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Niger–Congo

vr.tr.niger-congo · thing-q33838

Let an agent handle Niger-Congo by branches, member languages, classification debates, speaker figures and resources, with attributed views and self-designations.

Thing Registry Information and virtual systems INF.MED
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Classification Family tree.

Branch

Which branch.

Branch

Branch.

  1. Which branch does this language belong to, according to Glottolog or other references? provenance
  2. Do references disagree? boundary

Debate

Contested groupings.

Debate

Classification debate.

  1. Why do linguists debate the inclusion of Mande or Kordofanian? provenance
  2. Who holds which view? provenance
Features Shared traits.

Noun classes

Noun class systems.

Noun classes

Noun classes.

  1. How do noun class systems work in this language? definition
  2. How many classes are there? measurement

Tone

Tonal systems.

Tone

Tone.

  1. How is tone used in this language? definition
  2. How is it written? provenance
Speakers Communities.

Numbers

Speaker figures.

Numbers

Speaker numbers.

  1. How many speakers does this language have, according to recent sources? provenance
  2. First or second language? boundary

Names

Self-designations.

Names

Self-designations.

  1. What do speakers call their language? provenance
  2. Which names are exonyms? provenance
Resources Learning and technology.

Learning

Courses.

Learning

Learning resources.

  1. Which grammars, dictionaries or courses exist? provenance
  2. Who publishes them? provenance

Technology

Language technology.

Technology

Language technology.

  1. Which keyboards, fonts or translation tools support this language? provenance
  2. How good is their quality? boundary

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Information and virtual systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
INF
Domain
INF.MED
Other names and narrower kinds
Kadu, Kordofanian, Kipanawa, Lengue, Boro, Benue–Congo, Gur, Mande, Rashad, Tiv, Mbili-Mbui, Bandi

What it is Filled

A proposed language family of sub-Saharan Africa, the largest in the world by number of languages, with well over a thousand languages including the Bantu languages such as Swahili and Zulu, and languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, Fula and Wolof; the inclusion of some branches such as Mande, Dogon, Ijoid and Kordofanian remains debated.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent handle Niger-Congo by branches, member languages, classification debates, speaker figures and resources, with attributed views and self-designations.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Very many languages
  • Widespread noun classes
  • Mostly tonal
  • Some branches disputed

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Present the grouping or a debated branch as settled.
  • Give speaker numbers without sources and dates.
  • Use exonyms or offensive names where speakers use their own names.
  • Rank languages as more or less developed.

Only with a human decision

  • Publishing classifications used in language policy or education.

May

  • Describe the Niger-Congo family, its branches and major languages with sources.
  • State which branch memberships are debated and by whom.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Language classification has been used to rank peoples; speakers are owed respect for their own names and languages.
  • Many Niger-Congo languages are under-resourced and endangered.

Who is affected

  • Speakers and communities
  • Linguists
  • Learners

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody owns a language family; speakers hold their languages and linguists study the grouping.

Master systems

  • Language catalogues and code registries

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q20162172 - registry parent class

related

  • language family - category
  • Bantu languages - branch
  • sub-Saharan Africa - region
  • Glottolog and Ethnologue - references

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.niger-congo
  • Wikidata: Q33838 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33838)
  • ISO 639-5: nic Niger-Kordofanian languages (collective code)

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

Not applicable

Plane INF: no invented physical properties.

Recognition optional Filled

  • Noun class systems in many branches
  • Tone in most languages
  • Afroasiatic and Nilo-Saharan are other proposed families
  • Not physical; shown in family trees, maps and grammars.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • identify the branch of a language
  • summarise classification debates with sources
  • find resources and speaker figures
  • explain shared features such as noun classes

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Presenting a debated grouping as settled
  • Unsourced speaker numbers
  • Exonyms instead of self-designations

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • National language policies
  • African Union language charters

Context of use required Filled

  • Linguistics, education and language resources for African languages.
  • Atlantic-Congo
  • Benue-Congo including Bantu
  • Volta-Niger
  • Kwa and Gur
  • disputed branches such as Mande, Dogon and Kordofanian

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q33838: Niger–Congo - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Niger–Congo languages - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should branches be separate entries?
  • How should classification debates be recorded?
  • How should resources for each language be linked?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q33838/spec.json