Standard

SFS-ISO 639-1

Published

Corrigendums and amendments are bought separately.

Language
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Abstract

This part of ISO 639 provides a code consisting of language code elements comprising two-letter lan­guage identifiers for the representation of names of languages. The language identifiers according to this part of ISO 639 were devised originally for use in ter­minology, lexicography and linguistics, but may be adopted for any application requiring the expression of language in two-letter coded form, especially in computerized systems. The alpha-2 code was de­vised for practical use for most of the major languages of the world that are not only most frequently repre­sented in the total body of the world’s literature, but which also comprise a considerable volume of spe­cialized languages and terminologies. Additional lan­guage identifiers are created when it becomes apparent that a significant body of documentation written in specialized languages and terminologies exists. Languages designed exclusively for machine use, such as computer-programming languages, are not included in this code.

Document information

  • Standard from SFS
  • Published:
  • Edition: 1
  • Document type: IS
  • Pages
  • Publisher SFS
  • Distributor SFS
  • Technical Committee ISO/TC 37/SC 2
  • ICS 01.140.20

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