Document the knowledge around words, places, people, practices, and everyday life.
Language knowledge includes the situations in which people use it. A proverb, place name, cultural practice, or term for a plant may need an explanation that a short translation cannot provide. Tabula’s public scope includes cultural material, people, places, nature, and everyday activities.
Choose one subject and state what you are documenting. Separate the name or expression from your explanation of it. Identify the language of the explanation and the context in which you encountered the form.
| Subject | Context that can make the contribution useful |
|---|---|
| A place or local name | Which place is meant and where the form is used |
| A cultural expression or proverb | When people use it and what it communicates in that setting |
| A practice or activity | Who performs it, its setting, and the relevant language |
| A plant or animal term | The characteristics or local context that distinguish what is meant |
| A person or historical account | The source and the distinction between a documented fact and a recollection |
These are preparation examples, not a claim that every topic has an identical form or publication process.
An approximate translation can help introduce a topic, but it may hide an important cultural distinction. Preserve the Kifuliiru expression and explain the situation in which its meaning becomes clear. Where several interpretations exist, describe the one you know and the basis for it.
For a proverb, distinguish its wording, a literal explanation where useful, and its meaning in use. Do not replace the original wording with a loose paraphrase and present the paraphrase as the proverb itself.
Say whether the explanation comes from your own use, an account shared by someone else, a recording, or a published reference. A remembered account can be valuable, but readers should be able to distinguish it from a dated document or independently confirmed event.
Avoid adding precise dates, identities, translations, or scientific names just to make an entry look complete. A clearly stated gap is more useful than unsupported precision.
The official guidelines emphasize privacy and cultural care. Include personal information or recordings only when appropriate to share. If knowledge is sensitive or its public sharing is uncertain, ask through the project’s help channel before submitting it for public use.
A disagreement about an account should focus on the evidence and interpretation. Keep alternative explanations understandable and use review and corrections to frame a specific question.
For a reusable way to organize your material, continue with contributing language knowledge.
