Tell us about Kotava Wikipedia

This page belongs to the project Tell us about your Wikipedia.

Questionnaire

Contributors

• Wikimedia Statistics can be difficult to interpret. What is your impression, how many steady contributors do you have?

The project matured and developed over more than 2 years in the Incubator. At the time of its approval, it had about 10,000 articles, with 10-15 regular contributors each month. I think it will continue to do so.

• Are your contributors mostly native speakers?

Kotava is a constructed language that has no native speakers. Those who undertake to learn it are usually highly motivated people who adhere to a strong humanist, egalitarian and internationalist ideology. The contributors present are for the most of a good level.

• Where do your contributors live (regions/country)?

There are kotavusik scattered all over the world, with many French, Spanish, Russian, etc., but very few native English speakers. And mainly, women are the majority in this movement.

• How common is it that your contributors meet in real life?

Many kotavusik know each other personally, despite their geographical scattering.

Other Wikipedias

• Do you have special contacts with other Wikipedias (maybe in related languages)?

Many Kotavusik have taken at one time or another an interest in another constructed language, mainly Esperanto, but have joined the Kotava, which claims a much stronger linguistic and cultural neutrality. Some people still keep in touch, I presume.

• Do you translate a lot from other Wikipedias? Which ones?

For my part, I write articles on subjects that interest me, translating relatively little. On the other hand, I use Wikipedia for the sources and largely Commons for the illustrations.

Organization and support

Is there a Wikimedia chapter in your country? How does your language relate to it?

Not applicable, since Kotava is an international auxiliary language.

Are there work groups in other organizations about Wikipedia?

No.

Your Wikipedia and the linguistic community

Is there a language institution for your language, like an Academy, or a club of people interested in your language? Do you have contact with them?

Kotava is managed by a language committee, but its role is strictly limited to language. Otherwise, there are many groups more or less active on social networks. And this nascent encyclopedia in Kotava is beginning to become an important federative place for Kotavusik people.

Who (else) supports you?

I don't know.

What does the public outreach for your edition look like? Do you have flyers, give lectures, training etc.?

Not until now.

Do you get feedback from readers?

No.

What other encyclopedias exist in your language?

A first encyclopedia in Kotava (kotava.be, approx. 2500 articles) was developed around the years 2006-2010, but it seems to be sleeping.

Content

Does your edition concentrate on certain topics, like your region and language, or Latin Wikipedia on Roman history and Christianity?

The main subjects dealt with are often close to the main principles promoted by the Kotava, particularly the feminist influence. The first 5 portals developed are : Literature, Painting, Animals, Anarchy and Freedom, History and Prehistory.

However, there is little interest in religious subjects, event history, localist topics, scientific issues or news.

Did your edition enjoy text donations, for example from older encyclopedias?

Partly from the obsolete encyclopedia mentioned above and from another site devoted to Kotava literature.

Language

Is there a generally accepted norm about your language (spelling, dictionary, pronunciation)?

The complete grammar and official dictionaries published by the reference site kotava.org, which are regularly updated, provide all the necessary material and are easy to access.

How do you deal with different spellings, dialects etc. (like B.E. lift and A.E. elevator)?

The standards are well respected and the level of fluency of the main contributors is very satisfactory. It would be more for scientific articles that the lack of specialized lexicon could be more detrimental.