Credits

Acknowledgments

The compilation of a body of information as large as the Ethnologue over the last seven decades is the result of the cooperation and participation of a multitude of contributors. Lamentably, space does not permit a comprehensive listing of every contributor since Ethnologue came into existence. This edition has benefited particularly from the contributions of researchers, language fieldworkers, and users of the languages who have freely given their time and expertise to improve the accuracy and quality of the data. We are especially grateful to those who have joined our team of Field Contributors, as well as to a growing number of online registered users who contribute valuable input through the Contribute form on the website.

Gary F. Simons, as Executive Editor, has provided the oversight and coordination for the task of bringing this new edition into existence, as well as guiding the process of change as we seek to keep improving the content and coverage of Ethnologue . David M. Eberhard, as General Editor, has provided overall direction for the editorial staff and for the data gathering activities of the Ethnologue. Charles D. Fennig, Managing Editor, has supervised the data entry process, tracked changes, dealt with thousands of electronic and hard copy communications, and has done a great deal of in-depth research in response to communications from users. M. Paul Lewis, having stepped down after 12 years in the role of General Editor, has continued to provide us with valuable assistance as an Editorial Consultant. The editorial team is augmented by the work of Colleen Ahland and Michael Ahland as Language Classification Editors, Albert Bickford as Sign Languages Editor, Lorna Priest Evans as Script and Writing Systems Editor, and Linda Simons as Bibliographer. Rounding out the editorial staff is a team of research assistants who have contributed greatly through their data gathering efforts: Beth Brye, Emilee Gehlert, Stephen Graham, Trina Graham, and Kiersten Henkel. Technical support for the Ethnologue database and the systems that allow us to edit the information and produce publications from it has been provided by Chad White, webmaster and lead developer. Dwayne Emberson has provided additional database support.

The language maps have been produced under the direction of SIL’s Lead Cartographer, Matt Benjamin, by Mark Cline, Marcus Love, Esther Morrow, and Mitchell Wimbush with additional research by Joe Bryant, Colin Davis, and Eva Horton, and with quality assurance from Beth Brye and technical assistance from Shauna Bladt and Stephen Tucker. Significant help in updating the maps for this edition has been received through personal communications from the following: Albert Bickford, Douglas Boone, Marcelinho da Silva, Ken Decker, Antoine Dusséaux, Victor Friedman, David and Sari Gardner, Jabna Gruitibna, Abrao Indibe, Joe Lehman, Bernadette Mitterhofer, John Muniru, Theodore Mwendakazi, Cutsao Nhuta, Devin O’Bannon, Jorge Patrano, David and Penelope Pickens, Jim Schmidt, Raymond Seka Bigwa, Katharina Tupper, Kán Ûi-iū, Valentin Vydrin, James Woodward, and Toni Xavier da Silva.

The Ethnologue benefits greatly from the close cooperation of Melinda Lyons, ISO 639-3 Registrar, who has assisted us in keeping our database aligned with the ISO 639-3 inventory of identified languages.

The updated information reported in this edition reflects the cooperation and communications over the last year from hundreds of researchers in the field as well as members of language communities who have made contact with us to contribute updated information. The change records in our database show that 341 additional people beyond the project staff named above have contributed at least one update to the database since the previous edition was published one year ago.

We want to give special recognition to our most prolific contributors. Each of the following 34 people contributed more than 30 updates to this edition: Bagamba Araali, Adedamola Aregbesola, Olivier Bernaz, Peter Brassington, Nate Cheeseman, Terry Dehart, Antoine Dusséaux, Quwatbek Düysen, Dwayne Emberson, Aleksandr Ermanov, Michael E. Frechette, Maik Gibson, Carlos González Mireles, Iabna Gruitibna, Cameron Hamm, Bob Johnson, Joe Leman, Marie Makaya, Kirk Miller, Joseph Mushunganya, Aleksandr Natarov, Angi Williams Ngumbu, Cutsau Nhuta, Devin O’Bannon, Iris Sacson, Renhard Saupia, Nikhat Shameem, PR Shinu, Toni Xavier da Silva, Scott Smith, Ian Tupper, Katharina Tupper, Alan Vogel, and Kristy Wedel.

The list of contributors continues with the following 92 who contributed 5 or more updates: Cristiano Barros, Shayaan Behzad, Nabil Berri, John Berthelette, Raymond Seka Bigwa, Mikael Bister, Philippe Blanchet, Colleen Boyd, Jessica Brown, Terry Cirre, Luca Ciucci, Diana Cohen, Jim Courson, Davy Crockett, Nathan Duhe, Barbara Earth, Edward Emsheimer, Andrew Fedorov, Jaap Feenstra, David Gardner, Marc Gebhard, Daniel Gya, Stacey Hare, Paul Hattaway, Rob Hess, Vincent Hiribae, Denise Hovland, Tim Hunter, Eliane J, Rachel Jamison, Jill Jones, Linda Jordan, Reuben Kabwe, Mvwala Katshinga, Mari-Sisko Khadgi, Song Kim, Arne Kirchner, Svetlana Kirilenko, Angela Kluge, Athanas Kodji Glab, Seaira Lett, Susie Locklin, John Hillary Lolar, Marcus Love, Marius Loyko, Wayne Lunsford, Melinda Lyons, Simon Malesan-Jordaney, Mariana Martins, Arman Martirosyan, Andrea Massari, Sue McQuay, David Miller, Bernadette Mitterhofer, Flavio Mongiovi, Bill Morrison, Esther Morrow, Eduardo Antonio Muñoz Espinoza, Waziri Mushakulwa, Endurance Mwangondo, Nodir Nazarov, David Onoja, Michel Pauw, Andrew Persson, Penelope Pickens, Xin Puri, Parvez Qadir, Netra Mani Rai, Richaringan, Christina Riepe, Ali Robinson, Jennifer Runner, Phillip Schuring, Larry Seguin, Kathy Shafto, Sonia Shannon, Ismail Bin Sidik, Ralph Siebert, João Sifina, Didier Sisa, Joan Spanne, Stephen Stanley, Allan Starling, Ko Stroo, Paul Sundberg, Longdi Sylvanus, Ajitman Tamang, Zubair Torwali, Melile Üzüm, Chris Vickio, Katarzyna Wojtylak, and Brendon Yoder.

And the list could continue with 215 more names of those who made at least one contribution, each of which was significant because it allowed us to publish better information. To all of our contributors we are deeply grateful for we recognize that the success of our efforts depends on their generosity.