User:Mzajac/Regional language vs regional topics

This is a think-tank draft for making a distinction between regional language and geographic context. A basic description of the problem and main discussion should remain at Wiktionary:Beer parlour archive/2008/May#Regional language vs regional topics. —Michael Z. 2008-05-15 00:31 z

1. Regional English and other languages will continue to be indicated on individual senses with regional context templates.
   • The general-purpose {{context}} will continue to be used for ad hoc regionalisms.
   • Regional tags in other places will continue to be applied with {{a}}, {{audio}}, {{qualifier}}, etc.
2. Geographic context will be indicated by a new set of context templates: {{in North America}}, {{in the USA}}, {{in the Canadian Prairies}}, {{in Wales}}.
   • A general-purpose {{geographic}} template will collect ad hoc regions.

• The new geographic context templates should be clearly distinguishable from regional language templates. Proposals:

  Letterspaced small caps: in the UK

  Italic serif font: in Canada

  square brackets:

The regional language and geographic context tags should have mostly separate category trees, intersecting where it is logical. Here are some possible paths through the tree:

• Regional language remains within the hierarchy of language families, languages, and dialects.

  Fundamental > All languages > Languages by country > Languages of the Americas > Languages of Canada > English language > Regional English > Canadian English > Newfoundland English > Canadian English slang

• Language categories also fall within their geographical scope.

  Fundamental > *Topics > Geography > Place names > Countries > Canada > Canadian English

• Geographic context categories have their own hierarchy, also falling under geography at every level.

  Fundamental > *Topics > Geography > Continents > In North America > In Canada > In the Canadian Prairies > In Saskatchewan > In Regina

• Templates and categories should have names and text content which makes their nature clear (e.g. {{Canadian English}} vs {{in Canada}}.
  • Should regional language templates always include a clear attributive? UK English, British, US English, Scottish, Canadian English, Manitoban, Manitoba English, but not UK, Britain, US, Scotland, Canada, Manitoba
  • Should geographic context templates always include in ...?

• Templates and categories should all carry simple documentation on their usage (facilitated with templates?), and clearly link to their counterparts. Example:
  • This regional language template, {{Scottish English}}, is applied to terms or senses as they are used by Scottish speakers. To identify a sense with particular meaning in reference to Scotland by any speaker of English, use {{in Scotland}}. Learn more....