Editing Encyclopedia:Naming conventions (languages)

{{Subcat guideline|naming convention|Languages|WP:NCL|WP:NCLANG}}
{{Naming conventions}}
Articles on [[language varieties]] (i.e. languages, dialects or sociolects) can be titled with the bare name of the variety where this is unambiguous (e.g. [[Bokmål]]) or where it is unquestionably the [[WP:PRIMARYTOPIC|primary topic]] for the name (e.g. [[Arabic]], [[Kannada]], [[Arvanitika]]). In other cases, where the language is not the [[WP:PRIMARYTOPIC|primary topic]], a natural disambiguator like "... language" is preferred (e.g. [[French language]]). 

Programming languages should be disambiguated with the suffix "(programming language)" if the name is not sufficiently unambiguous.  For example, [[VBScript]] does not need clarification, while [[Python (programming language)]] does.

==Redirects==
In the examples above, we would place a redirect to ''Arabic'' at [[Arabic language]] and verify that ''French language'' is listed on the [[French]] disambiguation page. Similarly, we would place a redirect to [[VBScript]] at [[VBScript (programming language)]] and [[VBScript programming language]].
This will accommodate writers using alternative and older naming conventions. 
If the [[ISO 639-3]] code for the language appears under a different header at ''[[Ethnologue]]'', either a different spelling or a different name altogether, make that a redirect as well. Similarly, if the spelling or name changes between editions of ''Ethnologue'', all should have redirects. Country specification is placed between parentheses, and 'language' added, so ISO ''Kom (Cameroon)'' should have at least a redirect at [[Kom language (Cameroon)]]: this is the default format used by several lists of languages and ISO codes. 
If more than one ISO code or name has been assigned, as is common when ''Ethnologue'' treats as separate languages those considered to be dialects of a single language by reliable sources, or when spurious codes/names are retired, place redirects under these as well.

==Languages and their speakers==
{{Infobox NC name|Motswana|[[Tswana people|Batswana]]|[[Tswana language|Setswana]]|[[Botswana]]|Tswana}}
Where a common name exists in English for both a people and their language, it is most often the case that neither is the [[WP:PRIMARYTOPIC|primary topic]]. A title based on that term, with explicit disambiguation, is preferred for both articles, as with [[Chinese people]] and [[Chinese language]]. This is especially so when borrowed native forms involve different prefixes or are otherwise not transparently related, as with [[Tswana people]] and [[Tswana language]], with redirects placed at ''[[Batswana]]'' and ''[[Setswana]]'', respectively. If an English plural form (distinct from the singular name) exists, it may be used for the article about the people, as at [[Russians]] with a redirect from ''[[Russian people]]''.  If no [[WP:PRIMARYTOPIC|primary topic]] exists, a disambiguation page containing links to both articles (and other ambiguous articles) should be created at the base name, as with [[English]] or [[Tagalog]].

The template {{tl|Infobox ethnonym}} may be used to list the various native forms, as at right for ''Tswana''.

* As with the corresponding guideline at {{Section link|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (ethnicities and tribes)#Self-identification}}, how the group self-identifies should be considered. If their autonym is commonly used in English, it would be the best article title. Any terms regarded as derogatory by members of the group of speakers in question should be avoided.

==Language families==
[[Language families and languages|Language families]] and groups of languages are pluralized, thus [[Sino-Tibetan languages]]. Normally, a redirect from the singular to the plural title is appropriate, as at [[Sino-Tibetan language]], but in some cases this would be incorrect: Compare [[Kalenjin languages]] (the family) and [[Kalenjin language]] (a specific Kalenjin language), where the phrase "a [[Kalenjin languages|Kalenjin language]]" requires the plural form in the link: <code><nowiki>a [[Kalenjin languages|Kalenjin language]]</nowiki></code>. ''X languages'' is preferred over ''X language family'' because it leaves the actual nature of the grouping (genetic, geographic, or otherwise) an open question, which saves us from nit-picking about the article title in the case of controversial families, or whether the article covers a 'branch', 'group', 'subfamily', etc.

==<span id="DIA">Dialects, [[register (sociolinguistics)|registers]], and other varieties</span>==
{{shortcut|WP:DIALECT}}
{{redirects here|WP:DIALECT|the guideline on which dialect of English should be used in articles|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#National varieties of English}}
The choice of "language" or "dialect" should follow the [[WP:COMMONNAME|most common usage]] in relevant [[WP:RS|reliable sources]]. The term "[[language variety|variety]]" is neutral, and the fact that a particular source uses this term cannot be used to help decide between "language" or "dialect" (i.e. the fact that the term used is "variety" rather than "language" does not imply it is not a language, or vice versa).

The word "language" is used for varieties which have standard forms, per common usage, even if they are not distinct languages by other criteria, as for example [[Serbian language]] and [[Croatian language]] alongside [[Serbo-Croatian language]], or [[Indonesian language]] and [[Malaysian language]] alongside [[Malay language]].

The term [[dialect]] should only be used for distinct but mutually intelligible varieties of a language, such as the [[Suzhou dialect]] of [[Wu Chinese]], or [[Bukusu dialect (Luhya)]]. For local differences in pronunciation, [[accent (sociolinguistics)|accent]] is preferred. Varieties can be titled either using the bare name (provided they are the primary topic), or by prepending a modifier to the name of the parent language, as at [[Standard German]] and [[African-American English]]. This is useful when there is disagreement as to whether a variety is an accent or a dialect, as at [[Estuary English]], or a dialect or a separate language, as at [[Egyptian Arabic]] and [[Mandarin Chinese]], or whether it constitutes a single dialect or several, as at [[Southern American English]].

==See also==
* {{Section link|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (Chinese)#Language}}
* [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (writing systems)]]

[[Category:Languages on Wikipedia]]