examples like cilot in Londoni Sylheti Dictionary. and another example such as betawikiversity:আধুনিক শুদ্ধ সিলোটি. Regarding the question of “will it be allowed to write in x/y/z language-script combinations,” the Language Committee should establish clearer policies on submitting specific proposals, assessing language-script combinations, verifying orthographic requirements, determining the reliability of sources, and addressing variations within language-script groups. The proposed converter is designed for reading, not writing. --ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 20:11, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

It is hard to establish a clear-cut policy on this, because every language is different.

I can say—and other Language committee members are welcome to express their opinions—that there are some general guiding principles, such as not creating new linguistic entities, being welcoming to all existing ones, and not having one project per language.

As far as I know, but correct me if I'm wrong, no one has even tried to write Sylheti in Wikipedia in the Bengali script yet. The main question is: if anyone tries, will it be rejected, or will the writers try to accommodate it?

(As for the technical features of the Language converter, it is indeed one-way read-only in Manipuri now, because that was good enough for that language. In theory, it's probably possible to make it work both ways, but I don't think that anyone asked for it. In Serbian and Chinese, it works both ways.) Amir E. Aharoni (talk) 23:56, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

Addressing the main question: If someone attempts to write Sylheti in the future, it is unlikely to be outright rejected, provided there are reliable sources. The Bengali-Assamese script has 11 vowels compared to Sylheti’s 5, so clear guidelines for adapting these differences would be needed. It also seems that the two-way gadget requires this for proper documentation. However, this should not hinder accommodating contributions. -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 06:22, 28 November 2024 (UTC)

For clarity, I would like to ask if this is the opinion of the community; Whether the converter gadget can be accommodated and whether it will not prevent users with other scripts from contributing if the gadget works properly. Thanks! --Sotiale (talk) 10:23, 9 December 2024 (UTC)

┌─────────────────────────────────┘
If I understand correctly, there has been no new discussion at the Village Pump regarding the converter, and, as another LangCom member pointed out, no user has attempted to contribute using another script. Therefore, there is currently no new community opinion on the converter or any concerns about it preventing contributions.

The main concern is that this proposal might be perceived as an attempt to delay our project. Delays, however, could hinder progress, and as a result, some of our other projects have seen a decline in contributions. If the converter gadget truly has the potential to attract more contributors, it may be worth considering a pilot in one of our less popular projects. This would help demonstrate that the proposal is made in good faith, not with the intent to delay or complicate the project, but rather to aid in the process of graduating from the incubator. -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 09:53, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

@ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ: Langcom has no reason to have any other intentions in terms of the fact that the more your project is delayed, the more projects we have to worry about. I also hope this issue is resolved quickly. It's just that the delay comes from uncertainty. The answer that there is no such contributor at present and that there is no discussion about it is an answer that lacks certainty. In principle, we do not allow two language editions for the same language simply because the scripts are different. Alternatively, you can explain to me that users of other scripts meet the criteria including ISO 639-3 of LPP. That's why I'm asking you if other script(especially, Bengali script) users can be accommodated; conditionally for the gadgets mentioned above. Could you please answer the above questions(whether the converter gadget can be accommodated and whether it will not prevent users with other scripts from contributing if the gadget works properly) again? If necessary, please do so after the community has discussed it. Please note that this does not mean you should abandon your script. It just means that you can use your existing script and should not hinder contributions from users who use Bengali script. --Sotiale (talk) 08:06, 19 December 2024 (UTC)

@Sotiale Please discuss this with the specific users who know the language and are interested in contributing using their language-script combinations. As far as I understand, you are delaying this based on an anonymous email, not actual contributors who have wanted to contribute to the project (in test for the last 10 years). Please feel free to discuss it with specific user groups about which languages they know, where they are stuck, and what their needs are. --ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 08:35, 19 December 2024 (UTC)

A possible proposal: If a page, subpage, or subsection exists where User1, User2, and User3 sign and write to Langcom about a language-script combination, they would form a "community" for that. By attaching reliable, verifiable sources, this issue can be easily resolved. Langcom can then advise Phabricator on the necessary technical actions. --ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 09:05, 19 December 2024 (UTC) If there are no genuine users of that kind, I believe the situation is not being approached in good faith or with sincere intentions. For instance, we could waste another 10 years of our community’s efforts. In contrast, good-faith users who relied on existing converters continued to contribute, making it hard to distinguish their work from converted text. They did not simply sit back and hope the project would fail. However, if LangCom had not allowed such loopholes and had instead focused on genuinely supporting users in need or projects that require more contributors to graduate, individuals with harmful intentions would not have had the opportunity to exploit the system. I leave this matter to LangCom to address, but please let me know if there is anything productive I can contribute to help resolve it. --ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 13:55, 19 December 2024 (UTC)

I read your discussion and would like to make a suggestion

1. Language name (interlanguage link) in Sylheti and Bengali script. Like Serbian, Serbo-Croatian, Tatar, Kashmiri, Konkani, etc. Users writing in Bengali will see their language and their script
2. Part of the Main page, perhaps the greeting block, should be in Bengali script, as it was on the Serbo-Croatian Wikipedia before the converter was installed (half of the page in one script, half in the other)

I think these actions will significantly reduce the doubts that users writing in Bengali will not be rejected and their contribution will not be deleted. Perhaps the best solution would be a converter, but no one is working on it and it is unknown whether anyone will work on it. No one translates into Sylheti Bengali on translatewiki. In my opinion, the actions I have proposed would show that contributions in Bengali are possible and welcome in the future. --Danvintius Bookix (talk) 13:18, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

Good suggestion; if this is what LangCom wants. Since Sylheti has unique orthographic requirements not met by the Bengali-Assamese script, it’s uncertain if this approach aligns with LangCom’s goals. If so, and given the lack of such user activity, if LangCom wants to write 50% of the front page by themselves, they are welcome to proceed with writing Sylheti in the Bengali-Assamese script to potentially find such users in the future. -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 11:50, 21 December 2024 (UTC)

Renaming the discussion 'Sylheti Wikipedia' to 'Sylheti Wikipedia (discussion)' to make it distinct from the other 'Sylheti Wikipedia' section in the notification. --ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 11:36, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

@ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ: I stopped further discussion hoping that another member would address this issue since it seemed like you didn't want to communicate with me (note that I'm not delaying it, I don't have that much power in langcom), but since it seems like no other member will take up the issue, I'm going to try to address it again. What langcom is concerned about is that Bengali script users should not be excluded from the newly created Wikipedia, since, we can't just create a new Wikipedia "for the same language just because the script is different". You probably understand this point well enough.

To solve what langcom is worried about, it doesn't even have to be a converter right now. You can use your script as is, just don't exclude users who use Bengali script. And if they ask, you should be able to discuss introducing a converter(the timing of introduction can be determined by your community based on its development situation), and that's all we ask of you. In fact, if there have been no users using Bengali script for a long time, I don't think this will be a problem in the near future. I don't think this is too much to ask of you either, since in principle, it is impossible to have 2 Wikipedias for the same language. I believe you can be convinced of this. If you can be sure about this, I will close this matter within 7 days and move on to the next step. --Sotiale (talk) 12:25, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

I understand your concerns and agree with your points. I will convey this message to the community in the village pump. If there are no further queries from the community within the next seven days, we can proceed to the next stage.--ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 14:03, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for your understanding. Once the discussion is complete, please ping me for processing. --Sotiale (talk) 14:36, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

Verification of open proposals

I am submitting a request to verify the following language project proposals. The projects meet the required criteria as outlined. In addition, three of the language projects were previously active for more than three consecutive months, but no action was taken. We have confirmed that the projects do not already exist (as per the existing list). An appropriate ISO 639 code is available. The language is sufficiently unique and specific and would not conflict with a more general wiki. There is a sufficient number of native editors available to support an edition in this language. I kindly request that you verify the following projects and review these to proceed with the process.

• Requests for new languages/Wikibooks Sylheti
• Requests for new languages/Wikiqoute Sylheti
• Requests for new languages/Wikivoyage Sylheti

Note: The following projects are relatively new and less discoverable, as they are not hosted within the Incubator. They also require separate logins across different domains, which can make them less accessible. As a result, they have attracted fewer users compared to projects within the Incubator. It is also evident that users with less technical experience may find these projects more challenging to navigate.

• Requests for new languages/Wikisource Sylheti
• Requests for new languages/Wikiversity Sylheti

ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 11:51, 11 November 2024 (UTC)

Any update? -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 15:26, 11 December 2024 (UTC)

In addition to that, I would like to point out that the Incubator info pages for the following projects:

• [ Sylheti Wikiversity ]
• [ Sylheti Wikisource ]

... do not provide any links to the aforementioned test projects, which are hosted on different domains. This makes it more challenging for users to discover and access the test versions of these projects. If Langcom addresses this issue, perhaps the local admins can help fix this by updating the pages to include links to the respective projects. This would improve accessibility for potential contributors. Looking forward to your response and further updates. -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 07:31, 19 December 2024 (UTC)

It’s been over 2 years since some of the proposals were made, and no LangCom member has responded. May I request the removal of the verification step from the template (Template:New wiki request)? It seems both useless and unnecessary. -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 15:32, 16 January 2025 (UTC)

Interslavic Wikipedia

Hello, dear Language Committee. The Interslavic Wikipedia has been active for the last 5 months, and the community would like the project to be approved. If I'm wrong and it's too early, please write why. Thank you! Medžuslovjanin (talk) 11:06, 3 January 2025 (UTC)

Joining to the committee

Hi, I am interested in joining to the committee. Nemoralis (talk) 19:36, 5 January 2025 (UTC)

I've sent you an email. --MF-W 18:06, 10 January 2025 (UTC)

Request for Bengali Wikinews

The Bengali Wikinews project is now ready to come out of incubator. Over the past five months, it has maintained consistent activity with regular contributions and the support of a dedicated, sustainable community. If there are any concerns, please let us know. Otherwise, we kindly request the final approval from the language committee. Thank you!--Sajid Reza Karim 19:34, 16 January 2025 (UTC)

I'm very surprised at the primary contributors there, but I think that if other users' activity dropped in December and then increased again in January, if the same level of contributions continues in February, the approval process could start smoothly. Thank you for your contribution. --Sotiale (talk) 14:40, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

Proposal for Restructuring Wikinews Incubation

Dear Langcom,

I find the current approach of incubating Wikinews projects in the Incubator problematic, as these projects are primarily written and read by the contributors themselves. The extensive Incubator URLs are not shareable, and the short links are unreliable and lack trustworthiness for wider audiences. Additionally, while a Langcom member questioned why Wn/shn focuses on templates, I believe these templates offer long-term utility compared to news articles written in the Incubator, which often become stale before the project even has a chance to graduate.

One reason larger-language Wikinews projects struggle is due to competition with numerous free and monetized news outlets and portals. Smaller and medium-sized language communities, however, lack such resources and could benefit from this proposal if a Wikimedia-hosted multilingual platform available to share their news.

I propose moving Wikinews incubation to a multilingual platform at wikinews.org, similar to Multilingual Wikisource. This would provide a reasonable and shareable URL structure, addressing many of the current challenges while empowering smaller communities to publish news effectively. -- ꠢꠣꠍꠘ ꠞꠣꠎꠣ (talk) 07:48, 28 January 2025 (UTC)

Livonian Wikipedia

Dear language committee, Livonian has been in the incubator for almost 14 years now. Since that time the amount of speakers of the language and the amount of people involved with the language has significantly grown. There are even new native speakers as of now. There is thus an active online community who would like Livonian to be an official language on Wikipedia and I think Livonian Wikipedia is now ready for it.

I would hereby like to request for the Livonian Wikipedia to be created if possible. Kamrat ett (talk) 18:44, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

Hi, Wp/liv hasn't had a consistent contributor for almost 2 years according to the active user statistics. If there are many speakers, please encourage them to join the project and become contributing users. Since you made 25 edits in January and there were no other active users, and you didn't contribute anything in December, it doesn't satisfy the sustainability of the community, so it can't be approved at the moment. However, I think if you continue to contribute enough with other users, this will be resolved and approved. Thank you for your contributions! --Sotiale (talk) 07:46, 31 January 2025 (UTC)

Nupe Wikipedia Approval Request

Nupe Wikipedia have been up and doing to ensure open knowledge is achieved in the Nupe language. Attached herewith are links showcasing the need for your attention and concerns below to get the language approved:

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Requests_for_new_languages/Wikipedia_Nupe

https://codelookup.toolforge.org/nup

https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:PrefixIndex/Wp/nup/

With this we hope to see our language make a chance to own it's site for wider and easier usage by our existing and new editors. 787IYO (talk) 19:33, 30 January 2025 (UTC)

I'll review this as soon as I have time. Thanks for posting. --Sotiale (talk) 07:47, 31 January 2025 (UTC)