ISO 639
(Main)Code for individual languages and language groups
Code for individual languages and language groups
Code pour les langues individuelles et les groupes de langues
Koda za predstavitev posameznih jezikov in jezikovnih skupin - 4. del: Splošna načela, pravila in smernice
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Standards Content (Sample)
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ISO/DIS 639-4
ISO/TC 37/SC 2 Secretariat: SCC
Voting begins on: Voting terminates on:
2022-04-11 2022-07-04
Code for the representation of individual languages and
language groups —
Part 4:
General principles, rules and guidelines
ICS: 01.140.20
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENT AND APPROVAL. IT IS
THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MAY
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD UNTIL PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
Reference number
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. © ISO 2022
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2022
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
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© ISO 2022 – All rights reserved
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ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Language and individual languages . 2
3.2 Linguistic variation and language varieties. 3
3.3 Types of individual languages subject to language coding . 4
3.4 Language groups subject to language coding . 6
3.5 Modalities of language use . . . 6
3.6 Written representation of individual languages . 7
3.7 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 Individual languages . 11
4.2.3 Extinct languages and historical languages .12
4.2.4 Constructed languages .12
4.2.5 Language groups . 13
4.3 Individual languages and writing conventions . 13
5 The language code .13
5.1 Sets of language identifiers .13
5.1.1 Basic approaches to the sets of language identifiers .13
5.1.2 Overview of the sets of language identifiers . 14
5.1.3 The sets of language identifiers from the perspective of the code element
scopes . 14
5.2 Language code elements .15
5.2.1 Introduction to the language code elements . 15
5.2.2 Structure of the language code elements . 15
5.2.3 Language identifiers . 16
5.2.4 Local-use language identifiers . 16
5.2.5 Language reference names . 16
5.2.6 Alternate language names . 17
5.2.7 Language names in languages other than English or French. 17
5.3 Types of code element scopes . . 17
5.3.1 Code element scopes . 17
5.3.2 Scope of individual-language code elements . 18
5.3.3 Scope of macrolanguage code elements . 18
5.3.4 Scope of language-group code elements . 19
5.3.5 Scope of special-purpose code elements . 19
5.4 Language code maintenance . 19
5.4.1 Basic rules for language code maintenance . 19
5.4.2 Language code maintenance activities . 20
5.5 Adoption of language code elements into other international, regional or national
standards . 20
6 Criteria for language coding and naming languages .21
6.1 Information to be considered in language coding and naming languages . 21
6.1.1 Pertinent reference sources . 21
6.1.2 Information necessary to identify and name individual languages and
language groups . 21
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ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
6.2 Eligibility for language coding. 22
6.2.1 Eligibility of an individual language for language coding .22
6.2.2 Eligibility of an extinct language or historical language for language coding .23
6.2.3 Eligibility of a constructed language for language coding.23
6.2.4 Eligibility of a macrolanguage for language coding .23
6.2.5 Eligibility of a language group for language coding . 24
6.2.6 Criteria for the eligibility of individual languages for language coding in
Set 2 . 24
6.3 Principles governing the assignment of language reference names . 25
6.4 Formation, disambiguation, and presentation of language reference names .25
6.4.1 Rules for the formation of language reference names .25
6.4.2 Rules for the disambiguation or specification of language reference names .26
6.4.3 Rules for the presentation of language reference names .28
6.5 Rules for the selection, formation, and presentation of language names in English
and French .28
6.6 Recommendations for the selection, formation, and presentation of language
names in languages other than English and French .29
7 Fields of application.30
8 Combining language identifiers with other identifiers .30
8.1 Combining language identifiers with other standardized codes .30
8.2 Combining language identifiers with ISO 3166 . 31
8.3 Combining language identifiers with ISO 15924 . 31
8.4 Combining language identifiers with indicators of a language modality . 32
8.5 Format of code combinations . 32
Annex A (informative) Exemplification and illustration of the language code’s language
identifiers occurring in one or more sets of language identifiers .33
Annex B (informative) Maintenance agency for the language code according to ISO 639
(ISO 639/MA) .38
Bibliography .39
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ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national
standards bodies (ISO national member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is
normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each ISO national member body interested
in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on
that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO,
also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared jointly by Technical Committee ISO/TC 37 Language and terminology,
Subcommittee 2 Terminology workflow and language coding, and ISO/TC 46 Information and
documentation, Subcommittee 4 Technical interoperability. It cancels and replaces the first edition,
which has been technically revised. This document combines and harmonizes wordings of the texts
(with rules and guidelines) of all parts of the ISO 639 series, particularly the terminology used. It further
takes account of new rules in ISO with respect to the drafting of standards and new developments in
the field of coding systems.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— Title of standard was modified.
— Foreword and Introduction were adapted to new ISO rules.
— Texts of clause 1 and clauses 4 to 7 were coordinated and harmonized.
— Normative references of clause 2 were updated.
— Clause 3 was adapted to cover and harmonize the terminological entries of all parts of the ISO 639
series, coordinated with ISO/TR 21636 and other pertinent standards.
— Clause 4 was extended to cover additional guidelines.
— Clause 5 was reformulated to harmonize previous texts.
— Clause 6 has been added.
— Clause 7 and clause 8 were revised to incorporate existing rules and guidelines extending them to
cover new requirements in the field of language coding.
— A new Annex A was added to display the relationship between the sets of language identifiers.
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ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
— The previous new Annex A was turned into Annex B and revised to outline the role of the ISO 639
Maintenance agency (ISO 639/MA) and its handling of change requests.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
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ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
Introduction
ISO 639-4 provides comprehensive rules and guidelines for the identification and specification of
individual languages or language groups, as well as for their coding. This coding results in language
identifiers each denoting an identified individual language or language group also represented by
a language reference name. The core constituents of a language code element representing each
identified individual language or language group consist of one language reference name and one to
three language identifiers.
Specifically excluded from the language code are reconstructed languages or formal languages, such as
computer programming languages and markup languages.
For historical reasons, the language identifiers have been organised into several sets. These correspond
to the five parts of ISO 639 (all under the general title Codes for the representation of individual languages
and language groups — called collectively the “language code” for short). This document merges these
sets into a unified system. Language code elements have one to three language identifiers, some of
which can belong to more than one of the following sets of language identifiers (for more details see
5.1):
— Set 1 comprises two-letter language identifiers (according to ISO 639-1, released in 2002 based on
normative documents published in 1967) for major, mostly national individual languages.
— Set 2 comprises three-letter language identifiers (according to ISO 639-2, released in 1998 based on
documents widely used since the 1970s) for a larger number of widely known individual languages
(including all individual languages covered by Set 1) and a number of language groups.
— Set 3 also comprises three-letter language identifiers (according to ISO 639-3, established in 2007)
and aims at covering comprehensively all individual languages (including all individual languages
covered by Set 2).
— Set 5 also comprises three-letter language identifiers (according to ISO 639-5, established in 2008)
covering a larger set of language groups (including all language groups covered by Set 2).
The language code elements in total, independently of which set or sets their language identifiers belong
to, constitute the language code according to ISO 639. Therefore, “code” occurs in the singular in the
title of this document. The use of “language code” in this document refers to “language code according
to ISO 639” throughout the document.
The language identifiers for individual languages or language groups can be used in a variety of
applications. These include the specification of the language used in a text, the language of terms
or words in a dictionary or terminology database, the language used in a spoken presentation, the
identification of language proficiency, the capability of handling human language in software, the
documentation of language resources, etc. The various sets of language identifiers are implemented in a
broad range of applications — including normative documents, such as those for IETF BCP 47 language
tags.
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DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
Code for the representation of individual languages and
language groups —
Part 4:
General principles, rules and guidelines
1 Scope
This document provides the harmonized terminology and general principles of language coding for the
language code elements originally specified by the parts of the ISO 639 series. It provides rules for the
selection, formation, presentation and use of language identifiers as well as language reference names. It
also provides principles, rules and guidelines for the selection, formation and presentation of alternate
language names in the official ISO languages English and French. Furthermore, principles, rules and
guidelines are provided for the adoption of standardized language code elements using language names
other than English or French.
In addition, this document lays down guidelines for the use of language identifiers and describes their
possible combination with identifiers of other codes.
The terminology as well as the principles, rules and guidelines provided in this document set the
framework for the ISO 639/MA Terms of Reference (ISO 639/MA-ToR) for the maintenance of the
language code.
This document was developed in close coordination with ISO/DTR 21636, in particular with respect to
clause 3.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3166-1, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions — Part 1: Country
code
ISO 15924, Information and documentation — Codes for the representation of names of scripts
ISO/DTR 21636, Identification and description of language varieties
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform (OBP): available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
The terms and definitions in this document have been coordinated and harmonized with ISO/DTR 21636.
Future amendments or editions shall maintain consistency between these two documents.
In the individual terminological entries of clause 3, terms designating concepts in the definitions and
notes to entry are rendered in italics – whether they originate from this document or other standards.
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ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
Defined terms or proper names when addressed explicitly, and language identifiers are indicated by
double quotations marks in this document.
3.1 Language and individual languages
3.1.1
human language
means of communication characterised by a systematic use of sounds, visual-spatial signs (by
movements or gestures), characters or other written symbols or signs that can be combined to express
or communicate meaning or a message between humans
Note 1 to entry: Originally developed for and mainly used in direct communication between humans, human
language use is increasingly supported by information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Note 2 to entry: As the term “language” can represent different concepts, it is not cited as a synonym to human
language here.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.1]
3.1.2
idiolect
set of all expressions of human language (3.1.1) with their meaning, which is capable of coding complex
facts and thoughts, potentially used by a given individual person, in a given type of situation, at a given
time, and in a given medium, characterised by a coherent system of structural features
Note 1 to entry: Typically, a person has several idiolects of an individual language at his/her disposal.
EXAMPLE 1 (hypothetical) The written informal American English used in the 1950s by a given person (an
adult working-class person with no academic training from Philadelphia, USA, who is a native speaker of English
and who does not show any particularly enhanced or constrained communicative functioning abilities).
EXAMPLE 2 (hypothetical) A given middle-aged renowned British academic in the field of linguistics in 2010
a) speaking with Received Pronunciation at panel discussions with colleagues in academic conferences and b)
discussing tennis tournaments with fellow tennis club members of the same town in the southeast of England.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.2 modified – Note 1 to entry is shortened to adapt it to the conceptual
framework of ISO 639 and two examples were added to illustrate the concept.]
3.1.3
individual language
individual human language
largest set of idiolects (3.1.2), used by different speakers (3.1.5), which are all interconnected through
high mutual intelligibility, or through a chain of high mutual intelligibility, or which are socio-politically
considered as a unit equivalent to such a largest set
Note 1 to entry: Individual language also encompasses constructed languages but does not include formal
languages [see ISO 1087:2019, 3.1.10].
Note 2 to entry: As the term “language” can represent different concepts, it is not mentioned as a synonym to
individual language here.
EXAMPLE English; Guarani; LIBRAS (Língua Brasileira de Sinais / Brazilian Sign Language); Haitian Creole;
Esperanto.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.3 modified – Note 1 to entry is shortened to adapt it to the conceptual
framework of ISO 639.]
3.1.4
individual sign language
individual language (3.1.3) having the signed modality (3.5.4) as its basic modality (3.5.5)
Note 1 to entry: Usually “sign language” is part of the name of the respective individual sign language.
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ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
EXAMPLE ASL (American Sign Language); LSQ (Langue des signes québéquoise / Quebec Sign Language)
Note 2 to entry: Individual sign languages are not to be confused with “signed modality”, by which an individual
language normally expressed in another language modality can be expressed, such as by “Signing Exact English”
for expressing “English”. Therefore, signed language is not used as a synonym to individual sign language here.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.4]
3.1.5
speaker
person who is capable of making use of an idiolect (3.1.2)
Note 1 to entry: Speaker here covers the use of all language modalities and is thus used to denote a generic concept
‘speaker’ covering also all specific concepts such as ‘writer’, ‘signer’, etc., which can be introduced when needed.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.5 modified – Note 1 to entry is shortened to adapt it to the conceptual
framework of ISO 639.]
3.1.6
language community
socially identifiable group that consists prototypically of the speakers (3.1.5) of an individual language
(3.1.3) or language variety (3.2.4) and whose members identify with that individual language or language
variety
Note 1 to entry: In the case of endangered languages, the speakers of the individual language may actually be a
minority of a language community.
3.2 Linguistic variation and language varieties
3.2.1
linguistic variation
language variation
variation within and between individual languages (3.1.3)
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.2.1]
3.2.2
external criterion for linguistic variation
set of properties of idiolects (3.1.2) that is based on factors external to the linguistic features of the
idiolects’ systems
Note 1 to entry: External criteria for linguistic variation are properties of idiolects that refer to the speakers who
use the idiolects, or to the event of language use in which the idiolects are used.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.2.2]
3.2.3
structural criterion for linguistic variation
set of properties of idiolects (3.1.2) that is based on the linguistic features of the idiolects’ systems
Note 1 to entry: This set of properties
...
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST ISO/DIS 639-4:2022
01-december-2022
Koda za predstavitev posameznih jezikov in jezikovnih skupin - 4. del: Splošna
načela, pravila in smernice
Code for the representation of individual languages and language groups — Part 4:
General principles, rules and guidelines
Codes pour la représentation des noms de langue — Partie 4: Principes généraux pour
le codage de la représentation des noms de langue et d'entités connexes, et lignes
directrices pour la mise en oeuvre
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: ISO/DIS 639-4:2022
ICS:
01.140.20 Informacijske vede Information sciences
oSIST ISO/DIS 639-4:2022 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
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oSIST ISO/DIS 639-4:2022
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oSIST ISO/DIS 639-4:2022
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ISO/DIS 639-4
ISO/TC 37/SC 2 Secretariat: SCC
Voting begins on: Voting terminates on:
2022-04-11 2022-07-04
Code for the representation of individual languages and
language groups —
Part 4:
General principles, rules and guidelines
ICS: 01.140.20
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENT AND APPROVAL. IT IS
THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MAY
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD UNTIL PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
Reference number
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. © ISO 2022
---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
oSIST ISO/DIS 639-4:2022
ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2022
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
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oSIST ISO/DIS 639-4:2022
ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Language and individual languages . 2
3.2 Linguistic variation and language varieties. 3
3.3 Types of individual languages subject to language coding . 4
3.4 Language groups subject to language coding . 6
3.5 Modalities of language use . . . 6
3.6 Written representation of individual languages . 7
3.7 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 Individual languages . 11
4.2.3 Extinct languages and historical languages .12
4.2.4 Constructed languages .12
4.2.5 Language groups . 13
4.3 Individual languages and writing conventions . 13
5 The language code .13
5.1 Sets of language identifiers .13
5.1.1 Basic approaches to the sets of language identifiers .13
5.1.2 Overview of the sets of language identifiers . 14
5.1.3 The sets of language identifiers from the perspective of the code element
scopes . 14
5.2 Language code elements .15
5.2.1 Introduction to the language code elements . 15
5.2.2 Structure of the language code elements . 15
5.2.3 Language identifiers . 16
5.2.4 Local-use language identifiers . 16
5.2.5 Language reference names . 16
5.2.6 Alternate language names . 17
5.2.7 Language names in languages other than English or French. 17
5.3 Types of code element scopes . . 17
5.3.1 Code element scopes . 17
5.3.2 Scope of individual-language code elements . 18
5.3.3 Scope of macrolanguage code elements . 18
5.3.4 Scope of language-group code elements . 19
5.3.5 Scope of special-purpose code elements . 19
5.4 Language code maintenance . 19
5.4.1 Basic rules for language code maintenance . 19
5.4.2 Language code maintenance activities . 20
5.5 Adoption of language code elements into other international, regional or national
standards . 20
6 Criteria for language coding and naming languages .21
6.1 Information to be considered in language coding and naming languages . 21
6.1.1 Pertinent reference sources . 21
6.1.2 Information necessary to identify and name individual languages and
language groups . 21
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oSIST ISO/DIS 639-4:2022
ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
6.2 Eligibility for language coding. 22
6.2.1 Eligibility of an individual language for language coding .22
6.2.2 Eligibility of an extinct language or historical language for language coding .23
6.2.3 Eligibility of a constructed language for language coding.23
6.2.4 Eligibility of a macrolanguage for language coding .23
6.2.5 Eligibility of a language group for language coding . 24
6.2.6 Criteria for the eligibility of individual languages for language coding in
Set 2 . 24
6.3 Principles governing the assignment of language reference names . 25
6.4 Formation, disambiguation, and presentation of language reference names .25
6.4.1 Rules for the formation of language reference names .25
6.4.2 Rules for the disambiguation or specification of language reference names .26
6.4.3 Rules for the presentation of language reference names .28
6.5 Rules for the selection, formation, and presentation of language names in English
and French .28
6.6 Recommendations for the selection, formation, and presentation of language
names in languages other than English and French .29
7 Fields of application.30
8 Combining language identifiers with other identifiers .30
8.1 Combining language identifiers with other standardized codes .30
8.2 Combining language identifiers with ISO 3166 . 31
8.3 Combining language identifiers with ISO 15924 . 31
8.4 Combining language identifiers with indicators of a language modality . 32
8.5 Format of code combinations . 32
Annex A (informative) Exemplification and illustration of the language code’s language
identifiers occurring in one or more sets of language identifiers .33
Annex B (informative) Maintenance agency for the language code according to ISO 639
(ISO 639/MA) .38
Bibliography .39
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oSIST ISO/DIS 639-4:2022
ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national
standards bodies (ISO national member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is
normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each ISO national member body interested
in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on
that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO,
also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared jointly by Technical Committee ISO/TC 37 Language and terminology,
Subcommittee 2 Terminology workflow and language coding, and ISO/TC 46 Information and
documentation, Subcommittee 4 Technical interoperability. It cancels and replaces the first edition,
which has been technically revised. This document combines and harmonizes wordings of the texts
(with rules and guidelines) of all parts of the ISO 639 series, particularly the terminology used. It further
takes account of new rules in ISO with respect to the drafting of standards and new developments in
the field of coding systems.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— Title of standard was modified.
— Foreword and Introduction were adapted to new ISO rules.
— Texts of clause 1 and clauses 4 to 7 were coordinated and harmonized.
— Normative references of clause 2 were updated.
— Clause 3 was adapted to cover and harmonize the terminological entries of all parts of the ISO 639
series, coordinated with ISO/TR 21636 and other pertinent standards.
— Clause 4 was extended to cover additional guidelines.
— Clause 5 was reformulated to harmonize previous texts.
— Clause 6 has been added.
— Clause 7 and clause 8 were revised to incorporate existing rules and guidelines extending them to
cover new requirements in the field of language coding.
— A new Annex A was added to display the relationship between the sets of language identifiers.
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— The previous new Annex A was turned into Annex B and revised to outline the role of the ISO 639
Maintenance agency (ISO 639/MA) and its handling of change requests.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
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Introduction
ISO 639-4 provides comprehensive rules and guidelines for the identification and specification of
individual languages or language groups, as well as for their coding. This coding results in language
identifiers each denoting an identified individual language or language group also represented by
a language reference name. The core constituents of a language code element representing each
identified individual language or language group consist of one language reference name and one to
three language identifiers.
Specifically excluded from the language code are reconstructed languages or formal languages, such as
computer programming languages and markup languages.
For historical reasons, the language identifiers have been organised into several sets. These correspond
to the five parts of ISO 639 (all under the general title Codes for the representation of individual languages
and language groups — called collectively the “language code” for short). This document merges these
sets into a unified system. Language code elements have one to three language identifiers, some of
which can belong to more than one of the following sets of language identifiers (for more details see
5.1):
— Set 1 comprises two-letter language identifiers (according to ISO 639-1, released in 2002 based on
normative documents published in 1967) for major, mostly national individual languages.
— Set 2 comprises three-letter language identifiers (according to ISO 639-2, released in 1998 based on
documents widely used since the 1970s) for a larger number of widely known individual languages
(including all individual languages covered by Set 1) and a number of language groups.
— Set 3 also comprises three-letter language identifiers (according to ISO 639-3, established in 2007)
and aims at covering comprehensively all individual languages (including all individual languages
covered by Set 2).
— Set 5 also comprises three-letter language identifiers (according to ISO 639-5, established in 2008)
covering a larger set of language groups (including all language groups covered by Set 2).
The language code elements in total, independently of which set or sets their language identifiers belong
to, constitute the language code according to ISO 639. Therefore, “code” occurs in the singular in the
title of this document. The use of “language code” in this document refers to “language code according
to ISO 639” throughout the document.
The language identifiers for individual languages or language groups can be used in a variety of
applications. These include the specification of the language used in a text, the language of terms
or words in a dictionary or terminology database, the language used in a spoken presentation, the
identification of language proficiency, the capability of handling human language in software, the
documentation of language resources, etc. The various sets of language identifiers are implemented in a
broad range of applications — including normative documents, such as those for IETF BCP 47 language
tags.
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DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/DIS 639-4:2022(E)
Code for the representation of individual languages and
language groups —
Part 4:
General principles, rules and guidelines
1 Scope
This document provides the harmonized terminology and general principles of language coding for the
language code elements originally specified by the parts of the ISO 639 series. It provides rules for the
selection, formation, presentation and use of language identifiers as well as language reference names. It
also provides principles, rules and guidelines for the selection, formation and presentation of alternate
language names in the official ISO languages English and French. Furthermore, principles, rules and
guidelines are provided for the adoption of standardized language code elements using language names
other than English or French.
In addition, this document lays down guidelines for the use of language identifiers and describes their
possible combination with identifiers of other codes.
The terminology as well as the principles, rules and guidelines provided in this document set the
framework for the ISO 639/MA Terms of Reference (ISO 639/MA-ToR) for the maintenance of the
language code.
This document was developed in close coordination with ISO/DTR 21636, in particular with respect to
clause 3.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3166-1, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions — Part 1: Country
code
ISO 15924, Information and documentation — Codes for the representation of names of scripts
ISO/DTR 21636, Identification and description of language varieties
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform (OBP): available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
The terms and definitions in this document have been coordinated and harmonized with ISO/DTR 21636.
Future amendments or editions shall maintain consistency between these two documents.
In the individual terminological entries of clause 3, terms designating concepts in the definitions and
notes to entry are rendered in italics – whether they originate from this document or other standards.
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Defined terms or proper names when addressed explicitly, and language identifiers are indicated by
double quotations marks in this document.
3.1 Language and individual languages
3.1.1
human language
means of communication characterised by a systematic use of sounds, visual-spatial signs (by
movements or gestures), characters or other written symbols or signs that can be combined to express
or communicate meaning or a message between humans
Note 1 to entry: Originally developed for and mainly used in direct communication between humans, human
language use is increasingly supported by information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Note 2 to entry: As the term “language” can represent different concepts, it is not cited as a synonym to human
language here.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.1]
3.1.2
idiolect
set of all expressions of human language (3.1.1) with their meaning, which is capable of coding complex
facts and thoughts, potentially used by a given individual person, in a given type of situation, at a given
time, and in a given medium, characterised by a coherent system of structural features
Note 1 to entry: Typically, a person has several idiolects of an individual language at his/her disposal.
EXAMPLE 1 (hypothetical) The written informal American English used in the 1950s by a given person (an
adult working-class person with no academic training from Philadelphia, USA, who is a native speaker of English
and who does not show any particularly enhanced or constrained communicative functioning abilities).
EXAMPLE 2 (hypothetical) A given middle-aged renowned British academic in the field of linguistics in 2010
a) speaking with Received Pronunciation at panel discussions with colleagues in academic conferences and b)
discussing tennis tournaments with fellow tennis club members of the same town in the southeast of England.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.2 modified – Note 1 to entry is shortened to adapt it to the conceptual
framework of ISO 639 and two examples were added to illustrate the concept.]
3.1.3
individual language
individual human language
largest set of idiolects (3.1.2), used by different speakers (3.1.5), which are all interconnected through
high mutual intelligibility, or through a chain of high mutual intelligibility, or which are socio-politically
considered as a unit equivalent to such a largest set
Note 1 to entry: Individual language also encompasses constructed languages but does not include formal
languages [see ISO 1087:2019, 3.1.10].
Note 2 to entry: As the term “language” can represent different concepts, it is not mentioned as a synonym to
individual language here.
EXAMPLE English; Guarani; LIBRAS (Língua Brasileira de Sinais / Brazilian Sign Language); Haitian Creole;
Esperanto.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.3 modified – Note 1 to entry is shortened to adapt it to the conceptual
framework of ISO 639.]
3.1.4
individual sign language
individual language (3.1.3) having the signed modality (3.5.4) as its basic modality (3.5.5)
Note 1 to entry: Usually “sign language” is part of the name of the respective individual sign language.
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EXAMPLE ASL (American Sign Language); LSQ (Langue des signes québéquoise / Quebec Sign Language)
Note 2 to entry: Individual sign languages are not to be confused with “signed modality”, by which an individual
language normally expressed in another language modality can be expressed, such as by “Signing Exact English”
for expressing “English”. Therefore, signed language is not used as a synonym to individual sign language here.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.4]
3.1.5
speaker
person who is capable of making use of an idiolect (3.1.2)
Note 1 to entry: Speaker here covers the use of all language modalities and is thus used to denote a generic concept
‘speaker’ covering also all specific concepts such as ‘writer’, ‘signer’, etc., which can be introduced when needed.
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21636:2021, 3.1.5 modified – Note 1 to entry is shortened to adapt it to the c
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