Talk:Ainu phrasebook

VFD discussion

For the same reason as the Manchu phrasebook (the language is almost extinct and it's hard to come across a speaker), this page should be deleted. SmileKat40 (talk) 07:39, 24 May 2019 (UTC)

Delete this phrasebook doesn't even have much details... I dont think that this article deserves a place in WikiVoyage. Arep Ticous 09:59, 24 May 2019 (UTC)

Well, w:Ainu languages says "As of 2011, there are only 15 speakers remaining, along with 304 people understanding the Ainu language to some extent." I would tend to therefore Support your proposal, but I won't be surprised if it's defeated. Ikan Kekek (talk) 10:08, 24 May 2019 (UTC)

• Delete per statement by Ikan Kekek that there are 15 people speaking the language. I checked and the statement is located in the article. (Not to test your honesty or judgment, IK.) --Comment by Selfie City (talk | contributions) 13:55, 24 May 2019 (UTC)
• Comment How likely is a traveller to encounter cultural use of Ainu? There appears to be some attempt to revitalise the language, but I don't know how this has got. AlasdairW (talk) 21:35, 24 May 2019 (UTC)
• My comment above regarding the Manchu phrasebook applies equally here. -- AndreCarrotflower (talk) 21:44, 24 May 2019 (UTC)

I took a look at the paper Wikipedia cites for the "fifteen speakers" statistic (it is available freely online). It says that this number, estimated by UNESCO, is an underestimate, that there is a sizeable population of youth who use the language actively, and that it persists in some rural areas. Keep ARR8 (talk | contribs) 02:46, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

What would "sizable" consist of? If it's in the thousands and the language actually might be useful to a visitor, I will cross out my vote for deletion. Ikan Kekek (talk) 03:29, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

I'm not sure. The paper says "many," and it cites another paper for this, but that paper is in Japanese, so I am unable to get specifics. ARR8 (talk | contribs) 03:38, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

Alright, that's enough doubt not to delete. I'm now OK with keeping this article. Ikan Kekek (talk) 05:15, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

I'm not yet ready to vote to keep the article, but I'm crossing out my vote to delete. --Comment by Selfie City (talk | contributions) 14:05, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

Delete As above with Manchu, it is highly unlikely that a traveller will find themselves with one of the (probably extremely few) Ainu speakers that don't also speak Japanese, and those who are interested in Ainu culture or the language will likely want something more comprehensive than a short phrasebook. I'm in favour of keeping the information somewhere else but Wikivoyage doesn't seem to be the right place for it. --Nathan868 (talk) 18:30, 26 May 2019 (UTC)

Weak keep It's an actual language that some people, no matter how few, may want to try out for reasons of cultural appreciation. And the argument that we should delete a phrasebook because all speakers of that language are bilingual is a weak one in my opinion. For instance, the vast majority of Norwegians speak English, and you probably wouldn't need to learn Norwegian to get by in Norway, but we still keep the phrasebook. The dog2 (talk) 23:31, 28 May 2019 (UTC)

Keep I tend to agree with ARR8 and The dog2. Unless there are no native speakers at all, having the phrasebook is a net benefit for travellers. Gizza ^(roam) 23:19, 29 May 2019 (UTC)

Keep I'm on the side or ARR8, The dog2, and DaGizza. It might not be a thriving language, but it's worth giving travelers the choice to at least try to experience this thankfully surviving culture for themselves. Liberscriptus19 (talk) 00:43, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

• Result: keep. --Comment by Selfie City (talk | contributions) 22:32, 14 June 2019 (UTC)