Extremaduran Wikipedia (Wikipedia en estremeñu)

Language and scope

Extremaduran is a Romance variety traditionally spoken in parts of the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. The Wikipedia edition uses a form of the language adopted by its contributors; because Extremaduran shows internal variation and has less standardization than larger national languages, the encyclopedia often reflects local spellings and stylistic choices. Articles cover regional topics as well as general encyclopedic subjects translated or written in Extremaduran.

History and development

The project was started on 27 January 2007 and later received its present URL on 28 May 2008. Early growth was modest, as with many minority-language Wikipedia editions, relying on a small group of active editors. Over time it accumulated several hundred to a few thousand articles and has been described among the smaller Wikipedia editions by article count. For an entry point to the site see the project page: Extremaduran Wikipedia. General information about Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement can be found at Wikipedia and the broader description of free encyclopedias at the free encyclopedia.

Uses, importance, and community

The Extremaduran Wikipedia serves multiple purposes: it is a resource for speakers and learners, a repository for regional culture and history, and a platform for language normalization and publicity. Its community tends to be small and volunteer-driven; contributors focus on creating original content, translating notable articles, and establishing local conventions for orthography and terminology. Like other minority-language projects, it also plays a role in language preservation efforts.

Characteristics and notable points

• Content reflects available sources and volunteer time, so coverage is uneven, with stronger representation of local geography, people, and traditions.
• Because Extremaduran lacks a single universally accepted standard, editorial decisions about spelling and grammar are made locally by the community.
• The project illustrates how Wikimedia infrastructure supports many language varieties, enabling speakers to document knowledge in their own linguistic register.