User talk:Mark Dingemanse/Archive13

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Contents 1 Bantu 2 Mail, what mail!? 3 Woordjes Turkana 4 Thanks 5 Belated thanks 6 Maraba Coffee 7 Utendi wa Tambuka 8 The Halo's RfA 9 Kanga na kitenge 10 Feedback for essay 11 Swahili literature 12 Ephraim Amu 13 Ethiopic Semitic languages 14 sanity check requested 15 Thank you for supporting my RfA 16 barnstar

[edit] Bantu

Mark, thanks for your note on my talk page, I must have forgotten to watchlist Bantu. I have not quite figured out how the notice board works but will look at it again & thanks for the sytematic bias page info. Best, Chris Lowe Ngwe 07:28, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mail, what mail!?

No, actually. When was this? Was it something desperately important? A once-in-a-life-time job offer? A confession that you are in fact nigeriamajor and you invented the whole thing for a bit of attention? A sad story about how your rich uncle just died leaving you with millions but you need a "small" sum of money to access the inheritance, which you promise to share with me? CIA documents and pictures that prove that the US is ruled by a race of reptilian aliens? Or was it something else? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 16:34, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Those are some very nice conjectures; I am, of course, not allowed to comment on them. Also, let me say this dont not place my Nigerian relatives in bad light I say stop them insult you recist.

No, it wasn't that important actually. I just thought I had sent you a recent paper on Bantu lexical reconstruction by Schadeberg, but apparently you changed your email address (no longer at webmail.co.za?). If you email me, I can reply (the Email this user function won't let me attach pdf's, obviously). Cheers, — mark ✎ 17:59, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Oops! Yes, I did change my email address. I've sent you a personal message. I'll try to see if the Webmail account still exists (they probably closed it weeks ago due to lack of activity). Thanks for that. Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 19:41, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

I did receive the email, and I sent you a reply. Did you not get it? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 21:33, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

Ah yes, I did get it just after I had placed a notice on your talk. Thanks! — mark ✎ 06:43, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Woordjes Turkana

Beste Mark,

Een bijdrage waar iemand anders iets aan heeft, is dit niet, maar ik zou graag weten of je mij kunt helpen met een paar woordjes Turkana. Ik ben schrijfster, nu bezig met een 'vliegende doktersromannetje' tbv van AMREF Flying Doctors, en een van mijn hoofdpersonen heeft een Turkana-achtergrond. Het boekje moet zo snel af dat ik de taalkunst die je aanbeveelt miet meer kan aanschaffen, maar ik denk dat jij hem hebt. Zou je mij een grote lol willen doen en me een paar woordjes leren? 'Hoe gaat het?' 'Goed' (of wat daar ook de begroeting is - misschien is het 'Is er nog nieuws?'), 'Dank je wel', 'Tot ziens' zou al heel mooi zijn.

Héél erg bedankt, mede namens de oostafrikanen die wij middels dit boekje aan een betere gezondheid willen helpen...

Lydia Rood

Beste Lydia,

Ik heb op het ogenblik geen directe toegang tot een Turkana woordenboek of grammatica, dus voor nu verwijs ik je toch door, en wel naar een artikel dat volledig online te bekijken is. De volledige bronvermelding is:

• Ohta, Itaru. 1989. 'A Classified vocabulary of the Turkana in Northwestern Kenya'. African Study Monographs, Suppl. 10: 1-104.

De online versie vind je hier. Op pagina 78-79 vind je begroetingen, en met behulp van de index aan het begin zul je een schat aan andere handige Turkana woorden en uitdrukkingen kunnen vinden. Veel succes, en als je nog vragen hebt hoor ik het graag. — mark ✎ 11:37, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

Dank je wel!! Inderdaad, een schat aan woorden en uitdrukkingen! Bijna jammer dat ik niet bezig ben een taal te leren, en alleen maar een paar woordjes nodig heb... (Maar ik heb voorlopig mijn handen vol aan het Marokkaans Arabisch, dat jij ook al schijnt te spreken. Man, wat ben ik jaloers op jou!) Hoe dan ook, ik ben je erg dankbaar. Hartelijke groet, LYDIA

Graag gedaan hoor! Zo veel talen spreek ik overigens niet; er zijn veel manieren om je als taalkundige diepgaand bezig te houden met talen die je nochtans niet (vloeiend) spreekt... Ik ben blij dat ik je heb kunnen helpen. — mark ✎ 09:43, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Thanks

Thanks for your support. Everyking 19:20, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

Naturally. — mark ✎ 20:09, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Belated thanks

Thank you for participating in my RfA. Consensus to promote was reached, and I am now an administrator. I'll be using the tools cautiously at first, and everyone should feel welcome to peer over my shoulder and make sure I'm not doing anything foolish. --Robth^Talk 04:15, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Maraba Coffee

Hello! As you're a Wikipedian interested in African topics, I'm writing to notify you that the Maraba Coffee article is now a 'Featured Article Candidate'. Please feel free to evaluate the article and write your support or opposition at Wikipedia:Featured article candidates. Thanks — SteveRwanda 15:09, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

As a matter of fact, I was already checking it out and seeing if I could vote there. But thanks for the note. — mark ✎ 15:23, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

OK, well done for keeping such a keen eye on things! And thanks for your support. — SteveRwanda 16:00, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Utendi wa Tambuka

Hi Mark, I started a stub on the Utendi wa Tambuka, a very early Swahili poem. Right now it's in rather miserable condition but I'm continuing to research and add to it bit by bit. I don't know if Swahili is among the languages you're particularly interested in, but I thought I'd drop you a line about it. Best, --babbage 21:41, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, very interesting! I might be able to help out; I've put some notes on the talk page. — mark ✎ 06:17, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Wow, awesome work on Utendi wa Tambuka! ☺ --babbage 18:35, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Halo's RfA

[edit] Kanga na kitenge

Sorry for the delay. Have replied there. --Ezeu 09:01, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

Asante sana! — mark ✎ 14:35, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Feedback for essay

Hi, there. I have made some large changes to the essay now known as Wikipedia:Administrators are not only here to build the encyclopedia (I renamed it as the original title deviated too much from my original point). I would like some feedback on whether you find it more acceptable now. Thanks. Cowman109^Talk 18:44, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Replied over there. — mark ✎ 19:09, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Swahili literature

I've just started the article. Please contribute. -- Szvest 00:47, 27 September 2006 (UTC) User:FayssalF/Sign

[edit] Ephraim Amu

Hi, I'm afraid I don't speak Ewe. I often look through the smaller wikipedias to see how they're doing and noticed the new articles in the Ewe Wikipedia. Good luck getting it started! Tigershrike 21:48, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ethiopic Semitic languages

Roughly one year ago you moved a page to Ethiopian Semitic languages instead of Ethiopic Semitic languages which I think would be a bit more PC. I was curious as to why you did this although there were recommendations to the contrary on the talk page. I know you probably don't remember, but just in case... --Merhawie 18:42, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Hello Merhawie. Yes, I do remember that move. I moved it to 'Ethiopian Semitic' because that seemed to be the most common term, although I indicated that I had come across 'Ethiopic...' too. I documented the move on the talk page (Talk:Ethiopian Semitic languages#Ethiopic?), in response to a question by Mesfin. The 'recommendations to the contrary' I cannot find; I believe I brought in the suggestion that 'Ethiopic...' might be a possible title too but no-one else suggested or recommended it at that time.

However, on rereading that particular discussion I admit that I wasn't very explicit about my reasoning when I finally moved it to 'Ethiopian Semitic'. That unclarity has been rectified however during the more recent debate on the name of the language grouping (Talk:Ethiopian Semitic languages#"Ethiopian Semitic"). Note that Yom (whom I regard as knowledgeable in this area) also states that the term 'Ethiopic' is 'older' and 'now out of use'.

Do you think 'Ethiopic' would be more appropriate? — mark ✎ 20:42, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

I realized that the 'contray' thing that I was talking about was you after I posted, sorry :). But yes, I think that Ethiopic would be better just because Ethiopian implies that the languages are spoken only in Ethiopia...this was generally the case until Eritrea succeeded in reversing the Ethiopian occupation. Ethiopic seems to me to be a term in favor because it does not mean Ethiopia but at least alludes to the geographic area. Anyways, do you have a problem with me changing it to Ethiopic? --Merhawie 21:04, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Well I'm certainly not dead set against it, but I think the motivation is wrong. I do understand that 'Ethiopian' may leave the wrong impression but if it is the most common term, we simply have to use it, so Manual of Style stipulates. Moreover, Wikipedia should be descriptive, not prescriptive.

As I said on Talk:Ethiopian Semitic languages, it would certainly be a good idea to add a note to the article detailing the origin of the name 'Ethiopian', and explaining why it seemed a good term when it was introduced but less so nowadays. But I would tend to think that should be enough. However, feel free to move it if you feel justified. Although you might want to raise it on talk first to see what others think about it. — mark ✎ 18:29, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

ALright, great, thank you for your responses...time to hit up the library and do some research! --Merhawie 18:31, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] sanity check requested

Hi Mark, Long time, no speak. I've upped my editing over the past couple weeks and get the distinct feeling that there are a lot more disguntled long time users than there used to be. I keep coming across users on wikibreak or with manifestos demanding policy changes (one I've adopted), though it may all be a function that I'm simply not used to the uproar after all that time blissfully editing in the main namespace recently. So I need a sanity check - French Revolution or normal Sturm und Drang on the wiki? Anyway, I should probably go to back to my Darfur pages for sanity's sake. I hope that you are doing well. - BanyanTree 03:11, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Hrmpf, speaking of sanity checks, can you get me one? I'm having exactly the same feeling as you have. You know, I appreciate your message. I've been reading and thinking a lot about these matters over the last few months, and one simple reason I'm silent about them is that I as a non-native speaker find it quite difficult (and time-consuming) to put into words my thoughts on such issues (and when I try, the result is usually disappointing).

What to do? Worldtravellers' suggestions certainly touch upon the right string, as does the campaign for less bull more writing (check WP:BULL). It's not a bad idea to 'go back to your Darfur pages for sanity's sake' — after all, in our neighbourhood it isn't too difficult to WP:IAA (Ignore All Assholes).

BTW, I'm not much editing these days because I'm busy in real life. I intend to pick up on Kanga (African garment) and Utendi wa Tambuka soon, however. Kwa heri ya kuonana! — mark ✎ 20:37, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

The perfect antidote to wiki-ridiculousness is the real world, so you're on the right track.

That post in your third link (you know the one I mean) may have been my most shocking moment on Wikipedia. I hope you won't be offended if I say that, in retrospect, I find it hilarious in an odd way. On this topic, and since I appear to be in a reflective mood, I learned about Xed way after the fact. I can't say that I'm surprised, but my interactions with him over the Congo conflicts were certainly some of the most enjoyable moments I've had on the wiki, as the discussion immediately jumped up a few intellectual notches.

I'll see if I can detach myself from the Main Page and go back to the Darfur pages. On a related and very positive note, Alex de Waal, editing as Adewaal, made a brief appearance and wrote a brilliant lead to Famine. I don't want to think what it would have cost to hire him to do the same work. Anyway, it's really good to touch base with you. Take care, BanyanTree 23:38, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

Forgive me for butting in, but I have Mark's discussion page on my watchlist. Sadly, even our neighbourhood isn't the haven it once was. It's gotten me accused of neo-colonialism on the one hand and anti-Europeanism on the other. But, yeah, I can retreat to write about more rulers of the Duala and not have a worry in the world. I too have considered taking a long wikibreak, but in the end, I agree with Geogre. If we don't write about our particular areas of interest, no one will. And then the encyclopedia will go further toward being the world's biggest repository of Dr. Who trivia and Star Wars character biographies. — BrianSmithson 23:46, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

I hate to be the one to point this out but, due to those mean folks at Commons, we now appear to be discussing putting our feet up on a large Eurasian empire. (See image) I kinda like the surrealism, and my original post in the archives is now hilariously confusing. - BanyanTree 14:21, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Ha, that's just hilarious! I don't know where the original Ottoman has gone, but I can live with its replacement. Maybe it goes to show that we shouldn't be hanging around here but rather book a lengthy vacation to somemplace on the Mediterranean coast...

And Brian, I recognize what you're saying about our neighbourhood. I remember that debate we had on Talk:Igbo_people#Igbo_origins where the word 'Eurocentrism' fell. And some six months ago a Nigerian editor asked me "Why do you already want to bring down poor africa... dont you have a soul to judge you". In fact, I think I do have a soul to judge me, and that day it told me that I was spending too much of my valuable time on Wikipedia fighting pointless fights. On the whole however, I think the atmosphere in our neighbourhood happens to be quite agreeable still, and I also like the fact that there are some great new editors with us (people like MikeGasser, Yom, and HRH for example). — mark ✎ 12:27, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Thank you for supporting my RfA

Thank you for supporting my RfA that I have passed with 73/2/1.--Jusjih 09:48, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] barnstar

		The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
		For many contributions with limited reward, I present you with this Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar. Sharkface217 00:38, 1 November 2006 (UTC)