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;Language families |
;Language families |
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[[Language families and languages|Language families]] and groups of languages are pluralized, thus [[Sino-Tibetan languages]]. Normally, a redirect from the singular to the plural title is appropriate, as at [[Sino-Tibetan language]], but in some cases this would be incorrect: Compare [[Kalenjin languages]] (the family) and [[Kalenjin language]] (a specific Kalenjin language), where the phrase "a [[Kalenjin languages|Kalenjin language]]" requires the plural form in the link: <code><nowiki>a [[Kalenjin languages|Kalenjin language]]</nowiki></code>. ''X languages'' is preferred over ''X language family'' because it leaves the actual nature of the grouping (genetic, geographic, or otherwise) an open question, which saves us from nit-picking about the article title in the case of controversial families, or whether the article covers a 'branch', 'group', 'subfamily', etc. |
[[Language families and languages|Language families]] and groups of languages are pluralized, thus [[Sino-Tibetan languages]]. Normally, a redirect from the singular to the plural title is appropriate, as at [[Sino-Tibetan language]], but in some cases this would be incorrect: Compare [[Kalenjin languages]] (the family) and [[Kalenjin language]] (a specific Kalenjin language), where the phrase "a [[Kalenjin languages|Kalenjin language]]" requires the plural form in the link: <code><nowiki>a [[Kalenjin languages|Kalenjin language]]</nowiki></code>. ''X languages'' is preferred over ''X language family'' because it leaves the actual nature of the grouping (genetic, geographic, or otherwise) an open question, which saves us from nit-picking about the article title in the case of controversial families, or whether the article covers a 'branch', 'group', 'subfamily', etc. |
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;Dialects, [[register (sociolinguistics)|registers]], and other varieties |
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The term [[dialect]] should only be used for distinct but mutually intelligible varieties of a language. The term may be avoided by combining the dialect and language names; this is useful when there is disagreement as to whether a variety is a dialect or a separate language, as at [[Egyptian Arabic]] and [[Mandarin Chinese]]. For local differences in pronunciation, [[accent]] is preferred. The word "language" is used for standard languages, per common usage, even if they are not distinct by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, as for example [[Serbian language]] and [[Croatian language]] alongside [[Serbo-Croatian language]], or [[Indonesian language]] and [[Malaysian language]] alongside [[Malay language]]. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (people)#Ethnicities]] |
* [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (people)#Ethnicities]] |
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* [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (Chinese)#Language]] |
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* [[Wikipedia: Naming conventions (writing systems)]] |
* [[Wikipedia: Naming conventions (writing systems)]] |
Revision as of 10:31, 18 August 2011
Convention: Languages which share their names with some other thing should be suffixed with "language". If however the language's name is unambiguous as a noun, there is no need for this. For example, English language and Persian language, but Esperanto and Latin.
Programming languages should be disambiguated with the suffix "(programming language)" if the name is not sufficiently unambiguous. For example, VBScript, but Python (programming language).
- Redirects
In the examples above, we would place a redirect to Latin at Latin language and verify that Persian language is listed on the Persian disambiguation page. Similarly, we would place a redirect to VBScript at VBScript (programming language) and VBScript programming language. This will accommodate writers using alternative and older naming conventions. If the ISO 639-3 code for the language appears under a different header at Ethnologue, either a different spelling or a different name altogether, make that a redirect as well. There will likely already be red links to the language under the ISO name or spelling. Similarly, if the spelling or name changes between editions of Ethnologue, all should have redirects. Country specification is placed between parentheses, and 'language' added, so ISO Kom (Cameroon) should have at least a redirect at Kom language (Cameroon): this is the default format used by several lists of languages and ISO codes. If more than one ISO code or name has been assigned, as is common when Ethnologue treats as separate languages what reliable sources consider to be dialects of a single language, or when spurious codes/names are retired, place redirects under these as well.
- Languages and their speakers
Tswana | |
---|---|
Person | Motswana |
People | Batswana |
Language | Setswana |
Country | Botswana |
Where a common name exists in English for both a people and their language, a title based on that term, with explicit disambiguation, is preferred for both articles, as with Chinese people and Chinese language. This is especially so when borrowed native forms involve different prefixes or are otherwise not transparently related, as with Tswana people and Tswana language, with redirects placed at Batswana and Setswana. If an English plural form (distinct from the singular name) exists, it may be used for the article about the people, as at Russians with a redirect from Russian people. The ambiguous common name should serve as a disambiguation page: Chinese, Tswana, Russian.
The template {{Infobox ethnonym}} may be used to list the various native forms, as at right for Tswana.
- Language families
Language families and groups of languages are pluralized, thus Sino-Tibetan languages. Normally, a redirect from the singular to the plural title is appropriate, as at Sino-Tibetan language, but in some cases this would be incorrect: Compare Kalenjin languages (the family) and Kalenjin language (a specific Kalenjin language), where the phrase "a Kalenjin language" requires the plural form in the link: a [[Kalenjin languages|Kalenjin language]]
. X languages is preferred over X language family because it leaves the actual nature of the grouping (genetic, geographic, or otherwise) an open question, which saves us from nit-picking about the article title in the case of controversial families, or whether the article covers a 'branch', 'group', 'subfamily', etc.
- Dialects, registers, and other varieties
The term dialect should only be used for distinct but mutually intelligible varieties of a language. The term may be avoided by combining the dialect and language names; this is useful when there is disagreement as to whether a variety is a dialect or a separate language, as at Egyptian Arabic and Mandarin Chinese. For local differences in pronunciation, accent is preferred. The word "language" is used for standard languages, per common usage, even if they are not distinct by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, as for example Serbian language and Croatian language alongside Serbo-Croatian language, or Indonesian language and Malaysian language alongside Malay language.