Adding vernacular names of taxa from Botswana. What writing style is best ?
Do we add singular, plural or both when we add a vernacular name from Botswana in Setswana or one of the other many languages of Botswana.
I think we should make an effort to add both singulars and plurals.
Doesnt this make searching for a taxon much easier on inat if both are in the system.
Though I have found most names in Botswana's languages are singular and plurals have been neglected, sometimes it is hard to search for a siingular word.
I tried to search for nong - a bird in Setswana and came up with nothing. Such a basic word. However I was able to find Dinonyane ( birds).
I've brought up this issue also in a Forum post.
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/singular-or-plural-names-in-africa-or-both/43365
2 Should we write names in a conventional way with the Capital letter only at the start of the word and not at the third letter as linguists seem to love ?
I think we should be writing names as most Batswana write names. With the capital letter only at the beginning.
This is certainly open for debate and discussion !
3 I don't think many people in Botswana use accents in words except linguists.
There may be accents in some dictionaries but if they are not used by ordinary people in their writing should we be using them on iNaturalist ?
Accents are very important in French but I dont think they are in Botswana languages.
Here are example of some Setswana names in iNat.
I found these names for a dusky lark in iNat Se.Botha, Se.Bothê
I suggest we should be adding the names as Sebotha and Sebothe using a more conventional form of writing as used by Mr or Miss Average Motswana in Botswana.
Camel thorn Vachellia erioloba is moGôtlhô in INat. What is wrong with Mogotlho ?
Are we creating iNaturalist for linguists or for normal people ?
I hope this arouses a bit of discussion.
Thank you for considering the issue of simplification of writing styles.
Thank you
Tony Benn ( aka Botswanabugs)
