Language documentation and meta-documentation

Abstract

The past 15 years has seen the emergence of a new sub-field of linguistics that has been termed ‘language documentation’ or ‘documentary linguistics’ (Austin 2010, Himmelmann 1998, 2002, 2006, Lehmann 2001, Grenoble 2010, Woodbury 2003, 2011a). Its major goal is the creation of lasting multi-purpose records of languages or linguistic practices through audio and video recording of speakers and signers, and annotation, translation, preservation and distribution of the resulting materials. It is by its nature multi-disciplinary and draws on theoretical concepts and methods from linguistics, ethnography, folklore studies, psychology, information and library science, archiving and museum studies, digital humanities, media and recording arts, pedagogy, ethics, and other research areas. The term ‘language documentation’ historically has been used in linguistics to refer to the creation of grammars, dictionaries and text collections for undescribed languages (the socalled ‘Boasian trilogy’; for discussion see Woodbury 2011a: 163). However, work defining language documentation as a distinct sub-field of linguistics emerged around 1995 as a response to the crisis facing the world’s endangered languages, about half of which could disappear in the 21st century (the crisis was identified and popularized in publications such as Robins and Uhlenbeck 1991, Hale et al. 1992, Wurm 2001). Linguists drew attention to an urgent need to record and analyse language materials and speakers’ linguistic knowledge while these languages (or threatened special registers and varieties within them) continued to be spoken, and to work with communities on supporting threatened languages before opportunities to do so became reduced. The emergence of language documentation was also prompted by developments in information, media, communication, and archiving technologies which make possible the collection, analysis, preservation and dissemination of documentary records in ways which were not feasible previously. In addition, it was facilitated by large levels of research funding support from three main sources: the DOBES (Documentation of Endangered Languages) programme sponsored by Volkswagen Foundation in Germany (2000-2013), the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) supported by Arcadia Trust in the United Kingdom (2002-2016), and the Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) interagency initiative of the United States National Science Foundation and the National Endowment of the Humanities (2005 onwards). Language documentation concerns itself with principles and methods for the recording and analysis of primary language and cultural materials, and metadata about them, in ways that are transparent and accountable, and that can be archived and disseminated for current and future generations to use. Some researchers have emphasised standardization of data/metadata and analysis and ‘best practices’ (e.g. E-MELD, OLAC) while others have