ISO 639‑1
ISO 639-1
ISO 639-1 is part of the ISO 639 set of standards, which is a series of international standards that define codes for the representation of names of languages. Specifically, ISO 639-1 provides two-letter codes for languages, which are widely used in various applications, including internet and software localization.
Overview[edit | edit source]
ISO 639-1 was first published in 2002 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The standard is maintained by the ISO 639-1/RA (Registration Authority), which is responsible for the assignment and management of the language codes.
The primary purpose of ISO 639-1 is to provide a standardized nomenclature for languages, which facilitates the exchange of information and data across different systems and platforms. The two-letter codes are designed to be concise and easy to use, making them ideal for applications where space is limited, such as in URLs or file formats.
Structure[edit | edit source]
ISO 639-1 codes consist of two lowercase letters. These codes are derived from the native name of the language or the name of the language in English. For example:
The codes are designed to be mnemonic, meaning they are intended to be easily remembered and associated with the language they represent.
Applications[edit | edit source]
ISO 639-1 codes are used in a variety of contexts, including:
- Internet: In HTML and XML, the `lang` attribute uses ISO 639-1 codes to specify the language of the content.
- Software: Many software applications use ISO 639-1 codes for localization and internationalization, allowing users to select their preferred language.
- Library science: Libraries use ISO 639-1 codes in cataloging and classification systems to denote the language of materials.
Limitations[edit | edit source]
While ISO 639-1 provides a convenient and widely used system for language identification, it has some limitations:
- Limited Coverage: ISO 639-1 includes codes for only 184 languages, which means many languages, especially those with fewer speakers, are not represented.
- Ambiguity: Some languages may share similar codes, leading to potential confusion.
For more comprehensive language coverage, ISO 639-2 and ISO 639-3 provide three-letter codes that cover a broader range of languages.
Also see[edit | edit source]
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Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
