Documentation status ratings are a way to assess and compare the extent to which languages have been documented in each of ten key domains. This rating system is designed so that researchers can gauge both what has been accomplished as well as what remains to be done, and thereby be able to target future efforts toward Sulawesi’s least-documented languages.
This rating system was first proposed and discussed in a 1993 draft coauthored by J. Noorduyn and René van den Berg, titled “A Language Description Progress Chart (LDPC) of Sulawesi, Indonesia.” Following Noorduyn’s untimely death in 1994, however, ideas for the progress chart were left on the drawing board. To their original six fields of language description—word lists, dictionaries, grammar, texts, dialect geography, and subgrouping—we have added four others: phonology, orthography, sociolinguistics, and anthropology. We have also retained the four-scale ranking system (3, 2, 1, 0) of their original proposal, although in some cases we have modified the prose descriptions that are used to judge which numerical rating is merited.
Anthropology
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Comprehensive |
There exists a reference ethnography which aims to give comprehensive treatment to all sub-areas. |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
There exist several articles or a short ethnography introducing a people group. |
| 1 |
Initial |
One or a few articles on some aspect of the culture exist. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
Dialectology
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Comprehensive |
There exists a book or other comprehensive treatment of the dialect geography of the language area. |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
There exists a treatment of dialect areas that lays out the major bases for dialect distinctions and where those dialects are spoken. |
| 1 |
Initial |
An initial canvass or report of the dialects of the language exists. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
| n/a |
Not Applicable |
Because of the small, homogeneous nature of the language community, there is no dialectal variation to speak of. |
Grammar
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Comprehensive |
A reference grammar which aims at a comprehensive treatment of all sub-areas (usually over 300 pages) exists. |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
Several articles or a short grammar with incomplete coverage (between 80 to 250 pages) exist. |
| 1 |
Initial |
One or a few articles or an introductory grammar sketch exist. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
Historical-comparative Linguistics
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Comprehensive |
A book or other comprehensive historical-comparative treatment of a subgroup of languages exists. |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
Reconstruction of either proto phonology, morphology, syntax or lexicon has been completed. |
| 1 |
Initial |
An article establishing the subgroup exists. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
Lexicon/Dictionary
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Comprehensive |
There exists a large, exhaustive dictionary of around 700 to over 1,000 pages. |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
There exists an intermediate-class dictionary which aims at some completeness. |
| 1 |
Initial |
A small, incomplete dictionary exists, usually not or hardly exceeding 200 pages. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
Orthography
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Established |
There exists an established, well-used orthography in which all major and nearly all minor issues have been resolved. |
| 2 |
Working |
There exists a working orthography based on significant community testing and feedback. |
| 1 |
Tentative |
There exists a tentative or perhaps inherited orthography which still needs to be tested in the community. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
Phonology
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Comprehensive |
There exists a complete phonological description including sound recordings and acoustic phonetic analysis. |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
There exists a somewhat comprehensive phonological description in which there are no unresolved issues regarding phonemes or suprasegmentals. |
| 1 |
Initial |
There exists an initial but sound phonology sketch covering phonemes (allophones, contrast, distribution) and suprasegmentals such as stress, length and tone. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
Sociolinguistics/Survey
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Comprehensive |
There exist completed, in-depth reports on all indicated areas (bilingualism, inherent intelligibility, etc.). |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
There exist one or more survey reports based on focused visits to the language area. |
| 1 |
Initial |
There exists an initial canvass or report of the language, e.g. by consulting the available literature or by inclusion in a broader regional survey. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
Text Collection
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Comprehensive |
There exists a large corpus of texts, at least some of which have been recorded, representing various genres and with translations and notes (either the texts themselves have morpheme glossing, or a dictionary is available). |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
A considerable quantity of texts together with translation exist. |
| 1 |
Initial |
One or a few short texts together with a translation exist. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
Word List
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|
| 3 |
Extensive |
A reliable Holle or other list of between 800 to 2000 words exists. |
| 2 |
Intermediate |
A reliable medium-length list of between 200 and 800 words exists. |
| 1 |
Basic |
A reliable Swadesh list of 100 or 200 words exists. |
| 0 |
None |
|
| ? |
Unknown |
|
