Terminology

We have developed a comprehensive approach to producing terminology sets for any domain, for any language. Our terminology efforts are based on two premises:

1. Communicating with 👪 people in their own language requires much less effort, and will be much more effective, than willing them to communicate in a foreign language that few understand. Put starkly, if HIV/AIDS messages are not understandable to a vulnerable person such as a sex worker or an adolescent, the opportunity to prevent transmission to that person is lost forever.
2. Every language has the capacity for full communication in any domain, provided key principles are followed for terminology development. For example, twenty years ago English did not have ICT terms for 🕸 "web" or "browser," yet the productive capacities of the language were employed so that today most English speakers 👪🔊 understand exactly what is meant by that terminology.

Kamusi has created a unique participatory methodology for terminology development that maximizes the likelihood that a term set will be accepted and used by a language community. By using a combination of paid experts and community volunteers, the costs of this work are kept to a minimum.

1. Subject specialists with expertise in a language are engaged for a preliminary translation of a domain-specific terminology set.
2. The specialists are encouraged to leave ❓ question marks or multiple choices in cases of uncertainty.
3. Then members of the public are invited to comment on the problem terms, cast non-binding votes for existing proposals, and propose their own suggestions or new ways of looking at a concept. For example, a Swahili ICT community member solved the problematic term "cache" by suggesting it be viewed as "temporary storage" rather than the English metaphor of a hiding place.
4. While the experts are still called upon to make the final decision, this democratized input and review process results in term sets that are much more likely to have universal uptake than the traditional top-down approach to terminology development.

One recent example of Kamusi’s work is an IDRC-sponsored effort by the African Network for Localization to produce a glossary of information technology terms for 10 African languages. This provides translations and definitions across all 10 languages of 2500 terms, from “absolute path” to “zoom out.” This glossary is now central to software development projects in those languages.

We are seeking partners in development and humanitarian aid, to build language resources that will permanently improve the communications environment of those agencies. If terminology issues can be identified and addressed up front in the planning stage of a programme, the community interaction will be improved, as will the effectiveness of local agency staff. /info/terminology

Theory of Kamusi

Select a link below to learn about the principles that guide the project's unique approach to lexicography and public service.