SenTermino: When science speaks in Wolof, Serer and Pulaar

Here is a student capable of understanding an oxidation reaction, but who is unable, once home, to explain it to his parents. "It's not that his tongue is incapable of conveying this knowledge.

Rather, the necessary scientific terms have not yet been sufficiently developed, discussed, and validated. These words from Professor Harouna Talla indicate that national languages in Senegal are still poorly equipped for science and technology. Similarly, terminological resources, although numerous, are scattered, difficult to access, and insufficiently standardized.

To address this challenge, the SenTermino project, Senegal's terminology bank, was launched in 2025. The review workshop took place this Tuesday, November 3rd, at Cheikh Anta Diop University. Led by IFAN and ESP, SenTermino aims to integrate national languages into technology. 5,000 words have been cataloged in three languages: Wolof, Serer, and Pulaar. It is possible to translate words from each of these languages into French, as well as between the languages themselves. In addition, there is a digital library of over 120 books on terminology and educational resources for bilingual teaching.

To illustrate the project's importance, Professor Moussa Diallo, one of the researchers, asked ChatGPT to translate the word "angle." The AI responded that it meant "kogn," the corner. But when he asked it the meaning of the word "vapoter" (to vape), the AI admitted it didn't know, but then offered a translation. This led the computer scientist to point out that if AIs aren't trained on data generated by Senegal, they will offer different answers themselves. However, young people exposed to these tools don't pay attention to the accuracy of the answer. Thus, the AI will suggest the terminology instead of Senegal's. Hence the importance of having as comprehensive a terminology database as possible.

However, the project faced challenges, particularly regarding data access. Some researchers were unwilling to make their findings available. This led Professor Adjaratou Oumar Sall to clarify that the SenTermino platform is a place of recognition, not dispossession. "Sharing your data isn't about impoverishment; it's about gaining visibility. Data gathering dust in drawers doesn't enrich you," she said. She reassured everyone that the data is not anonymized and that the authors are always cited.

Understanding the stakes, the Minister of National Education, Moustapha Guirassy, called for a more collaborative approach. For him, this project is not solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, but of the entire nation. Presiding over the ceremony, he urged institutional support at the highest level. "I encourage the initiators to seek a meeting with the President of the Republic, along with the relevant ministers, to make this a national priority."

Citing the experiences of Canada and France, he believes that if developed countries have felt the need to develop terminology platforms, then countries like Senegal must also equip themselves to have one. For his part, the rector of UCAD, Professor Alioune Badara Kandji, expressed his agreement in principle to support the institutional integration of SenTermino within the university, "under the scientific coordination of IFAN and in close collaboration with ESP."

For Guirassy, the challenge is all the more important because the issues of sovereignty are no longer limited to physical infrastructure. "Until now, our struggles have focused on infrastructure. But today, if we don't pay particular attention to what the eye cannot see, we are in a situation even more serious than colonization," he warns.