Miromaa — Introduction
“Miromaa is an award winning software program developed by Miromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre to assist our people reclaim, revive, document, conserve and share our traditional languages.”
Miromaa Workbook
Miromaa was created to help users compile dictionaries, organize data, analyze their language, and share resources with their community and beyond. Miromaa is operated by an Aboriginal-run, not-for-profit organization based in Australia. The Miromaa team supports users with training, project guidance, and app publishing. Miromaa is primarily intended for communities working on their own language but can be used to support linguists working directly with a language community.
A license is required to use and download Miromaa. Depending on individual or organization identity, various licensing options and price points, from free to $550 (AUD) per license, are available. Applications for licenses are available here on the Miromaa software website. They require potential users to identify who they are, what language they intend to use Miromaa with, and, for certain types of applications, their relationship to the language community.
Key features of Miromaa include adding multimedia files (such as images, audio and video), built-in archival management and source tracking, customizable and password-protected access levels, and support in dictionary app creation if needed. Once the lexical data has been compiled, Miromaa can create dictionaries and wordlists from a customizable template.
Miromaa’s lexicon creation software is only available on Windows, with Windows 10 recommended. Miromaa can run on macOS using workaround processes, such as Boot Camp, creating a virtual environment using Parallels, or with VMware. Dictionaries, wordlists, and apps created with Miromaa can be shared with users on macOS.
Highlights
- Designed specifically for Indigenous languages
- Beginner friendly for non-technical users
- Export options are customizable (i.e. subsets of the database, or specific semantic category, such as a wordlist of words relating to wildlife, can be published independently)
- Advanced fields are available for users with more tech skills
- Data can be imported from and exported to other common lexicography software tools, such as Toolbox, FLEx, and Lexique Pro
- Project managers control who can use the dictionary and access the database, including flexible and password protected access to subsets of data
- Built in focus on archival management and source tracking
- Every new word entered receives a word ID
- Users are prompted to enter the source of every new word
- If the word comes from a document or image, the source can be uploaded for storage
- Extensive support is available from the Miromaa team for users with a paid license
- Extensive online how-to’s and guides are available to anyone
- The Miromaa team will help with the development of a dictionary app
- Built-in, on-screen keyboard which can be used to type up to 30 customizable special characters
- Free licenses are available for certain individuals and organizations
Considerations
- Not open-source, so users cannot make customizations to the software itself
- Users must apply for a license
- Dictionaries apps are only available on the Apple’s App Store
- Long-term support for upkeep of an app may not be available
- Only available on Windows
- No publicly available instructions on how to change the navigation language to anything other than English, and the interface language may not be customizable
- Support options are limited with a free license
Alternatives to Miromaa
Examples of Dictionaries Using Miromaa
The Making Apps page on the Miromaa software website includes links to apps made with Miromaa, which can be downloaded from the App Store. This page also offers an overview of the steps involved in creating an app, featuring screenshots of the app interface.
We are unaware of any publicly available examples of non-app dictionaries built using Miromaa. However, sample images of a dictionary can be found here.
The Miromaa Stories page on the Miromaa website highlights anonymous quotes from users of Miromaa, while the Media Releases and Media tabs are used to share and highlight media which discuss and celebrate Miromaa software and the language projects it has supported.
Support Services
The Miromaa team will actively support users of Miromaa dictionary software with training, guidance, and app publishing. However, direct support may not be offered for users with free Miromaa licenses.
Extensive resources are freely available on the website, including the Your Language Journey workbook, the companion workbook to training programs offered by Miromaa. The workbook is divided into six sections, designed to guide users through using the software for language revitalization, covering topics such as project planning, equipment information, and practical how-to guides.
Written and video-based how-to guides are hosted on the website, walking users through every step and feature of Miromaa.
The Miromaa team offers technical support over the phone and email. They also provide the option for direct assistance using TeamViewer Remote Control, which allows someone from the Miromaa team to access a user computer (under user supervision) and to assist with technical problems.
The Miromaa team can help with aspects of a dictionary project that go beyond the use of their software, offering training workshops on project planning, recording, archiving and resource development.
Developers
Miromaa was developed by the Miromaa Aboriginal Language & and Technology Centre (MALTC). It was founded by Daryn McKenny, initially launching in 2008. Miromaa was originally developed to support the revitalization of Awabakal, but was soon used by other Aboriginal language centres in their language conservation and revitalization programs.
Although the date of the most recent update is unknown, it appears to be actively updated and supported.