Wikipedia:Peer review/Icelandic language/archive1
Icelandic language[edit]
I think this article needs a peer review because there are many ways in which this article can be improved to bring it into line with other language articles, and also I think the article needs a to-do list produced on the talk page so that we can move forward. There is still much to be said about Icelandic, perhaps we can have some translation efforts from the German and Swedish articles, which seem to be more comprehensive in some areas (like preservation of the language). Thanks. Max Naylor 10:58, 7 April 2007 (UTC)
Michkalas[edit]
Nice work so far. These are some remarks I would like to make.
- A good idea is always to refer to WikiProject Languages/Template. This gives some good advice as to the ordering and the names of the headings. It makes also clear that a section on "Vocabulary/Lexis" (this is different from examples) is missing.
- Per WP:SS, it is important that the main article on a subject is comprehensive and summarises adequately the more specific articles. In that respect, the sections on alphabet/writing system and grammar should be expanded copying information from the more specific articles. In general, the level of coverage of the various sections an article should be balanced. Now there is a long enough phonology section, but the other sections are short.
- The lead should also be expanded. See WP:LEAD.
- A photo will be a plus for the article (for example, a manuscript from the Middle Ages).
- Use inline citations to make information in the article verifiable. See WP:CITE.
- You can check Bengali language, probably the most recently promoted FA article with a modern language as its subject. Compare it with this article and also check the comments when it was a FA candidate. See also Wikipedia:Featured article criteria.
- In my opinion, the subheading "preservation" (and the heading of the relevant article, BTW) is not really descriptive. "Linguistic purism" is much more accurate. Just to take it literally, making new words in Icelandic for things inexistent in Old Norse to replace loanwords is not preservation by any means. --Michkalas 20:49, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
Peter Isotalo[edit]
Michalkas has good overall pointers, but I'd like to add a few myself:
- The phonology section is very technical. Just look at the first sentence: Icelandic has an aspiration contrast between plosives, rather than a voicing contrast, something relatively rare among European languages. Anyone who isn't very comfortable with phonetic terminology will have to look up almost every other word. I would recommend moving the current section to Icelandic phonology and writing a summary that would appeal to people who aren't hobby linguists.
- The tourist phrases in the "Examples" section aren't really befitting an encyclopedic article. I would recommend replacing it with an excerpt from one of the sagas or maybe a poem by some famous Icelandic author.
- Sound samples are always great for any language article.