Omniglot (/ˈɒmnɪˌɡlɒt/) is an online encyclopedia focused on languages and writing systems.[2]

Omniglot
Type of site
Encyclopedia
Key peopleSimon Ager[1]
URLomniglot.com
CommercialYes
Launched1998
Current statusActive

Etymology

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The name "Omniglot" comes from the Latin prefix omnis (meaning "all") and the Greek root γλωσσα (glossa, meaning "tongue").

History

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The website was launched by British author Simon Ager in 1998, originally intended to be a web design and translation service. As Ager collected and added more information about languages and various writing systems, the project evolved into an encyclopedia.[3]

It provides reference materials for some 300 written scripts used in different languages,[4][5] over 1,000 constructed, adapted and fictional scripts, and materials for learning languages.[6][7]

It also has reference materials in numerous languages.[8]

Its material was the source for a compendium of characters used for development of artificial intelligence, the Omniglot Challenge.[9][10] The Omniglot compendium has been used widely since it was first released.[11][12][13]

As of July 2024, the number of languages detailed on the site is over 2,030.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Moore, Melanie (June 13, 2016). "Interview with the Omniglot". Mango Languages. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  2. ^ Ager, Simon (2002). "Omniglot - writing systems and languages of the world". Library of Congress. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  3. ^ Ager, Simon. "Omniglot - a potted history". Omniglot. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  4. ^ Brookes, Tim (June 29, 2013). "First Person: Save a Language, Save a Culture". National Geographic. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Sheehan, Jennifer (September 4, 2020). "Celtic Cultural Alliance art class offers chance to learn and create using ancient Irish alphabet, Ogham". The Morning Call. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Steinkopf-Frank, Hannah (December 21, 2020). "How to Learn French: A U.S. News Guide". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  7. ^ "B. Board: One fowl could be a goose, and two are called geese; Yet the plural of moose should never be meese". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. September 25, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Sarkodie, Alex (March 4, 2020). "The Origins Of The Akan-Speaking People Of Ghana". Modern Ghana.
  9. ^ Lake, Brenden M.; Salakhutdinov, Ruslan; Tenenbaum, Joshua B. (December 11, 2015). "Human-level concept learning through probabilistic program induction". Science. 350 (6266). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 1332–1338 – via JSTOR.
  10. ^ Markoff, John (December 10, 2015). "A Learning Advance in Artificial Intelligence Rivals Human Abilities". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  11. ^ Press, Gil (December 16, 2019). "Would You Trust A Self-Driving Car? 70% Of Americans Say 'No,' 72% Of Chinese Say 'Yes'". Forbes. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  12. ^ Lake, Brenden M.; Salakhutdinov, Ruslan; Tenenbaum, Joshua B. "The Omniglot challenge: a 3-year progress report". Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. arXiv:1902.03477.
  13. ^ Heck, Stephen; Lewis, Phil; Draelos, Tim (July 1, 2018). Survey of Few-Shot Learning Techniques. MLDL Conference (Sandia Internal). OSTI 1572926 – via Office of Scientific and Technical Information.
  14. ^ Ager, Simon. "About Omniglot". Omniglot. Retrieved July 30, 2024.