On 02/16/2002 06:54:29 PM "Audun H. Lona" wrote:
>The Norwegian and Sami language pages on this web site are unfortunately
>so full of errors that they should be removed or corrected immediately
>in order to avoid misleading information to be spread.
>
>An example on http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=LPR
>Dialects RUIJA, TORNE, SEA LAPPISH. Ruija is the Finnish name for the
>territory covered by Northern-Troms and Finnmark provinces (fylker), its
>not a dialect.
The Ethnologue data is drawn from multiple sources and, while every effort
is made to obtain the most reliable information, there's a lot to track
when you're dealing with 7000+ languages. Such compilations can never be
perfect -- there is always more to be known.
If Ruija appears as a dialect name, it is that way because some source
that was deemed to be of some reliability reported it that way. The main
sources for any given country is provided in the language-by-country
listings; e.g. for Finland at
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Finland. The main sources
for Finland are listed as follows: "Information mainly from M. Stephens 1976; B. Comrie 1987; T. Salminen
1987-1998."
If you know of errors and have better, documented information, the
Ethnologue editor is always looking for input on how the information can
be improved. Please read the Introduction at
http://www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/introduction.asp and use the feedback
questionnaires at http://www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/feedback.asp. If
the questionnaires do not seem to fit the kind of revision you think is
needed, please contact the Ethnologue editor at Editor_Ethnologue@sil.org.
>The term "saami" should be replaced with "sami" as in the 639 original
>document (i hope).
As witnessed by other messages in this thread, there isn't uniform
agreement on how the English name for this language should be spelled, and
apparently both spellings are found. Nevertheless, if there is a spelling
that is preferred by the speaker communities themselves, then I'm sure the
Ethnologue editor would want to revise the spellings used in the
Ethnologue. Again, please use the feedback questionnaires or contact the
editor to request changes -- and please remember to provide documentation
to support those changes (changes won't be made without evidence to
support them).
- Peter
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Constable
Non-Roman Script Initiative, SIL International
7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd., Dallas, TX 75236, USA
Tel: +1 972 708 7485
E-mail: <peter_constable@sil.org>
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