JAC ballot 2004-01 - Alpha-3 identifier for Spanish
Submitted by (your name, please):
Please see below for additional information.
Please vote for one alternative:
_XX_ I am in favour of retaining "spa" as alpha-3 T identifier for "Spanish;
Castilian / espagnol; castillan".
__ I am in favour of changing the alpha-3 T identifier to "esp".
Comments:
* * * * * * * * *
In ISO 639-2:1998 the following footnote is found on pages 18, 24, 46, and
60:
"After a period of five years from the publication of this standard, esp may
be used as the ISO 639-2/T (terminology code) for Spanish."
"Après une période de cinq ans suivant la publication de cette norme, esp
pourra être utilisé pour l'espagnol autant que l'ISO 639-2/T (codet
terminologique)."
The text of the footnote has been interpreted in two different ways:
(1) After five years you may (you are allowed to) use "esp";
(2) After five years it may be decided whether the T identifier should be
changed from "spa" to "esp".
The intended interpretation is (2). Unfortunately, based on interpretation
(1) "esp" has been used in some documents.
At the JAC meeting in Washington DC 2004-01-15/16 the following was decided:
"Because the published ISO 639-2 standard allows for the possible use of the
code ESP for Spanish after it has been removed from the list for five years,
a proposal to define this code for terminology use (ISO 639-2/T) will be
circulated to the ISO 639 JAC."
Following the present ballot the footnote will be removed from ISO 639-2,
and "spa" or "esp" will be the only alpha-3 T identifier (the alpha-3 B
identifier will remain "esp" regardless of the outcome of this ballot).
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