An Etymological Dictionary of the Tungusic Languages: Archival Materials and the Potential for Online Development
67th Annual Meeting of the PIAC, Gotemba 2025
Currently, linguistics — and comparative-historical linguistics in particular — is subject of digital transformation. For instance, an increasing number of projects are dedicated to the development of online etymological and comparative dictionaries. One such initiative is the work in progress on a digital etymological dictionary of the Tungusic languages.
As part of this effort, a digitized version of the Comparative Dictionary of Tungusic Languages edited by V. I. Tsintsius is now available at https://tms.etymdata.org/. This marks 50 years since the original publication of the dictionary. Future plans for the project include expanding the database with additional materials, such as: adding entries from published dictionaries of Tungusic languages and data from the original card catalog that served as the source for the comparative dictionary, and reconstruction proto-forms and their developments.
In my presentation, I would like to discuss the workflow involved in developing projects of this kind—from the digitization of primary sources to the creation of an accessible online database. I will explore the ideal structure of such a process, addressing key challenges and opportunities in digital comparative linguistics.