Research Articles (Centre for Language and Speech Technology (CLaST))

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    Considering a lexicographic plan for Gabon within the Gabonese language landscape
    (Bureau of the WAT, 2005) Ndinga-Koumba-Binza, Hugues Steve
    This article raises a number of questions that should be dealt with in drawing up a lexicographic plan for Gabon. For which of the Gabonese languages should lexicographic units be established? This question entrains the issue of inventorying the Gabonese languages and their standardization as well as the issue of language planning for Gabon. What is the status of those foreign languages widely spoken in Gabon? What about French? Should Gabon keep importing its French dictionaries from France, or should the Gabonese compile their own French dictionaries, including French words and expressions exclusively used in Gabon? Finally, after trying to answer these questions, a number of suggestions are made for the establishment of a lexicographic plan for Gabon.
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    Lexique Pove-Francais/Francais-Pove, Mickala Manfoumbi : seconde note de lecture
    (Bureau of the WAT, 2006) Ndinga-Koumba-Binza, Hugues Steve
    This article is a follow-up to a review of the Lexique Pove-Français/Français-Pove (Mickala Manfoumbi 2004) by Mavoungou (2005). Apart from reservations on purely lexicographical issues, the work of Mickala Manfoumbi gives rise to interesting questions which exceed the limited field of metalexicography. These relate to matters such as the context of publication, the format structure, as well as the positioning of the publication within the strategic planning of Gabonese lexicography. These questions lead to the placing of the Pove lexicon within the framework of Gabonese linguistics as well as the emerging Gabonese lexicography. This article aims at supplementing the review by Mavoungou (2005) concerning these matters.
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    The representation of vowel duration in Civili dictionaries
    (Bureau of the WAT, 2009) Ndinga-Koumba-Binza, Hugues Steve; Roux, Justus C.
    Civili is a developing language spoken in Gabon and in a few neighbouring countries. This article focuses on the representation of vowel duration in Civili dictionaries. The representation in these dictionaries is inconsistent. In the article, it is argued that this inconsistency stems from a twofold phonetic-phonological issue, which has implications for the word writing system of the language. The article provides an assessment of the existing orthography proposals for Civili and offers materials for a new proposal that takes the vowel duration issue into account. Subsequently, it is recommended that vowel duration be represented by a diaeresis above the vowel for both the orthography and the lemmatization in reference works such as dictionaries and school and religious textbooks.