I do not consider it a good idea to freeze ISO 639-1.
If there will be languages which are developing specialized languages and
terminologies, so that they have to be taken into account in terminology
databases (e.g. in the Melanesia-Polynesia region), there will still be a
need of a 2-letter symbols also in the future.
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: ISO 639 Joint Advisory Committee [mailto:[log in to unmask]]Im Auftrag
von Rebecca S. Guenther
Gesendet am: 02 February 2001 15:09
An: [log in to unmask]
Betreff: New ISO 639-2 code (fwd)
Dear ISO 639 Joint Advisory Committee:
See below the request for a new language code in ISO 639-1 for Geez. This
language is already established in ISO 639-2 as "gez". Although the form
below indicates that the request is for 639-2, I did clarify with the
requester that it is for inclusion in ISO 639-1.
The principles we established at our meeting last year say:
*New codes will no longer be added to ISO 639-1 after the publication of a
revised standard.
* A language code already in ISO 639-2 at the point of freezing ISO
639-1 shall not later be added to ISO 639-1. This is to ensure consistency
in usage over time, since users are directed in Internet applications to
employ the alpha-3 code when an alpha-2 code for that language is not
available.
So I have the following questions:
What is the status of the revised 639-1?
What is the status of the revised RFC which directs users to employ the
alpha-3 code? (I looked at it at
http://www.egt.ie/standards/iso639/rfc1766bis-05.txt; it says it is "best
current practice" and that it obsoletes RFC 1766; also that it expires in
April 2001)-- Michael, we need your help with this.
Shall we consider this for inclusion now in ISO 639-1 if the revision has
not been published? Or shall we direct the requester to the new
RFC/Internet Draft?
If we need to consider this for ISO 639-1, I will send out a formal
ballot (and probably a discussion is needed on the general 639 list).
Rebecca
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^ Rebecca S. Guenther ^^
^^ Chair, ISO 639 Joint Advisory Committee ^^
^^ Library of Congress ^^
^^ Washington, DC 20540-4402 ^^
^^ (202) 707-5092 (voice) (202) 707-0115 (FAX) ^^
^^ [log in to unmask] ^^
^^ ^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 10:34:50 -0500
From: WWW generic account <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: New ISO 639-2 code
This data was submitted on: Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 10:34:49
lang_in_eng = Geez
lang_in_fre = gučze
ref_where_found_1 =
lang_in_vern = U+130D U+12D5 U+12DD
ref_where_found_2 =
trans_lit = Unicode Addresses
evidence = The Institute of Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa has no less
than 1,700 manuscripts and a further 7,000 that have been microfilmed by
UNESCO.
The Patriarchate Library in Addis Ababa has at least 100 manuscripts.
National Library of Ethiopia has 250 - 300 manuscripts.
Some figures for Ge'ez documents outside of Ethiopia, by no means
exhaustive:
Britian
598: British Library
101: Bodleanen Library in Oxford
67: Cambridge University Library
42: John Rylands Library
35: British Foreign Bible Society
17: Wellcome Institute Library
9: School of Oriental and African Studies
6: Royal Library Windsor Castle
6: India Office Collection of the British Library
5: Selly Oaks College Library
5: Victoria and Albert Museum
3: University of Edinburgh Library
1: Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
1: Jews' College, London
1: St Andrews University Library
France
688: Biblotheque Nationale in Paris
Germany
734: scattered, but mostly in Hamburg.
Vatican
618: Apostolic Library
9: Library of the Potificio Biblico
United States
325: Princeton University Libraries
13: Free Library of Philadelphia
9: Yale University
Netherlands
180: Bibliotheek de Rijksuniversiteit, Leiden
Italy
38: Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milano
14: Biblioteca del Monumento Nazionale Abbazia, Grottaferrata
13: Library of Italian Geographical Society, Rome
9: Biblioteca Nazional Centrale, Firenze
Rusia
86: Russian Accedemy of Sciences
28: Russian National Library
4: Institute of Oriental Languages
Sweden
57: Universitetbibliotek, Uppsala
4: Kunglige Bibliotek, Stockholm
3: Universitetbibliotek, Gotenborg
Ireland
53: Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
13: Trinity College, Dublin
Israel
50: Tel Aviv (institute unknown)
Austria
45: Osterreische Nationaalbibliothek
10: Universitatbibliothek, Graz
Bibliothek der Mecharistenkongegationen, Vienna
Armenia
30: (institutes unknown)
addinfo = Ge'ez is not the first language of anyone. Ge'ez may be a 2nd
or 3rd language as many as 50,000 fluent speakers, I will check on this
figure.
request_addition = ISO 639-2 only
2_code_suggestion = GZ
3_code_suggestion = GEZ
submit_name = Daniel Yaocb
submit_email = [log in to unmask]
submit_status = I work on Ge'ez software support and have come into the
lack of an Alpha-2 code problem whilst working on locales in particular,
but it has been a recurring problem.
The figures I've quoted come from this article:
http://www.afromet.org/Archives/AddisTribune/17-12-99/Five.htm
I've consulted the author who has also provided the figures from within
Ethiopia.
|