> From: [log in to unmask] (John Clews)
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: 1. Language codes; 2. Transliteration
>
> 1. Language codes
>
> I was interested to see the information on additional codes to the
> _USMARC Code List for Languages_ and on the 1996 edition, in the recent
> email Re: Changes in USMARC Code List for Languages
>
> I would be interested to see a statement of how closely this maps to the
> "Bibliographic (B)" column in ISO 639 part 2, and which gets published
> first. ISO 639 is prepared by the ISO committee ISO 37 (Terminology).

The Library of Congress prepared the Draft International Standard ISO
639-2 and will be registration authority if it is approved.
The bibliographic codes in the ISO draft are based on USMARC. There are
some codes in the ISO 639-2/B list that are different than those in the
USMARC list.  LC has agreed to change these if the standard is approved.
In the cases where the ISO 639-2/T codes differ from the ISO 639-2/B
codes, it was determined that the impact would be too great to change.

The new edition of the USMARC Code List for Languages will include new
codes that were added as a result of the revision of the national
standard, ANSI/NISO Z39.53.  These codes were added to ANSI because of
requests and were also added to the ISO 639.2. Thus, those new codes
in USMARC are already in the ISO DIS.  The only exception is the new code
for Sign languages, which was added to USMARC because of many requests
over the years.  It will be added to Z39.53 (LC is also maintainance
agency for that standard) and to ISO if the standard is approved and the
registration authority established.  Some captions (language names) may be
different in ISO than in USMARC, but the entities are compatible.

********************************************
Rebecca S. Guenther
MARC Standards Specialist
Network Development & MARC Standards Office
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540-4102
Phone: 202-707-5092; FAX: 202-707-0115
[log in to unmask]
********************************************


>
> --
>    John Clews (Chairman of ISO/TC46/SC2: Conversion of Written Languages)
>
> SESAME Computer Projects, 8 Avenue Rd.  *  email: [log in to unmask]
> Harrogate, HG2 7PG, United Kingdom      *     telephone: +44 (0) 1423 888 432
>