Reviewers
Nobody reviews a language they do not speak
Reviewing rights are granted for one language at a time. A linguist working on Dholuo has no standing over Kipsigis, and a Kipsigis speaker with no formal training has the final word on Kipsigis.
What a reviewer decides
Five decisions, all of them recorded against your name and visible on the entry.
- 01
Approve an entry
The word is real, the spelling is right, and the meaning is accurate. Two approvals from different people, at least one a verified speaker, publishes it.
- 02
Send it back
Something is wrong. You have to say what, and the contributor is shown your reason. An unexplained rejection is how a first-time contributor becomes a former one.
- 03
Dispute it
You believe the entry is wrong and want it held. One dispute is enough to stop publication until it is resolved.
- 04
Approve a recording
The audio is audible, it is the right word, and it is the language it claims to be.
- 05
Repair spelling
The 358 quarantined entries need a speaker to confirm the correct form. This is the queue where a first-language speaker is worth more than anyone else on the project.
What counts as standing
You claim a credential, a moderator checks it, and only then does it carry weight. A claim on its own does nothing.
First-language speaker
You grew up speaking it. This is the strongest standing there is here, and it needs no qualification of any kind.
Heritage speaker
It is your family language but you did not grow up using it daily. Your judgement counts, weighted below a first-language speaker.
Linguist
Academic or professional training, verified against an affiliation. Useful on orthography, structure and the calls that need method.
Student
Studying the language formally. You can review, weighted lowest, and your work is visible to others.
Institution
A university, archive or language body holding material already collected.
You cannot vouch for an entry you contributed yourself. That is enforced by the database rather than by policy, so it cannot be forgotten.
Which languages have nobody
No language has a verified reviewer yet. Every one of these is waiting for its first.
Asking to review
Tell us which language and how you know it. Growing up with it is a complete answer. If you have contributed entries already, say so, because it makes the decision straightforward.