Language: English
What is this session about?
This presentation surveys key approaches, methods, and tools from Digital Humanities and Natural Language Processing as applied in language documentation and description, with a particular focus on endangered and minority languages. Drawing on ongoing documentation projects on Khoekhoe (Namibia) and Kusua and Amba (Uganda), it illustrates a range of practical applications. Topics include the creation of machine-readable corpora, the integration of multiple annotation layers supported by NLP, versioning and reproducible research practices, and workflows for digital publishing. The presentation also highlights approaches to digital lexicography, including crowdsourcing and community collaboration.
Speaker:
Professor Dr. Alena Witzlack-Makarevich received her doctorate from the University of Leipzig in 2011 and subsequently conducted research at the University of Zurich, the University of Kiel, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before joining the University of Bremen in October 2025. Her research focuses on the documentation, description, and explanation of global linguistic diversity and focuses on various aspects of morphosyntax. For over 20 years, Professor Witzlack-Makarevich has also been involved in documenting endangered languages and language description. In addition to her academic publications, she contributes to the development of electronic and educational resources for these resource-poor languages.
Further Info:
Overview: Digital Humanities Lunchtalks
