---
license: other
license_name: noodl
license_link: https://licensingafricandatasets.com/nwulite-obodo-license
language:
- xh
- zu
- af
tags:
- terminology
- glossary
size_categories:
- n<1K
---

[![DOI](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.17484991.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17484991)
[![arXiv](https://img.shields.io/badge/arXiv-2508.03529-b31b1b.svg)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03529)

# AI Terminologies in African Languages

## Dataset Description

Adapted from https://github.com/google-research-datasets/ssa-ai-terminologies

> AI Terminologies in African Languages
> Overview: This dataset provides a glossary of AI terms in Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English (as the common core), and other languages widely spoken in Africa. It's a JSON file, covering "Basic" and "Advanced" levels, to improve AI literacy.

This collection is part of the broader **Mafoko: South African Terminology, Lexicon, and Glossary Project**, which is dedicated to the comprehensive collection, meticulous cleaning, and transformative processing of South African language terminology lists, lexicons, and glossaries. This initiative is an integral part of the broader mission of the Data Science for Social Impact (DSFSI) lab/group, which aims to liberate and openly share as many language resources as possible.

## Dataset Structure


### Files Overview

### Data Format

Each JSONL file contains entries in the following structure:

```json
{
  "id": "unique_identifier",
  "eng": "English term",
  "afr": "Afrikaans translation",
  "xho": "isiXhosa translation",
  "zul": "isiNdebele translation",
  "eng_pos_or_descriptor": "Part of speech or descriptor in English",
  "eng_pos_or_descriptor_info": "Additional grammatical information",
  "[lang]_pos_or_descriptor": "Part of speech for each language",
  "[lang]_pos_or_descriptor_info": "Additional grammatical information for each language"
}
```

### Languages Covered

The dataset includes terminology in **11 official South African languages**:

- **English** (eng)
- **Afrikaans** (afr)
- **isiXhosa** (xho)
- **isiZulu** (zul)

## Usage



### Example Applications

- **Language Learning**: Create multilingual flashcards and vocabulary builders
- **Translation Tools**: Develop domain-specific translation systems
- **Educational Resources**: Build terminology databases for schools and universities
- **Research**: Linguistic analysis and terminology standardization studies
- **NLP Applications**: Train multilingual models for South African languages

## Data Quality and Provenance

TBD 
## Citation

### Dataset Citation

You must also cite the Mafoko project. 

### Paper Citation
```bibtex
@article{marivate2025mafokostructuringbuildingopen,
      title={Mafoko: Structuring and Building Open Multilingual Terminologies for South African NLP}, 
      author={Vukosi Marivate and Isheanesu Dzingirai and Fiskani Banda and Richard Lastrucci and Thapelo Sindane and Keabetswe Madumo and Kayode Olaleye and Abiodun Modupe and Unarine Netshifhefhe and Herkulaas Combrink and Mohlatlego Nakeng and Matome Ledwaba},
      year={2025},
      eprint={2508.03529},
      archivePrefix={arXiv},
      primaryClass={cs.CL},
      url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03529}, 
}
```

## Authors and Contributors

*[Placeholder for comprehensive list of authors and contributors - To be updated]*

### Original Authors
- Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, South Africa

### Dataset Curation
- Data Science for Social Impact (DSFSI)
- [Additional contributors to be listed]

## Project Information

- **Project Website**: http://www.dsfsi.co.za/za-mafoko/
- **Project Name**: Mafoko: South African Terminology, Lexicon, and Glossary Project
- **Organizing Institution**: Data Science for Social Impact (DSFSI)

## License

* This dataset is licensed under [Nwulite Obodo Open Data License - Version 1.0](https://licensingafricandatasets.com/nwulite-obodo-license)

## Contact

For questions regarding this dataset:
- **Technical Issues**: Contact DSFSI team
- **Content Questions**: Contact AI Terminologies in African Languages original Contributors
- **Project Information**: Visit http://www.dsfsi.co.za/za-mafoko/

## Acknowledgments


---

*This dataset is part of the broader mission to liberate and openly share South African language resources, enhancing language preservation and supporting linguistic diversity in digital spaces.*