SIST ISO 639:2024

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 639
Second edition
2023-11
Code for individual languages and
language groups
Code pour les langues individuelles et les groupes de langues
Reference number
© ISO 2023
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Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Terms related to language and individual languages . 1
3.2 Terms related to linguistic variation and language varieties . 3
3.3 Terms related to types of individual languages subject to language coding . 4
3.4 Terms related to language groups subject to language coding . 6
3.5 Terms related to modalities of language use . 6
3.6 Terms related to written representation of individual languages . 7
3.7 Terms related to language coding and naming languages . 8
4 Linguistic variation and fundamental concepts of identifying and categorizing
individual languages .10
4.1 General . 10
4.2 Linguistic variation . 10
4.2.1 Criteria and dimensions of linguistic variation . 10
4.2.2 Identification and types of individual languages and language groups .12
4.3 Individual languages and writing conventions . 13
5 The ISO 639 language code .14
5.1 Introduction to the ISO 639 language code . 14
5.2 Sets of language identifiers . 14
5.3 Language code elements and their structural components . 14
5.4 Language identifiers . 15
5.5 Language reference names .15
5.6 Language names in English and French . 16
5.7 Code element scopes and local-use language identifiers . 16
5.7.1 Types of code element scopes . 16
5.7.2 Code element scope of individual-language code elements . 16
5.7.3 Code element scope of macrolanguage code elements . 16
5.7.4 Code element scope of language-group code elements . 17
5.7.5 Code element scope of special-purpose code elements . 17
5.7.6 Local-use language identifiers . 18
5.8 Language code maintenance . 18
5.8.1 Basic rules for language code maintenance . 18
5.8.2 Language code maintenance activities . 18
5.9 Adoption of language code elements into other standards . 19
6 Criteria for language coding and naming languages .20
6.1 Information to be considered in language coding and naming languages .20
6.1.1 Pertinent reference sources . 20
6.1.2 Information necessary to identify and name individual languages and
language groups .20
6.2 Eligibility for language coding. 21
6.2.1 Eligibility of an individual language for language coding . 21
6.2.2 Eligibility of an extinct language or historical language for language coding .22
6.2.3 Eligibility of a constructed language for language coding.22
6.2.4 Eligibility of a macrolanguage for language coding .22
6.2.5 Eligibility of a language group for language coding .23
6.2.6 Criteria for the eligibility of individual languages for language coding in
Set 2 . 23
6.3 Principles governing the assignment of language reference names .23
6.4 Formation, disambiguation and presentation of language reference names . 24
iii
6.4.1 Rules for the formation of language reference names . 24
6.4.2 Rules for disambiguating or differentiating language reference names.25
6.4.3 Rules for the presentation of language reference names . 27
6.5 Rules for the selection, formation, and presentation of language names in English
and French . 27
6.6 Recommendations for the selection, formation, and presentation of language
names in languages other than English and French . 27
7 Fields of application.28
8 Combining language identifiers with other identifiers .29
8.1 Combining language identifiers with other standardized codes .29
8.2 Combining language identifiers with the ISO 3166 series.30
8.3 Combining language identifiers with ISO 15924 .30
8.4 Combining language identifiers with indicators of a language modality .30
8.5 Format of code combinations . 31
Annex A (normative) Explanatory illustration of the ISO 639 language code .32
Annex B (informative) Maintenance Agency for the ISO 639 language code .36
Bibliography .37
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Foreword
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This document was prepared jointly by Technical Committee ISO/TC 37, Language and terminology,
Subcommittee SC 2, Terminology workflow and language coding, and ISO/TC 46, Information and
documentation, Subcommittee SC 4, Technical interoperability.
This second edition cancels and replaces ISO 639-1:2002, ISO 639-2:1998, ISO 639-3:2007,
ISO 639-4:2010 and ISO 639-5:2008, which have been merged and technically revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— the wording of the text (with provisions, such as principles, rules and guidelines) has been
harmonized to apply to all sets of language identifiers of the ISO 639 language code;
— the ISO 639 language code subsets contained in the former ISO 639-1, ISO 639-2, ISO 639-3 and
ISO 639-5 are now represented by sets of language identifiers: Set 1, Set 2, Set 3 and Set 5, respectively,
and are not presented in this document;
— new developments in the field of coding systems have been taken into account;
— the title has been modified;
— the wordings in Clause 1 and Clauses 4 to 7 have been coordinated and harmonized;
— the Normative references have been updated;
— Clause 3 has been revised to har
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