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Running head: LAB 1 – ELDERS DESCRIPTION

Lab 1 – ELDERS Product Description

Team Purple

Josh Fetherolf

CS411w

Janet Brunelle

March 18, 2013

Version 2

LAB 1 – ELDERS PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 2

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................3

2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................5

2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities.............................................................................53 IDENTIFICATION OF CASE STUDY..................................................................................8

4 PRODUCT PROTOTYPE DESCRIPTION..........................................................................10

4.1 Prototype Architecture (Hardware/Software).................................................................104.2 Prototype Features and Capabilities................................................................................124.3 Prototype Development Challenges................................................................................12

GLOSSARY..................................................................................................................................14

REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

List of Figures

Figure 1. Major Functional Component Diagram...........................................................................7

Figure 2 Major Functional Component Diagram..........................................................................11


1 INTRODUCTION

An endangered language is one that is at risk of being lost as speakers either die or adapt

to a new language. There are thousands of languages around the world and experts speculate

that half of them are in danger of becoming extinct within the next century (The Week Staff,

2012). Language is critical to the speaker’s culture and in losing one, that culture is also being

lost.

The Nottoway Tribe of Virginia, local to the Tidewater area, has a language that is

currently classified as endangered. In 1650, early documentation of the tribe notes that there

were only four to five hundred Nottoway people. This is a comparably small number of

Nottoway speakers to begin with. The tribe was further challenged by forced relocation due to

hostile tribes. Additionally, early in the 19th century, it was dangerous to identify as Native

American. This caused many individuals to hide their ancestry for personal safety and is

possibly when the language started to disintegrate (Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, 2011).

Today, there are many tribal members cooperating and assisting with the project to help build the

database of words.

There are a few language revival systems existing in the market today, such as Rosetta

Stone, FieldWorks Language Explorer, and First Voices. The intention of these programs is to

encourage the use of languages that may be not as commonly spoken, or to teach commonly

spoken languages to new learners. These are instrumental in reviving languages to prevent them

from going out of use. As long as these documentation programs exist, the language will not

become endangered.


Revival systems are commonly made up of a database that includes all the words and

definitions that are known and documented, including pronunciations, syllables, sentence

structure, and other grammatical tips associated with the words. There are several problem

characteristics that revival systems encounter. Lack of documentation can occur when a

language is endangered due to a low number of speakers or an elderly population. Additionally,

older languages may not be written down or recorded in a manner that revival systems can use.

Endangered languages can eventually die off if the tools are not accessible, or in other words, a

lack of professional assistance to help record the words. Some endangered languages do not

have an alphabet, which makes recording the words impossible. The best solution for this is to

use a similar language that has an existing alphabet that can be shared. Another problem that

arises with endangered languages is when ambiguous words are used. There may be multiple

and interpretive meanings, or a difficulty in translating to English or the accepted language.

There are a few key solution characteristics for a revival system to be accepted and used.

The system should be versatile and able to be used anywhere the user requires it. It should be

educational in its execution so that the user is learning the language correctly. It would be

helpful if the system is free and available to anyone who wants to utilize it. The system should

be efficient in attaining the maximum desired effect without overwhelming the user with

information. Finally, the system needs to be well documented in its sources to provide a useful

database. The community of the language should be involved to assist with documentation.

Endangered Languages Documentation Extension and Revival System (ELDERS) is a

product being developed to assist in restoring the Nottoway language. ELDERS is a web

application that users can access to learn about the Nottoway tribe history, language, games, and

access a dictionary of words belonging to the Nottoway. ELDERS has been designed using the


Nottoway as a prototype but the concept can be used for any language. When a language

becomes extinct, it can have a devastating effect on the culture. Any society can use the

ELDERS web application to restore their language just as the Nottoway are restoring theirs.

2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The main focus of ELDERS will be storing, expanding, and assisting in teaching the

language. The product is designed to provide the tools needed to teach the language as well as

the history of the community who speak it. A website will be used as the main interface to help

with navigating ELDERS, with the intention that this will enable easier access. The same

information can be conveyed through physical documents, but the website will be more versatile

and efficient. The product is reliant on input from the community, as they will be encouraging

the use of the product as well as facilitating the expansion of the language. This suggested words

by the community will be stored in an online database.

2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities

Any community will be able to take their endangered language and enter it into

ELDERS. In doing so, a record of the original language will be created. It is then stored in

dictionary format, preserving the language for future generations. In addition to this original

language dictionary, a second one will be created. The purpose of the secondary dictionary is to

help the community expand and grow their endangered language. The secondary dictionary will

be a duplicate of the original but with the added feature of being modifiable. A committee,

selected by the community, will be able to modify the secondary dictionary. The elected council

as a whole will vote on new additions. The product has also been designed with a feature to


remove words from the secondary dictionary should the need ever arise. In addition to storing

and expanding the endangered language, ELDERS is an educational tool. For those trying to

learn the endangered language, there will be a section containing educational games, history

lessons, and standard language lessons all designed to help maximize learning of the language.

Communication is another key feature of the product. There is no expectation of growing

and expanding an endangered language without communication between the speakers. ELDERS

will provide members of the community with a forum to communicate with each other, which

will help to promote usage of the language. Users will have access to a message board essential

to providing a venue for use of the language and to give value to the words by using them in

conversation. Through communication on the message board or in forums, discussion should

promote new words that can eventually be added to the dictionary.

2.2 Major Components (Hardware/Software)

ELDERS uses several open source software components that are collectively known as a LAMP

stack: Linux, Apache HTTP Server, MySQL, and PHP, Perl, or Python. Ubuntu, the Linux

Operating System, will be used to access the ELDERS server. The Ubuntu 12.04 distribution

will be used because it is the latest stable release. Maintenance will be guaranteed for at least

five years. The web server will be Apache, which will easily support language interfaces such as

PHP, Perl, and Python. PHP is used as a worldwide scripting language, but ELDERS will be

using Python because this will be unique and suitable for the development of the website.

MySQL will be the database management system. A database contains two tables, one for the

original language dictionary and the other for the secondary, modifiable dictionary. The

database will also store the language’s alphabet. Each of these components is provided as up-to-

date packages within Ubuntu and offer user-friendly interfaces.


Figure 1. Major Functional Component Diagram

The product is made up of two major functional hardware components: a client and a

server. The client hardware can be any device with a web browser. For the mobile devices, an

application will be developed. However, as long as a device has a web browser, the content will

still be accessible. The server hardware will be outsourced to a hosting service. It is currently

being hosted on an ODU Computer Science departmental machine. In the future, it may move to

a different host. The minimal projected specifications are two to four gigabytes of RAM and at

least 20 gigabytes of hard drive space.

To access ELDERS, one must become a registered user to varying levels of information

based on the registration type. Once registered, the users are entered into the appropriate

permissions group based on their relationship to the community. These groups are established to

control access and limit the roles of certain users. The website administrators have full back-end

access. Other groups will be established for modifying the secondary dictionary or simply

viewing the website with no modification rights. Lightweight Directory Access Protocol

(LDAP) can be used if the community prefers privacy rather than having their site open to the


public. LDAP can be used not only for authentication but also allow for user provisioning, such

as splitting into different groups.

The web application is the revival system of ELDERS. The user will be able to view the

alphabet and both dictionaries belonging to the community. The user will also be able to view

historical background of the language speakers so as to educate themselves on the community.

There will be simple games and videos as educational tools. For example, a game being

developed is a matching game where the player builds words by lining up the correct word

fragments. Users may also participate in message boards and forums to introduce words to the

language which will then be voted on for addition to the secondary dictionary. If any changes

are made, registered users are notified via email.

3 IDENTIFICATION OF CASE STUDY

The revitalization of endangered languages has used the Nottoway language as a case

study. Our group has worked closely with the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia as well as with

Professor Jay Morris. He first learned about the Nottoway as he was studying Cherokee. He

came up with the idea to help the Nottoway restore their extinct language. He has spent years

working closely with the leaders of the tribe, which allows us to have a better understanding of

the community’s expectations for the product.

Jay Morris, currently a Computer Science professor at Old Dominion University, earned

his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri in 1983 and his Masters Degrees in

Philosophy and Mechanical Engineering from Yale. His interest with American Indians

originated with his own Cherokeean heritage. He has worked closely with the Nottoway

community in recent years and has held the honorable title of “State Plan Chief” for the past two


years. The Nottoway community has been involved in the project through Professor Morris,

providing necessary specifications and ideas.

Recorded history for the Nottoway Indians began in 1650 with Edward Bland, an

explorer. Bland wrote in his journal of his first meeting with a Nottoway tribe, and recorded the

population of the tribe to be only about four to five hundred. In 1681, the tribe was located in

what is today Sussex County but they were threatened by hostile tribes and forced to relocate.

(Parramore, 1978, p. 1-5). The majority of the tribe moved to today’s Surry County, but it is

believed that some moved north and established a tribe in New Jersey.

Nearly a century and a half later, Thomas Jefferson “entertained the possibility, even the

hope, that over time Native Americans could be Christianized, civilized, and ultimately

assimilated into white society” (Peterson, 1986, p. 69). Jefferson requested documentation of the

Nottoway language “and retained a fascination with American Indians” (p. 69). Because of his

request, two hundred and fifty words were recorded in Jefferson’s vain attempt to determine if

the Native Americans, in fact, migrated from Asia (p. 168). This expedition also relayed the

information that there were only three remaining Nottoway speakers. The language was declared

extinct by the end of the 19th century.

Today, there are two Nottoway tribes recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia: the

Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia and the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe. The

Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia is located in Surry County and the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway)

Indian Tribe is located in Southampton County. The tribe being studied for the prototype of

ELDERS, the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, has only around 200 members remaining, none

of which are able to speak their own language (Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, 2011).


4 PRODUCT PROTOTYPE DESCRIPTION

The prototype of the product is being designed in the form of a user friendly website. It

will focus on the Nottoway language as it currently exists and will document and archive the

words recorded at Jefferson’s request. It will also allow for language expansion by way of new

words being added by the community. As soon as the Council or Committee agrees upon a new

word, it is entered into the database and is now documented. Features will also include cultural

information to educate the user about Nottoway history. Professor Morris has provided the

cultural information from his extensive study of the Nottoway and this will be displayed as its

own page within the website.

Community participation is important, but so are the access and restrictions for the

prototype. Restrictions are needed to protect the privacy of the community and allow that only

the committee members have the ability to add or modify the dictionary. There will be levels of

access including website Administrators (back-end full access), Council members (front-end full

access), Tribal members (viewing and submission rights), Non-Nottoway registered users (access

to educational features and notification of changes), and guests to the website. When Tribal

members submit a word for approval by the Council members, the features of the dictionary

allow for recording and displaying of the new addition.

4.1 Prototype Architecture (Hardware/Software)

The prototype architecture is a virtual machine, which is a software implementation of a

computer that executes programs as if a physical machine. The prototype virtual machine hosts

the Apache server and MySQL database. This works by the administrators logging into the

virtual machine by opening a remote desktop client and entering the IP address. From there, our

user interface for the virtual machine is accessible for database management.


Figure 2 Major Functional Component Diagram

The LAMP stack (Linux, Apache HTTP Server, MySQL, and Python) will be required

because the components are still necessary for the interface. Linux is the operating system,

Apache is the web server, MySQL is the database management system, and Python is the

scripting language. All of these features are necessary to create a user-friendly web application.

The two algorithms in use will be for voting and searching. A new word that gets

submitted will first be searched through the database to see if it already exists. The voting

algorithm is initiated by a word being submitted by either a Tribal or Council member user.

Once the word has made it to the suggested word list, the Council members must approve the

word. If the suggested word gets the majority of votes and is accepted, it is then submitted on

the web application into the new dictionary table on the Nottoway database. Then, once a new

instance of a word is in the table, a notification is sent to the website’s registered users. If the

word does not get accepted, the word is dropped from the suggested voting pool.


4.2 Prototype Features and Capabilities

The prototype’s web application begins with registration, which is what distinguishes the

access level for the user. In order to register, the user must visit the webpage and click the

option to register as a new user. From there, there will be a process of determining which level

access they will need. Once registered at any level (Council member to non-Nottoway), the user

has access to the features of the website. One of those features is to learn about the history of the

community and another is to play simple games as an educational tool. There is a simple

dictionary search available to the users that will eventually expand into the secondary dictionary

comprised of new, accepted words by the Council. The website will also include a forum for

maintaining communication and for users to remain knowledgeable about new features or words

being added.

In remembering that the main purpose of the product is language learning and expansion,

the dictionaries are a major feature. The old dictionary will be static and comprised only of the

original two hundred and fifty words recorded nearly two centuries ago. The new dictionary will

be dynamic and modifiable, containing words that are being used in the 21st century. A critical

aspect of the new dictionary is expansion of the Nottoway language, which will expand when

Tribal members provide suggested words to be added to the new dictionary. The Council

members will vote, as written about earlier, and if approved, new words will be entered. As the

new words are accepted, notifications are sent out to all registered users of ELDERS.

4.3 Prototype Development Challenges

Developing a new web application for an endangered language poses a number of

challenges. Administrators have a lot of responsibility in updating and maintaining the back-end


features of the database, scripting, and permission groups, but also in ensuring the front-end

access remains user friendly. This challenge can be dealt with best by providing adequate

training for any person who may become an administrator. Another challenge facing ELDERS

is the need for offline accessibility and allowing for exportable content will mitigate this.

Testing will post another challenge, and starting the testing process early will be crucial. This

will allow for adequate time to fix all bugs to be identified and fixed. Customer feedback will be

important throughout the process of implementing this product, and frequent contact and

communication through Professor Morris will be helpful. This way, administrators can stay on

top of any issues that may arise between the community and the product execution. One of the

more complicated issues that may be a challenge is proper word association and grammar of the

Nottoway language. This will be dealt with by using Professor Morris’ established conjugation

program, as well as his documentation and vast knowledge of the Nottoway language as it exists

so far.

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GLOSSARY

Apache HTTP Server: commonly referred to as Apache, a web server software.

IP: Internet Protocol.

LAMP: a platform consisting of Linux, Apache, MySQL, and Perl/PHP/Python.

LDAP: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol; an application protocol for accessing and

maintaining distributed directory information services over an IP network.

Linux: an open source computer operating system.

LTS: Long Term Support; a software release with longer support length than other releases.

MySQL: an open source multi-user database management system

ODU: Old Dominion University, Norfolk Virginia.

PHP: a server-side programming language designed for building dynamic Web pages.

Python: a general-purpose, high-level programming language.

Ubuntu: an open source computer operating system with a user interface.

Virtual machine: a simulation of a machine (abstract or real) that is usually different from the

target machine.


REFERENCES

Lewis, J. D. (2007). Carolana Explorers – Edward Bland. Carolana. Retrieved on November

13, 2012, from http://www.carolana.com/Carolina/Explorers/edwardbland.html

Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia (2011). History. Nottoway Indians. Retrieved October 8,

2012, from www.nottowayindians.org.

Parramore, T.C. (1978). In Southampton County, Virginia (pp. 1-5). Charlottesville, VA: UP of

Virginia.

Peterson, M.D. (1986). In Thomas Jefferson: A Reference Biography (pp. 69, 168). United

States: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

The Week Staff (2012, June 22). Google’s next mission: Save dying languages – The Week.

The Week Magazine: Political News and Cartoons, Current Events and Entertainment

Online. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from

http://theweek.com/article/index/229695/googles-next-mission-save-dying-languages

http://www.nottowayindians.org/

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