Thanks to all you supporters, donors, volunteers, and users, our work on this project has now reached a testing phase where we put finishing touches to the program in preparation for launch. We will soon open it up to the public where it always belonged. Shortly, we will send out a timeline for our public launch/presentation and information about how you can help us spread the word, and to participate in the work from now on into the future.
A few days ago, I was in Ilé-Ifẹ̀ to, among other things, put plans in motion for a coming field trip to help us gather plenty name data from that historical town and its environs. Part of our future goals at YorubaName.com is to be able to visit towns and villages around the country in other to gather peculiar names and stories from people in the area who have kept them in their oral history for generations.
A strong supporter of the project, the Ọọ̀ni of Ifẹ, Ọọ̀ni Adéyẹyè Ògúnwùsì (Ọ̀jájá II) showed great interest, gave audience and promised relevant support. With the help and support of other traditional rulers in Yorùbá towns (and other cultural gate-keepers), we will surely meet our desired aim of creating a product of lasting cultural and linguistic value.
Our database currently contains over three thousand names, and this is just the beginning. We hope to reach ten thousand and beyond. The infinite creative nature of Yorùbá naming system ensures that we can never truly exhaust the list of names in the country, but we can surely try. As soon as we launch, it will be up to the users to improve on each entry, and swell the database to as large a scope as possible. And who knows, it may be time to begin again in another language.
Here is a quote from the Ọọ̀ni: “It is an absolutely phenomenal concept that will keep the Yorùbá culture and language alive. It has my full support.”
The tools of information technology have made it easy to curate this kind of artistic and cultural content across different physical spaces. One of the most acclaimed things we did in 2015 was the release of the Yorùbá keyboard for Mac and Windows, free. Over 200 people have downloaded the software and can now properly tone-mark their words. If you haven’t done so, feel free to do so too, and share with a friend. This coming year, we hope to create the software in even more web and mobile platforms.
So, in a salute to all of you who have supported us from the beginning, and all those who currently work – in their free time – to ensure that the project continues to thrive, here’s a big Ẹ seun púpọ̀ for your unflagging commitment, and a toast to an even more fulfilling 2016.