International Information Centre for Terminology

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Code<span class="hidden">.</span></span> <ul> <li><a href="/standardization/ISO_639.php">ISO 639:2023<span class="hidden">.</span></a></li> <li><a href="/es/registration_authorities.php">Maintenance Agency<span class="hidden">.</span></a></li> <li><a href="/standardization/Joint_Advisory_Committee.php">History of ISO 639<span class="hidden">.</span></a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div>  </td> <td width="8" class="imgcell"><img src="/includes/images/pixel.gif" width="8" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td width="1" align="left" valign="top" background="/includes/images/linie_vertikal.gif"></td> <td width="8" class="imgcell"><img src="/includes/images/pixel.gif" width="8" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td width="526" align="left" valign="top" class="text"> <table width="526" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="content">  <tr> <td align="left" valign="top" class="text_gr"> <h1>The ISO 639 Language Code</h1> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top" height="10"></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top" class="text_gr"> <p>Early efforts to establish an ISO language code are closely connected to the history of Infoterm and its founder Eugen W眉ster (1898-1977), the Chairperson of ISO/TC 37 from 1951 to 1971. After 1998, ISO 639:1988 <em>Code for the representation of names of languages</em> started branching out into several parts. (See <span style="text-decoration: underline;">History of ISO 639</span>)</p> <p>Since the mid-1990s, the need for a harmonized language code has grown in an increasing number of application fields, especially in information and documentation, as well as language documentation and language technology beyond studies of human language.</p> <p>In 2023, extensive revision work resulted in:</p> <ul> <li>Publication of one International Standard in the form of the 2<sup>nd</sup> edition of the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">International Standard ISO 639:2023</span> <em>Code for individual languages and language groups</em></li> <li>Establishment of the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">ISO 639 Maintenance Agency</span> (ISO 639/MA)</li> </ul> <p>Further information on the ISO 639 website: <a href="https://www.iso.org/iso-639-language-codes.html">https://www.iso.org/iso-639-language-codes.html</a>.</p> <p><strong>Infoterm</strong> functions as the Language Coding Agency (LCA) for the 2-letter language identifiers (and related data) in the framework of ISO 639/MA, today called <em>language identifier Set 1 of the ISO 639 language code</em>.</p> <p> The data of Set 1 are publicly available at: <a href="http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/">http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/</a>.</p> <p><strong>Change Requests</strong> (CR) concerning existing language identifier Set 1 can be directed to Infoterm or to the ISO 639/MA Secretariat: <a href="https://www.iso.org/maintenance_agencies.html">https://www.iso.org/maintenance_agencies.html</a> CRs shall be submitted using the Change Request form available at: <a href="https://standards.iso.org/iso/639/ed-2/en/">https://standards.iso.org/iso/639/ed-2/en/</a>.</p> </td> </tr>  </table> <p class="lastUpdate"> Last update: 2024-03-12 </p> </td> <td width="8" class="imgcell"><img src="/includes/images/pixel.gif" width="8" height="1" alt="" /></td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="6" align="right" valign="top" background="/includes/images/content_linie_rechts.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="11" align="left" valign="top" class="imgcell"><img src="/includes/images/content_linie_ende.gif" width="755" height="11" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top">  <table width="755" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="14" align="left" valign="top" class="imgcell"><img src="/includes/images/impressum_ecke_links.gif" width="14" height="14" alt="" /></td> <td background="/includes/images/impressum_linie.gif" class="text" width="8"></td> <td background="/includes/images/impressum_linie.gif" class="text" width="719"> 漏 2021 Infoterm, Esterhazygasse 11a/2-3, 1060 Vienna, Austria, Tel.: +43 664 73131771 </td> <td width="14" align="right" valign="top" class="imgcell"><img src="/includes/images/impressum_ecke_rechts.gif" width="14" height="14" alt="" /></td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="9" align="left" valign="top" class="imgcell"><img src="/includes/images/impressum_linie_unten.gif" width="755" height="9" alt="" /></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table>  <script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/js/jquery-1.3.2.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/js/basic.js"></script>  </body> </html>

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International Information Centre for Terminology