We are in annotation mode with iltyem-iltyem, working on the recordings from last November at Wilora, plus more recent material recorded at Ti Tree. These recordings are being annotated in Elan. We are focusing on a first pass through the material, identifying sign utterances and individual signs. We are also logging each file, entering the basic data related to the recording event (who, where, when, and a basic summary of the file contents). A second pass through will drill down more deeply into the material – for example, looking at all the ‘points’ that form the basis of the rich system of deictic reference in iltyemiltyem. Points are annotated according to hand shape (eg. index finger, cupped, finger clicks) and the number and direction of their movements within the signing space. The photo shows screen capture of an annotation file of a recording from Janie Mpetyane, one of the Wilora sign consultants.
The first aim for the Wilora recordings is to make a dvd compiling the best material from each signer who participated in the recordings. From there, we will discuss who is interested in putting their material online, on the iltyemiltyem web site.