r/endangeredlanguages

Hey everyone! Kwira bá! I run a server for Rarámuri ra’icha learners. I keep the server private, invite-only because we have occasionally gotten trolls. My question is: has anyone had experience with a group like this, keeping the community active and engaged, etc? I was running Zooms to go through a workbook, but I regret to say I dropped off doing that as I started to get tired doing it and sometimes had low attendance.

A few years later, our numbers have grown—about 100 or so—but a lot of people are offline and my attempts to have Voice Room chats aren’t working. People don’t come to regularly scheduled chats (including me). I have been busy trying to write grants and form a nonprofit and be a parent. There are a few people, certainly one or two, who are really well versed in the language, but they are feeling shy and don’t want to take on a teaching role.

Does anyone have good advice for me for revitalizing the server? I care about my ancestors’ language and am happy to be among ‘fam' but am hampered for time and energy to do more. I guess I could:

• dedicate some time to run some group learning Zooms myself, but I don’t love centering myself
• find new moderators (some of mine are busy with school and parenting)
• make the server public and promote it (…but see the first two points…)

I appreciate it! Matétera bá!

The goal of this community is to spread awareness of Indigenous language revitalization and linguistic decolonization efforts. This space prioritizes Indigenous voices and welcomes linguists, educators, language learners, and community advocates. All are encouraged to use this space for discussion, questions, and any sharing of Indigenous languages and cultures.

I want to learn Michif. You can find out if a language is endangered by searching for it on ethnologue.com.

I’m working on a quadrilingual dictionary project of endangered languages and I’m currently trying to figure out the best software/workflow for managing it long term.

Right now, the dictionary is basically a large word list in Word format, but I want to move it into something more structured and sustainable — both for future editing/searching and eventually for turning it into a printed book.

The dictionary contains four languages side-by-side, and I’d ideally like:
- multiple language columns/fields
- the possibility to expand entries later
- relatively simple formatting
- good export/printing possibilities
- something that won’t become a nightmare once the database grows

I recently started trying to use SIL Toolbox because I heard it’s very flexible and commonly used for linguistic/dictionary work. But honestly, I’ve been struggling quite a bit with it:
- the interface feels very old
- formatting/customization is confusing
- font handling has been difficult
- importing and structuring data isn’t very intuitive
- documentation/support seems scattered

So I’m wondering:

1. Is Toolbox still actually the best option for this kind of project nowadays?
2. Would something like FLEx, Lexique Pro, or another program be better?
3. What is generally the best workflow if the final goal is BOTH:
   - maintaining a usable lexical database
   - and eventually publishing it as a proper book/dictionary?
4. Is there anyone experienced with Toolbox (or dictionary-building software in general) who might be willing to help or point me in the right direction?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who’ve worked on multilingual dictionaries, minority language documentation, or long-term lexicographic projects.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated.