What the Experience of Tibetan Language Standardization Can Teach Us About Standardizing the Social Use of Dongba Script
This 2019 article by Zhou Jing (Lijiang Dongba Culture Research Institute) examines the chaotic, error-ridden use of Naxi Dongba pictographic script on shop signs and tourism products in Lijiang, driven by tourism demand but hampered by translators' ignorance of Naxi grammar. The author catalogs seven recurring translation errors — dictionary-style word-for-word rendering, mixed phonetic-loan and literal translation, mixed literal and free translation, indiscriminate misuse, newly invented characters, ambiguity-inducing translations, and grammatically correct Naxi that fails to match intended Chinese meaning — illustrated with specific shop-sign examples and IPA transcriptions. She then surveys Tibet's centuries-long, state-led standardization system (historical codifications, a dedicated Tibetan Language Work Committee, legislation, bilingual education, media promotion) as a successful model, and proposes analogous measures for Dongba script: an expert standardization committee, designated translators, legal regulations, and public education campaigns, while respecting the script's historical and religious character.
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