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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Firefox translated into Luganda | Firefox translated into Luganda |
| (4 days later) | |
| African software and language experts have launched a project to translate Mozilla's Firefox web browser into the local Ugandan language of Luganda. | African software and language experts have launched a project to translate Mozilla's Firefox web browser into the local Ugandan language of Luganda. |
| The project aims to increase the number of non-English speakers using computers particularly in rural areas of Uganda. | The project aims to increase the number of non-English speakers using computers particularly in rural areas of Uganda. |
| If successful, Firefox will be the first computer program to have been translated into Luganda. | |
| About five million Ugandans speak Luganda, the most widely spoken language after English and Swahili. | About five million Ugandans speak Luganda, the most widely spoken language after English and Swahili. |
| Basic words | Basic words |
| The initiative to translate Firefox into Luganda is being led by Uganda's Makerere University, South Africa's Rhodes University and Translate.org.za, a non-profit organisation. | The initiative to translate Firefox into Luganda is being led by Uganda's Makerere University, South Africa's Rhodes University and Translate.org.za, a non-profit organisation. |
| The BBC's Joshua Mmali in Kampala says 120 software engineers and 120 language specialists were invited to a two-day workshop to collaborate on the project this week. | The BBC's Joshua Mmali in Kampala says 120 software engineers and 120 language specialists were invited to a two-day workshop to collaborate on the project this week. |
| So far, some basic words have been translated into Luganda, our correspondent says. | So far, some basic words have been translated into Luganda, our correspondent says. |
| Venacious Baryamureba, the dean of Makerere's Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, said the project would increase the number of people using computers in Uganda. | Venacious Baryamureba, the dean of Makerere's Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, said the project would increase the number of people using computers in Uganda. |
| "Everything is available in English and there are people who know Luganda, who can read Luganda but cannot read English. So it's a step towards localising most of these things into local content," he said. | "Everything is available in English and there are people who know Luganda, who can read Luganda but cannot read English. So it's a step towards localising most of these things into local content," he said. |
| Our correspondent says Ugandans are looking forward to using Luganda and other local languages to search for information on the internet. | Our correspondent says Ugandans are looking forward to using Luganda and other local languages to search for information on the internet. |
| Microsoft launched its Windows and Office software in Kiswahili (Swahili) - which is spoken by more than 110 million people across eastern and central Africa - in 2005. | Microsoft launched its Windows and Office software in Kiswahili (Swahili) - which is spoken by more than 110 million people across eastern and central Africa - in 2005. |
| Language experts from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar as well as the Great Lakes and the Democratic Republic of Congo developed a common glossary for the software. | Language experts from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar as well as the Great Lakes and the Democratic Republic of Congo developed a common glossary for the software. |