Hasil untuk "Languages and literature of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania"

Qness Ndlovu

In January 2026, torrential rains killed 200-300 people across Southern Africa, exposing a critical reality: 60% of the continent lacks effective early warning systems due to infrastructure costs. Traditional radar stations exceed USD 1 million each, leaving Africa with an 18x coverage deficit compared to the US and EU. We present a production-grade architecture for deploying NVIDIA Earth-2 AI weather models at USD 1,430-1,730/month for national-scale deployment - enabling coverage at 2,000-4,545x lower cost than radar. The system generates 15-day global atmospheric forecasts, cached in PostgreSQL to enable user queries under 200 milliseconds without real-time inference. Deployed in South Africa in February 2026, our system demonstrates three technical contributions: (1) a ProcessPoolExecutor-based event loop isolation pattern that resolves aiobotocore session lifecycle conflicts in async Python applications; (2) a database-backed serving architecture where the GPU writes global forecasts directly to PostgreSQL, eliminating HTTP transfer bottlenecks for high-resolution tensors; and (3) an automated coordinate management pattern for multi-step inference across 61 timesteps. Forecasts are delivered via WhatsApp, leveraging 80%+ market penetration. This architecture makes continent-scale early warning systems economically viable, supporting UNDRR findings that such systems reduce disaster death rates by 6x. All architectural details are documented inline for full reproducibility.

Hector Galindo-Silva

The European colonization of sub-Saharan Africa drove a massive shift from indigenous religions to Christianity, yet the channels through which this transformation occurred remain poorly understood. Using a geographic regression discontinuity design at colonial borders in sub-Saharan Africa, I find that Christian adherence is substantially higher under French and Portuguese direct rule than under British indirect rule -- a gap that implies a correspondingly greater persistence of traditional religions where indirect rule prevailed. Neither mission presence nor pre-colonial political centralization can account for the discontinuity. Instead, the evidence points to the disruption of the inherited social order as the key channel: where direct rule eroded rigid traditional social structures, Christianity -- which bypassed hereditary boundaries -- expanded to fill the void; where indirect rule preserved them, indigenous religions endured. These findings shed light on the dynamics of religious identity change and how it was shaped by colonialism.

Melanie Wasmuth, Tero Alstola , Rotem Avneri Meir et al.

Empires and kingship are long-standing topics of research in ancient Near Eastern studies; the study of queenship has gradually received more attention over recent decades. However, discussions of the social implications of kingship and queenship, comparisons of the gender roles, and their study across several empires remain rare. The paper at hand takes the unprecedented step of such a comparative analysis by tracing a specific detail of royal ideology, namely the presentation of the king and queen to the public as builders, across seven major Near Eastern empires following and/or interacting with each other throughout the first millennium BCE: the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, Teispid-Achaemenid, Seleucid, Ptolemaic, Parthian, and Roman empires. Drawing on the available textual, material, and visual sources from the ancient contemporary contexts of each empire and from Classical reception history, we showcase the potential of a longue-durée comparison for the social institutions of kingship and of queenship, giving full attention and space also to the lesser known empires and the queens’ roles. To achieve this, we present first a synopsis of the key findings per empire and role, followed by a diachronic study of three aspects of gender comparison: concerning the empire-internal portfolios of king and queen, the joint presentation as a couple, and the question of how far the roles of king and queen mirror or complement each other. We conclude with some pertinent (albeit tentative) results on the features shared by some or all of the empires as well as their outstanding idiosyncracies.

Dimakatso S. Mathe, Sekgaila Chokoe

Sesotho sa Leboa comprises multiple dialects, estimated at around 33, primarily spoken in Limpopo Province and Mpumalanga Province. Although most dialects are considered mutually intelligible, those in the eastern part of Limpopo Province (Selobedu, Sepulana and Sepai) are argued to be mutually unintelligible with dialects associated with the standard language, that is, Sepedi, Sekopa and Sekone. However, a closer observation of arguments reveals four linguistic factors that have not been considered by previous studies. Firstly, the opinions are advanced without any direct measurement of the mutual intelligibility of the dialects. Secondly, when mutual intelligibility is not bidirectional, the dialects are misconstrued as mutually unintelligible. Thirdly, the dialect continuum has not been explored to explain the linguistic landscape of the dialects. Lastly, language (dialect) contact has not been considered when reference is made to the mutual intelligibility of the dialects. Considering this background, the current study provides a linguistic overview of the mutual intelligibility of Sesotho sa Leboa dialects as reported by various scholars, while also arguing that the above-mentioned linguistic factors are intricately linked to mutual intelligibility and, therefore, essential to be considered when reflecting on the mutual intelligibility of these dialects. The study adopted a qualitative desktop research method, whereby various secondary sources on mutual intelligibility and Sesotho sa Leboa dialects are reviewed for analysis. Contribution: The study postulates that speakers of Selobedu, Sepulana and Sepai can understand speakers of Sepedi, Sekopa and Sekone based on acquired intelligibility as speakers of the first three dialects learn the standard language as a home language in schools. The study further proposes for adoption of a revised methodological approach as a possible means to measure and ascertain mutual intelligibility, while also demonstrating how the approach could be adopted in the context of Sesotho sa Leboa dialects.

Jack Liell-Cock, Zev Shirazi, Sam Staton

Relative monads provide a controlled view of computation. We generalise the monadic metalanguage to a relative setting and give a complete semantics with strong relative monads. Adopting this perspective, we generalise two existing program calculi from the literature. We provide a linear-non-linear language for graded monads, LNL-RMM, along with a semantic proof that it is a conservative extension of the graded monadic metalanguage. Additionally, we provide a complete semantics for the arrow calculus, showing it is a restricted relative monadic metalanguage. This motivates the introduction of ARMM, a computational lambda calculus-style language for arrows that conservatively extends the arrow calculus.

Gabriel Spadon, Oladapo Oyebode, Camilo M. Botero et al.

This paper presents an overview of a human-centered initiative aimed at strengthening climate resilience along Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore. This region, a collection of rural villages with deep ties to the sea, faces existential threats from climate change that endanger its way of life. Our project moves beyond a purely technical response, weaving together expertise from Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, and Coastal Geography to co-create tools with the community. By integrating generational knowledge of residents, particularly elders, through the Eastern Shore Citizen Science Coastal Monitoring Network, this project aims to collaborate in building a living digital archive. This effort is hosted under Dalhousie University's Transforming Climate Action (TCA) initiative, specifically through its Transformative Adaptations to Social-Ecological Climate Change Trajectories (TranSECT) and TCA Artificial Intelligence (TCA-AI) projects. This work is driven by a collaboration model in which student teams work directly with residents. We present a detailed project timeline and a replicable model for how technology can support traditional communities, enabling them to navigate climate transformation more effectively.

Aarush Sinha, Viraj Virk, Dipshikha Chakraborty et al.

Language Models [LMs] are now playing an increasingly large role in information generation and synthesis; the representation of scientific knowledge in these systems needs to be highly accurate. A prime challenge is hallucination; that is, generating apparently plausible but actually false information, including invented citations and nonexistent research papers. This kind of inaccuracy is dangerous in all the domains that require high levels of factual correctness, such as academia and education. This work presents a pipeline for evaluating the frequency with which language models hallucinate in generating responses in the scientific literature. We propose ArxEval, an evaluation pipeline with two tasks using ArXiv as a repository: Jumbled Titles and Mixed Titles. Our evaluation includes fifteen widely used language models and provides comparative insights into their reliability in handling scientific literature.

Hermina Cielas Leão, Tiziana Pontillo, Lidia Sudyka

No abstract is avaliable for this article.

Athul Rasheeda Satheesh, Peter Knippertz, Andreas H. Fink

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models often underperform compared to simpler climatology-based precipitation forecasts in northern tropical Africa, even after statistical postprocessing. AI-based forecasting models show promise but have avoided precipitation due to its complexity. Synoptic-scale forcings like African easterly waves and other tropical waves (TWs) are important for predictability in tropical Africa, yet their value for predicting daily rainfall remains unexplored. This study uses two machine-learning models--gamma regression and a convolutional neural network (CNN)--trained on TW predictors from satellite-based GPM IMERG data to predict daily rainfall during the July-September monsoon season. Predictor variables are derived from the local amplitude and phase information of seven TW from the target and up-and-downstream neighboring grids at 1-degree spatial resolution. The ML models are combined with Easy Uncertainty Quantification (EasyUQ) to generate calibrated probabilistic forecasts and are compared with three benchmarks: Extended Probabilistic Climatology (EPC15), ECMWF operational ensemble forecast (ENS), and a probabilistic forecast from the ENS control member using EasyUQ (CTRL EasyUQ). The study finds that downstream predictor variables offer the highest predictability, with downstream tropical depression (TD)-type wave-based predictors being most important. Other waves like mixed-Rossby gravity (MRG), Kelvin, and inertio-gravity waves also contribute significantly but show regional preferences. ENS forecasts exhibit poor skill due to miscalibration. CTRL EasyUQ shows improvement over ENS and marginal enhancement over EPC15. Both gamma regression and CNN forecasts significantly outperform benchmarks in tropical Africa. This study highlights the potential of ML models trained on TW-based predictors to improve daily precipitation forecasts in tropical Africa.

Thomas F Burns

Southeast Asia is a geopolitically and socio-economically significant region with unique challenges and opportunities. Intensifying progress in generative AI against a backdrop of existing health security threats makes applications of AI to mitigate such threats attractive but also risky if done without due caution. This paper provides a brief sketch of some of the applications of AI for health security and the regional policy and governance landscape. I focus on policy and governance activities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an international body whose member states represent 691 million people. I conclude by identifying sustainability as an area of opportunity for policymakers and recommend priority areas for generative AI researchers to make the most impact with their work.

Nishat Raihan, Mohammed Latif Siddiq, Joanna C. S. Santos et al.

Large language models (LLMs) are becoming increasingly better at a wide range of Natural Language Processing tasks (NLP), such as text generation and understanding. Recently, these models have extended their capabilities to coding tasks, bridging the gap between natural languages (NL) and programming languages (PL). Foundational models such as the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) and LLaMA series have set strong baseline performances in various NL and PL tasks. Additionally, several models have been fine-tuned specifically for code generation, showing significant improvements in code-related applications. Both foundational and fine-tuned models are increasingly used in education, helping students write, debug, and understand code. We present a comprehensive systematic literature review to examine the impact of LLMs in computer science and computer engineering education. We analyze their effectiveness in enhancing the learning experience, supporting personalized education, and aiding educators in curriculum development. We address five research questions to uncover insights into how LLMs contribute to educational outcomes, identify challenges, and suggest directions for future research.

Alain Ishamalangenge Nyimilongo

Les néologismes de la Covid-19 sont témoins de la réalité pandémique qui a enrichi le lexique de la langue française. Nous avons analysé la question des néologismes employés par les Congolais lors de la crise sanitaire de la Covid-19. Ces nouvelles unités ont été adaptées par les locuteurs du français pour compenser le vide linguistique. Toute langue est vouée non seulement à l’emprunt des mots, mais surtout à la néologie pour garantir sa survie dans les communautés où elle est employée. Ainsi, les locuteurs d’une langue ont le choix de créer des nouvelles unités lexicales pour désigner les nouvelles réalités.

Munachimso Blessing Oguine, Chidera Godsfavor Oguine, Kanyifeechukwu Jane Oguine

Recent advancements in technology have necessitated a paradigm shift in the people use technology necessitating a new research field called Human-Machine collaboration. ChatGPT, an Artificial intelligence (AI) assistive technology, has gained mainstream adoption and implementation in academia and industry; however, a lot is left unknown about how this new technology holds for Human-Machine Collaboration in Africa. Our survey paper highlights to answer some of these questions. To understand the effectiveness of ChatGPT on human-machine collaboration we utilized reflexive thematic analysis to analyze (N= 51) articles between 2019 and 2023 obtained from our literature search. Our findings indicate the prevalence of ChatGPT for human-computer interaction within academic sectors such as education, and research; trends also revealed the relatively high effectiveness of ChatGPT in improving human-machine collaboration.

Kinyua Gikunda

This paper explores the dynamic landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption in Africa, analysing its varied applications in addressing socio-economic challenges and fostering development. Examining the African AI ecosystem, the study considers regional nuances, cultural factors, and infrastructural constraints shaping the deployment of AI solutions. Case studies in healthcare, agriculture, finance, and education highlight AI's transformative potential for efficiency, accessibility, and inclusivity. The paper emphasizes indigenous AI innovations and international collaborations contributing to a distinct African AI ecosystem. Ethical considerations, including data privacy and algorithmic bias, are addressed alongside policy frameworks supporting responsible AI implementation. The role of governmental bodies, regulations, and private sector partnerships is explored in creating a conducive AI development environment. Challenges such as digital literacy gaps and job displacement are discussed, with proposed strategies for mitigation. In conclusion, the paper provides a nuanced understanding of AI in Africa, contributing to sustainable development discussions and advocating for an inclusive and ethical AI ecosystem on the continent.

Miladia Rahma

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi majas dalam cerita fancition di aplikasi Wattpad. Adapun metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini merupakan metode kualitatif melalui penjelasan deskriptif. Sumber data dalam penelitian ini adalah dua cerita fanfictian dalam aplikasi Wattpad yang berjudul “Broken Home” dan “Be Family”.  Berdasarkan hasil analisis yang telah dilakukan ditemukan enam jenis majas berdasarkan langsung tidaknya makna yaitu majas pleonasme, hiperbola, simile, metafora, personifikasi, dan epitet. Majas-majas tersebut digunakan penulis untuk menunjukkan latar suasana, latar waktu, alur, dan perwatakan.

Rebeka Njau, Tom Odhiambo

Harisal Harisal

The second-language learning process is often constrained by the influence of mother tongue or first language-Acquisition learners, which is called interference. Interference is principal language irrelevance in bilingual due to one or more language to be introduced or Speech Communication. Based on its phenomenon, students of State Polytechnic of Bali are considered passive interference learners, putting their mother tongue (Javanese and Balinese) elements and Indonesian Language in Japanese consciously or intuitively. This study aims to disclose the type of interference by the hospitality program students for those studying Japanese in State Polytechnic of Bali and explain its factors. The method used is Descriptive Qualitative, which is concerned with taking document field notes and literature Review to represent the real phenomenon of passive Interference types. The population in this study were all students in State Polytechnic of Bali in Japanese class. In contrast, the sample was taken from the results of purposive sampling based on their 100% attendance. There were about 65 first-year or second Semester students in Japanese Class and showed their Interferences. The study results showed that about 75 Passive Interference has commonly occurred in grammatical cases, such as phonetics, morphology, and syntax. Moreover, the occurrence factors of Passive Interference are distinctive Phonetic Features, The Language pattern differences between Mother Tongues (Local Languages) – Japanese, and lack of Japanese Language Proficiency skills and its dictions.

Jonathan Dunn

This paper measures similarity both within and between 84 language varieties across nine languages. These corpora are drawn from digital sources (the web and tweets), allowing us to evaluate whether such geo-referenced corpora are reliable for modelling linguistic variation. The basic idea is that, if each source adequately represents a single underlying language variety, then the similarity between these sources should be stable across all languages and countries. The paper shows that there is a consistent agreement between these sources using frequency-based corpus similarity measures. This provides further evidence that digital geo-referenced corpora consistently represent local language varieties.

Noza Aflisia, Hazuar Hazuar

This study aims to develop Arabic teaching materials with a communicative approach for MA Muhammadiyah Curup students by analyzing the needs and validation / feasibility of Arabic teaching materials with the communicative approach according to experts' assessments. Researchers develop teaching materials based on this communicative approach aimed at improving students' ability in mastering Arabic which is not only theoretical but also practical and communicative. Data collection techniques using observation, questionnaires, interviews, and documentation. Likert scale is used for questionnaires and qualitative data analysis techniques using data reduction, data display, and verification. The results showed that Arabic teaching materials that have been used are not yet relevant to the needs of students and have not maximally improved students' Arabic speaking skills. The development of Arabic language teaching materials compiled is based on the results of planning and design development with three themes namely Al-Bayanaats Ash-Syakhshiyyah, Al-Hayah fil Usrah, and Al-Murafiq Al-mmAmmah fil Madrasah. This Arabic module has 28 pages. The average value of the validator for the initial design of this Arabic teaching material module is 22.87 with a very good category.

Andrason, Alexander, Matutu, Haile

This paper examines the syntactic properties of interjections in isiXhosa and their compliance with the interjectional prototype and its extra-systematicity as postulated in linguistic typology. By reviewing nearly two thousand uses of interjections in the comic genre, the authors conclude the following: in its integrity, the category of interjections is internally complex and diversified, containing members with varying degrees of canonicity and extra-systematicity. Although in various uses interjections comply with the interjectional prototype, and being extra-systematic in many others, their canonicity and extra-systematicity are significantly lower.