Missing link: A centralised digital archive for endangered languages of Southern Africa

Language endangerment and language loss is a worldwide phenomenon. As a result, the scramble to identify, document and preserve indigenous languages using digital technology has gained traction. The challenge we face in southern Africa, is the lack of a centralised digital archive for endangered languages. Currently, efforts are dispersed on various platforms, hosted by universities, non-government organisations or private collections, if digitised at all. In order to provide a holistic description of endangered and extinct languages in southern Africa, an online digital archive could centralise existing efforts, while creating opportunities for the digitisation of historical records and new digitised entries.
Gowaga ǁōǂoas ǃaorosasib tsî gowaga ǀaris tsîra ge ǃhūbaib ǂhabase, harase a ǂansa ǃnaeǃkhaira. ǁNā-amaga di ge ǀoro ǁanǂgāsaben gowaga nēsi hâ texnoloxib ǀkha ôaǂui, xoamâi tsi ǁkhaubas di ǁgūbade nēsi ǀgaisase ra ǂoaxa. Afrikab ǃkhawagas ǃnâ da ra hōǃâ nausa ǁgoaǂuis ge ǀguiǃnâxa digitelǂkhanisâuǁgâugu ǃnuwusiba, ǁōǂoas ǃaorosasib ǃnâ mâ gowagu ǃaroma. Nē ǁaeb ai di ge ǀguiǀguibe dītsârode ǃkharagaǃnâgu ǃharodi ai ra hōhe, universiteitdi tawa i ka hâ tama kara io, o ǂhanub ǃauga hâ ǂnûiǂgādi tawa, tamas ka io, ǀguiǀguibe khoen tawa - ǁnās ge hâna i ka digitelǀgaub ǃnâ a hōhe ǁkhā osa. Hoa ǃhariga ǃkhōǂgā hâ ǀgaub ǃnâ da ka ǁōǂoas ǃaorosasib ǃnâ mâ gowagu tsî ǀnai ge ǁōǂoa gowagu Afrikab ǃkhawagas digu tsîna a xoamâi ǂgao, o i ge kaise nî ǃgâi online digitelǂkhanisâuǁgâuba kurusa. Nēti ī digitelǂkhanisâuǁgâub ge ǀnai hâ sîsengu hoaga ǀhaoǀhao tsî ǀgui ǃkhais tawa ǀgui nî ǃkhōǀgara, tsî nēs ǃnâ-u ǀgūǀgarus ǃnaeǃkhaidi xoaǁguigu tsî ka hâ ǀasa xoadi tsîna digitalǀgaub ǃnâ sâus di sîsen-i di daode nî ǁkhowa-am. (Khoekhoegowab translation written by Sylvanus Job)