The Ma! Iwaidja app is an initiative of the Minjilang Endangered Languages Publication project (also known as Iwaidja Inyman), based on Croker Island in Northwestern Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory. This ‘touch and listen’ app includes:
- a 1,000 entry Iwaidja-English dictionary
- a 400-entry Iwaidja-English phrase book
- a WordMaker with a wheel-based interface allowing the user to conjugate body parts (verbs are coming in the next version)
- an information section on endangered languages in Arnhem Land, and an introduction to the sounds of Iwaidja.
This powerful, all-in-one language app allows users to record words or phrases with their own translations anywhere anytime. Anyone interacting with the language in any way, including Iwaidja speakers, community workers, and researchers, becomes an instant documentary linguist. Adding a new word or phrase with transcription and translation is as simple as adding a new phone contact to your Contacts list.
In the next version of the app, which is currently being developed by the Croker Island-based project team in collaboration with Melbourne-based developer Pollen Interactive and designers David Lancashire Design, users will be able to upload their data to a curated web interface. The curation team consisting of Indigenous linguists will review and adjust user-uploaded data before making it available as an update notification.