---
title: "POS Tagging in Low-Resource Maithili Language: Specific"
description: "The authors describe a manually POS-annotated Maithili corpus of roughly 25,000 sentences from several domains, including… 15 references."
authors: ["Shivani Priya", "Shruti Jha", "Urmila Jha", "Girish Nath Jha", "Deepali Tiwari", "Jyoti Raj"]
year: 2026
venue: "Proceedings of the 8th Workshop on Indian Language Data: Resources and Evaluation"
source: "https://aclanthology.org/2026.wildre-1.9/"
doi: "10.63317/27ugx7nj4vvs"
licence: "CC BY-NC 4.0 (ELRA, LREC proceedings)"
licence_url: "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"
summary_licence: "Elamur Cosmic License"
canonical: "https://research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/priya-2026-pos-tagging-low-resource-maithili/"
---
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# POS Tagging in Low-Resource Maithili Language: Specific Challenges and Nuances

**Authors:** Shivani Priya, Shruti Jha, Urmila Jha, [Girish Nath Jha](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/authors/girish-nath-jha/), Deepali Tiwari and Jyoti Raj · **Year:** 2026 · **Venue:** [Proceedings of the 8th Workshop on Indian Language Data: Resources and Evaluation](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/venues/wildre/) ([Workshop on Indian Language Data: Resources and Evaluation 2026](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/venues/wildre/2026/)) · **Publisher:** [European Language Resources Association (ELRA)](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/publishers/european-language-resources-association-elra/) · **Licence:** [CC BY-NC 4.0 (ELRA, LREC proceedings)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

**Links:** [Publisher's page](https://aclanthology.org/2026.wildre-1.9/) · [PDF](https://aclanthology.org/2026.wildre-1.9.pdf) · [DOI 10.63317/27ugx7nj4vvs](https://doi.org/10.63317/27ugx7nj4vvs) · [OpenAlex](https://openalex.org/W7166551719)

**Citations:** 0 citations (OpenAlex, 2026-10-14)

## Summary

Maithili is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Bihar and Nepal and recognised in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, yet it has very few annotated NLP resources. The authors describe a manually POS-annotated Maithili corpus of roughly 25,000 sentences from several domains, including administration, law, education, health and tourism. Annotators worked in the web-based ILCIANN tool with the hierarchical BIS-based tagset used for Maithili, which has 11 top-level categories such as N, PR, DM, V, RP, QT and RD. The paper does not train or evaluate a tagger. Instead, it qualitatively analyses where annotation goes wrong:

* English Penn Treebank habits carried over by annotators
* intensifiers labelled as adverbs
* confusion between light and main verbs
* nouns inside conjunct verbs tagged as verbs
* polysemous items like के, लेल and क
* enclitic particles
* honorific agreement
* reduplication, which has no dedicated tag

The authors conclude that tagsets borrowed from Hindi or English miss these phenomena. They call for a Maithili-specific tagset, making the paper useful as a resource description and an error taxonomy for future Maithili tools.

## Key points

- **Data per domain (Table 1):** Administration 7000, Education 6310, Law 5267, Health 1008, Tourism 838, Agriculture 763, Technology 567.
  - These figures add up to about 21.7k sentences, not the stated 25k.
  - The abstract names only three of the seven domains.
- **Annotation setup:** The ILCIANN tool (Kumar et al., 2012) combines manual tagging with partial automatic tagging of closed classes. It uses hierarchical BIS labels such as N_NN, V_VAUX, RP_INTF and RD_ECH (echo words).
- **No quantitative evaluation:** The paper reports no tagging accuracy, no inter-annotator agreement and no UD mapping or LAS. Its findings come from illustrative examples only.
- **Typical errors cited:**
  - बड tagged RB instead of RP_INTF.
  - भारतीय inside a party name tagged JJ, although it functions as part of a proper noun.
  - In मारि देब, the light verb देब risks being read as a second main verb.
- **Proposed extensions:**
  - An HON feature, e.g. PRON[+HON] and VERB[+HON].
  - VOC.PART or ADDR tags for address words such as यौ, हौ, रौ, रे, which are currently lumped with interjections.
  - A reduplication tag.
  - A fully Maithili-specific tagset.

*Our summary of the paper, in our own words — not its text. The work belongs to its authors; read it at the links above.*

## Institutions

- [Jawaharlal Nehru University](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/universities/jawaharlal-nehru-university/) — University, New Delhi, India · 3 works · 170 citations

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🧭 Topics (2): [🔤 Part-of-speech tagging](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/topics/part-of-speech-tagging/) · 126 works · [🌱 Low-resource languages](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/topics/low-resource-languages/) · 287 works

## Cite

Cite as: Shivani Priya, Shruti Jha, Urmila Jha, Girish Nath Jha, Deepali Tiwari and Jyoti Raj. 2026. POS Tagging in Low-Resource Maithili Language: Specific Challenges and Nuances. Proceedings of the 8th Workshop on Indian Language Data: Resources and Evaluation.

The paper itself, not this page. BibTeX from the library's record of the work.

```bibtex
@inproceedings{priya2026pos,
  title = {{POS Tagging in Low-Resource Maithili Language: Specific Challenges and Nuances}},
  author = {Shivani Priya, Shruti Jha, Urmila Jha, Girish Nath Jha, Deepali Tiwari and Jyoti Raj},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 8th Workshop on Indian Language Data: Resources and Evaluation},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.63317/27ugx7nj4vvs},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.63317/27ugx7nj4vvs}
}
```

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## References

15 references, 0 of them with a card of ours. ↗ leads to the work, «find» searches for one we have no id for yet.

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2. LDC-IL Maithili Speech Corpus Documentation. LDC-IL. Choudhary, N., & Ramamoorthy, L. (2019). LDC-IL Raw Text Corpora: An Overview. In Language Data Consortium for Indian Languages (LDC-IL). [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=LDC%2DIL+Maithili+Speech+Corpus+Documentation%2E+LDC%2DIL%2E+Choudhary%2C+N%2E%2C+%26+Ramamoorthy%2C+L%2E+%282019%29%2E+LDC%2DIL+Raw+Text+Corpora%3A+An+Overview%2E+In+Language+Data+Consortium+for+Indian+Languages+%28LDC%2DIL%29%2E)
3. Gopal, Madhav, & Jha, Girish Nath (2011). Tagging Sanskrit Using BIS POS Tagset. In Information Systems for Indian Languages: International Conference, ICISIL, Communications and Computer and Information Science, Springer, Volume-139, PP. 191-194. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Gopal%2C+Madhav%2C+%26+Jha%2C+Girish+Nath+%282011%29%2E+Tagging+Sanskrit+Using+BIS+POS+Tagset%2E+In+Information+Systems+for+Indian+Languages%3A+International+Conference%2C+ICISIL%2C+Communications+and+Computer+and+Informat)
4. Hardie, A., Archer, D., McEnery, T., Rayson, P. (2003). Developing an Automated Semantic Analysis System for Early Modern English. In Proceedings of Corpus Linguistics, PP. 22-31. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Hardie%2C+A%2E%2C+Archer%2C+D%2E%2C+McEnery%2C+T%2E%2C+Rayson%2C+P%2E+%282003%29%2E+Developing+an+Automated+Semantic+Analysis+System+for+Early+Modern+English%2E+In+Proceedings+of+Corpus+Linguistics%2C+PP%2E+22%2D31%2E)
5. Jha, A. K., Singh, P. P., & Dwivedi, P. (2019, July). The Maithili text-to-speech system. In IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Computing and Communication Technologies (CONECCT 2019), PP. 1-6. IEEE. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Jha%2C+A%2E+K%2E%2C+Singh%2C+P%2E+P%2E%2C+%26+Dwivedi%2C+P%2E+%282019%2C+July%29%2E+The+Maithili+text%2Dto%2Dspeech+system%2E+In+IEEE+International+Conference+on+Electronics%2C+Computing+and+Communication+Technologies+%28CONECCT+2019%29%2C+PP%2E+)
6. Jha, Girish Nath and Kumari, Sangita (2010). Maithili Bhāṣā. In Bharatīya Bhāṣā Paricaya, Volume-2, PP. 453-478. Jha, S.K., Singh, P. P., & Kaul, V. K. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Jha%2C+Girish+Nath+and+Kumari%2C+Sangita+%282010%29%2E+Maithili+Bh%C4%81%E1%B9%A3%C4%81%2E+In+Bharat%C4%ABya+Bh%C4%81%E1%B9%A3%C4%81+Paricaya%2C+Volume%2D2%2C+PP%2E+453%2D478%2E+Jha%2C+S%2EK%2E%2C+Singh%2C+P%2E+P%2E%2C+%26+Kaul%2C+V%2E+K%2E)
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8. Kumar, Ritesh, Kaushik, Shiv, Nainwani, Pinkey, Banerjee, Esha, Hadke, Sumedh, Jha, Girish Nath. (2012). Using the ILCI Annotation Tool for POS Annotation: A Case of Hindi. In IJCLA Vol.3, Number 2, Jul-Dec 2012, PP. 93-104. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Kumar%2C+Ritesh%2C+Kaushik%2C+Shiv%2C+Nainwani%2C+Pinkey%2C+Banerjee%2C+Esha%2C+Hadke%2C+Sumedh%2C+Jha%2C+Girish+Nath%2E+%282012%29%2E+Using+the+ILCI+Annotation+Tool+for+POS+Annotation%3A+A+Case+of+Hindi%2E+In+IJCLA+Vol%2E3%2C+Number+2%2C+J)
9. Kumar, S. (2020). Named Entity Recognition in Maithili. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Kumar%2C+S%2E+%282020%29%2E+Named+Entity+Recognition+in+Maithili%2E)
10. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Kumar, Shantanu, Choudhary, Narayan (2025). Maithili Language Technology: A Survey. In Language in India, Volume-25(6), PP. 160-175. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Banaras+Hindu+University%2C+Varanasi%2E+Kumar%2C+Shantanu%2C+Choudhary%2C+Narayan+%282025%29%2E+Maithili+Language+Technology%3A+A+Survey%2E+In+Language+in+India%2C+Volume%2D25%286%29%2C+PP%2E+160%2D175%2E)
11. Mundotiya, R. K., Gatla, Praveen, Kanwar, Nikita, Singh, Anil Kumar. (2025). Deep Learning-Based Similar Languages' POS Tagging: Experiments on Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magahi. In Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, Springer. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Mundotiya%2C+R%2E+K%2E%2C+Gatla%2C+Praveen%2C+Kanwar%2C+Nikita%2C+Singh%2C+Anil+Kumar%2E+%282025%29%2E+Deep+Learning%2DBased+Similar+Languages%27+POS+Tagging%3A+Experiments+on+Bhojpuri%2C+Maithili%2C+and+Magahi%2E+In+Lecture+Notes+in+Netw)
12. Priyadarshi, A., & Saha, S. K. (2023). A study on the performance of recurrent neural network-based models in Maithili part-of-speech tagging. In ACM Transactions on Asian and Low-Resource Language Information Processing. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Priyadarshi%2C+A%2E%2C+%26+Saha%2C+S%2E+K%2E+%282023%29%2E+A+study+on+the+performance+of+recurrent+neural+network%2Dbased+models+in+Maithili+part%2Dof%2Dspeech+tagging%2E+In+ACM+Transactions+on+Asian+and+Low%2DResource+Language+In)
13. Priyadarshi, A., & Saha, S. K. (2023). A study on the performance of recurrent neural network-based models in Maithili part-of-speech tagging. In ACM Transactions on Asian and Low-Resource Language Information Processing. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Priyadarshi%2C+A%2E%2C+%26+Saha%2C+S%2E+K%2E+%282023%29%2E+A+study+on+the+performance+of+recurrent+neural+network%2Dbased+models+in+Maithili+part%2Dof%2Dspeech+tagging%2E+In+ACM+Transactions+on+Asian+and+Low%2DResource+Language+In)
14. Singh, Srishti (2015), Challenges in Automatic POS Tagging of Indian Languages- A Comparative Study of Hindi and Bhojpuri, Master of Philosophy, Centre for Linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru University. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Singh%2C+Srishti+%282015%29%2C+Challenges+in+Automatic+POS+Tagging+of+Indian+Languages%2D+A+Comparative+Study+of+Hindi+and+Bhojpuri%2C+Master+of+Philosophy%2C+Centre+for+Linguistics%2C+Jawaharlal+Nehru+University%2E)
15. Singh, Srishti, Banerjee, E. (2014). Annotating Bhojpuri Corpus using BIS Scheme. In LREC 2014 workshop WILDRE. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Singh%2C+Srishti%2C+Banerjee%2C+E%2E+%282014%29%2E+Annotating+Bhojpuri+Corpus+using+BIS+Scheme%2E+In+LREC+2014+workshop+WILDRE%2E)

*Updated 1 November 2026*