Theoretical Issues in the Computational Modelling of Yorùbá Narratives

Developing a coherent computational model for narratives across multiple cultures raises the question of the components and structure of a framework within which African narratives can be conceptualised and formalised. It is well known that narratives are influenced by cultural, linguistic, and cognitive factors. We identify and define entities, elements, and relations necessary for the adequate description of Yorùbá narratives. We also discuss these theoretical issues in the context of designing a formal framework that is amenable to computational modelling. 1998 ACM Subject Classification H.1.m Models and Principles: Miscellaneous, H.3.1 Content Analysis and Indexing, I.2.7 Natural Language Processing, I.2.4 Knowledge Representation Formalisms and Methods, J.5 Arts and Humanities