Tulu Wiktionary, Wikisource goes live in major milestone for language

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, November 1, 2024: In a major development for the Tulu-speaking community, Tulu Wiktionary and Tulu Wikisource officially went live on Wednesday. Tulu Wiktionary, one of the online dictionaries maintained by the Wikimedia Foundation, is now accessible to the public. Users can search, edit, and contribute to the dictionary, ensuring it remains a rich and growing resource for the language. This achievement is the result of six years of dedicated voluntary efforts by the Karavali Wikimedians and Tulu Wikimedians.

Key contributors to the project include Dr Vishwanatha Badikana, Dr Pavanaja, Bharathesha Alasademajalu, Dr Kishore Kumar Rai Sheni, and Yakshitha, among others, with technical support from Anoop Rao Karkala, Chidananda Kampaa and Bharathesha Alasademajalu. The work which began in August 2018 following the introduction of Tulu postgraduate course at University College, Mangaluru, ended with the successful launch of the Tulu Wiktionary.

It has more than 3,000 pages and all are segregated grammatically. The platform will serve as a vital resource for the global Tulu community, offering a digital space where language enthusiasts and scholars can collaboratively expand and refine the Tulu lexicon, Bharathesha explained. Wiktionary is a free, multilingual online dictionary providing definitions, etymologies, pronunciations, translations, and more.

Unlike traditional dictionaries, it is collaboratively edited by volunteers from around the world, making it a dynamic and ever-evolving resource. Tulu Wiktionary will provide in-depth information on words in the Tulu language, with usage examples, word origins, and grammatical details, offering immense value to language learners, linguists, and cultural scholars alike, he added.

In addition to Tulu Wiktionary, Tulu Wikisource has also been launched. Wikisource is a free online digital library that hosts source texts in the public domain or under open copyright. Users can access, read, and contribute by transcribing and proof-reading texts to ensure accuracy. The Tulu Wikisource will focus on preserving original Tulu documents such as books, letters, historical texts, and literary works, making them accessible to a global audience.

This platform will be particularly useful for researchers, students, and anyone interested in the preservation of Tulu literary heritage, said Bharathesha. The launch of these two platforms is a major step in promoting, preserving Tulu language and culture on the global stage, ensuring that future generations can continue to learn and engage with the rich cultural heritage, he added.