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rfc:rfc4645

Network Working Group D. Ewell, Ed. Request for Comments: 4645 Consultant Category: Informational September 2006

                  Initial Language Subtag Registry

Status of This Memo

 This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
 not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
 memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

 Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).

Abstract

 This memo defined the initial contents of the IANA Language Subtag
 Registry for use in forming tags for the identification of languages.
 Since the contents of this memo only served as a starting point for
 the registry, its actual contents have been removed before
 publication to avoid confusion.

Table of Contents

 1. Introduction ....................................................2
 2. Initialization of the Registry ..................................2
 3. Initial Registry Contents .......................................5
 4. Omitted Code Elements ...........................................5
 5. Security Considerations .........................................5
 6. IANA Considerations .............................................5
 7. References ......................................................6
    7.1. Normative References .......................................6
    7.2. Informative References .....................................6

Ewell Informational [Page 1] RFC 4645 Initial Language Subtag Registry September 2006

1. Introduction

 [RFC4646] provides for a Language Subtag Registry and describes its
 format.  This memo defines the initial contents of the IANA Language
 Subtag Registry, using the criteria described in Section 2.
 The Language Subtag Registry is formatted in a modified record-jar
 text format, as described in [record-jar].  The specific format of
 the registry, and the definition and intended purpose of each of the
 fields, are described in [RFC4646].
 The registry is expected to change over time, as new subtags are
 registered and existing subtags are modified or deprecated.  The
 process of updating the registry is described in Section 3 of
 [RFC4646].  This memo does not define the permanent contents of the
 registry and should not be represented as doing so.
 Many of the subtags defined in this registry are based on code
 elements defined in [ISO639-1], [ISO639-2], [ISO15924], [ISO3166-1],
 and [UN_M.49].  This registry is not a mirror of the code lists
 defined by these standards and should not be used as one.

2. Initialization of the Registry

 Section 3.7 of [RFC4646] requires that the LTRU working group create
 an initial version of the Language Subtag Registry and populate it
 with the initial set of subtags.  This involves converting the
 entries from the existing IANA language tag registry defined by
 [RFC3066] to the new format, as well as defining valid subtags from
 various source standards.  This section describes the process that
 was used to create the initial registry entries.
 The initial set of records was based on the following standards:
 [ISO639-1], [ISO639-2], [ISO15924], and [ISO3166-1].  The following
 criteria were used to select and format the records of the subtags
 included in the initial Language Subtag Registry (hereafter "ILSR"):
    1.  For each source standard, the date of the standard referenced
        in [RFC1766] was selected as the starting date.  Code elements
        that were valid on that date in the selected standard were
        added to the ILSR.  Code elements that were previously
        assigned, but that were vacated or withdrawn before that date,
        were not added to the ILSR.
    2.  For each successive change to the standard, any additional
        assignments up to the date of the adoption of [RFC4646] were
        added to the ILSR.  Values that have been withdrawn are marked
        as deprecated, but not removed.  Changes in meaning or

Ewell Informational [Page 2] RFC 4645 Initial Language Subtag Registry September 2006

        assignment of a subtag were permitted during this process (for
        example, the [ISO3166-1] code element 'CS' was originally
        assigned to Czechoslovakia and is now assigned to Serbia and
        Montenegro).
 Code elements from [UN_M.49] were also included in the ILSR using the
 criteria above, with the following additional rules:
    3.  UN numeric code elements assigned to "macro-geographical
        (continental)" regions as of the date of adoption of [RFC4646]
        were added to the ILSR and thereby made valid for use in
        language tags.
    4.  The UN numeric code elements for "economic groupings" or
        "other groupings," and the alphanumeric code elements in
        Appendix X of the UN document, were not added to the ILSR.
    5.  The UN numeric code elements for countries or areas not
        associated with an assigned [ISO3166-1] alpha-2 code element
        were not added to the ILSR.  These values are listed in
        Section 4 and may be requested for registration by individuals
        using the process defined in [RFC4646] and according to the
        rules described therein.  Listing of these code elements in
        this section is not a guarantee of future registration.
    6.  Code elements that were withdrawn, vacated, or deprecated from
        [UN_M.49] as of the date of adoption of [RFC4646] were not
        added to the ILSR.
 Using the initial set of subtags described above, the tags in the
 [RFC3066] registry were evaluated as follows:
    7.  Tags in the [RFC3066] registry that were not deprecated,
        consisted entirely of subtags already in this document, and
        have the correct form and format for tags defined by [RFC4646]
        were converted to records of type "redundant" in the ILSR.
        For example, "zh-Hant" is now defined by [RFC4646] because
        'zh' is an [ISO639-1] code element and 'Hant' is an [ISO15924]
        code element, and both are defined as subtags in the ILSR.
    8.  Tags in the [RFC3066] registry that contained one or more
        subtags that either did not match the valid registration
        pattern or were not otherwise defined by [RFC4646] were
        converted to corresponding records of type "grandfathered" in
        the ILSR.  These records cannot become type "redundant" except
        by revision of [RFC4646], but may have a "Deprecated" and

Ewell Informational [Page 3] RFC 4645 Initial Language Subtag Registry September 2006

        "Preferred-Value" field added to them if a subsequent subtag
        assignment or combination of assignments renders the tag
        obsolete.
    9.  Tags in the [RFC3066] registry that had a notation that they
        were deprecated were converted to records of type
        "grandfathered" in the ILSR.  The record for the grandfathered
        entry contains a "Deprecated" field with the most appropriate
        date that can be determined for when the [RFC3066] record was
        deprecated.  The "Comments" field may optionally contain a
        reason for the deprecation.  The "Preferred-Value" field
        contains a tag that replaces the value.  For example, the
        [RFC3066] tag "art-lojban" is deprecated and thus appears as a
        grandfathered tag in the ILSR.  Its "Deprecated" field
        contains the deprecation date (in this case "2003-09-02") and
        the "Preferred-Value" field the value "jbo".
    10. The remaining tags in the [RFC3066] registry are not
        deprecated and have a format consistent with language tags as
        defined by [RFC4646] but contain subtags that are not defined
        in the ILSR.  These subtags are eligible for registration as
        variants.  The ILSR contains appropriate variant records for
        the following list of subtags, and the registered [RFC3066]
        tags containing these subtags were entered into the ILSR as
        type "redundant":
        1901 (use with Prefix: de)
        1996 (use with Prefix: de)
        nedis (use with Prefix: sl)
        rozaj (use with Prefix: sl)
    11. All remaining [RFC3066] registered tags were converted to
        records of type "grandfathered" in the ILSR.  Interested
        parties may use the registration process in [RFC4646] to
        attempt to register the variant subtags not already present in
        the Language Subtag Registry.  If all of the subtags in the
        original tag become fully defined by the resulting
        registrations, then the original tag is superseded.  Such tags
        will have their record changed from type "grandfathered" to
        type "redundant" in the registry.  Note that previous approval
        of a tag under [RFC3066] is not a guarantee of approval of a
        variant subtag under [RFC4646].  The existing [RFC3066] tag
        maintains its validity, but the original reason for its
        registration might have become obsolete.

Ewell Informational [Page 4] RFC 4645 Initial Language Subtag Registry September 2006

3. Initial Registry Contents

 The remainder of this section specified the initial set of records
 for the registry.  This material was deleted on publication of this
 memo, to avoid any potential confusion with the registry itself.  The
 IANA language subtag registry can be found at
 <http://www.iana.org/numbers.html> under "Language Tags".

4. Omitted Code Elements

 The following code elements from [UN_M.49] were not associated with
 [ISO3166-1] alpha-2 code elements.  Consequently, they were not
 assigned as subtags in the initial Language Subtag Registry, but were
 valid candidates for registration as region subtags, using the
 process in [RFC4646]:
    830   Channel Islands
    831   Guernsey
    832   Jersey
    833   Isle of Man
 The last three became ineligible for registration in April, 2006,
 when the [ISO3166-1] code elements GG, JE, and IM were assigned as
 region subtags.

5. Security Considerations

 This document specifies the initial contents to be used by IANA in
 populating the Language Subtag Registry.  For security considerations
 relevant to that registry and the use of language tags, see
 [RFC4646].

6. IANA Considerations

 This document points to the initial content for the Language Subtag
 Registry which is maintained by the IANA.  The IANA language subtag
 registry can be found at <http://www.iana.org/numbers.html> under
 "Language Tags".  For details on the procedures for the format and
 ongoing maintenance of this registry, see [RFC4646].

Ewell Informational [Page 5] RFC 4645 Initial Language Subtag Registry September 2006

7. References

7.1. Normative References

 [RFC4646]     Phillips, A., Ed. and M. Davis, Ed., "Tags for
               Identifying Languages", BCP 47, RFC 4646, September
               2006.

7.2. Informative References

 [ISO15924]    International Organization for Standardization, "ISO
               15924:2004.  Information and documentation -- Codes for
               the representation of names of scripts", January 2004.
 [ISO3166-1]   International Organization for Standardization, "ISO
               3166:1988.  Codes for the representation of names of
               countries, 3rd edition", August 1988.
 [ISO639-1]    International Organization for Standardization, "ISO
               639-1:2002.  Codes for the representation of names of
               languages -- Part 1: Alpha-2 code", 2002.
 [ISO639-2]    International Organization for Standardization, "ISO
               639-2:1998.  Codes for the representation of names of
               languages -- Part 2: Alpha-3 code, first edition",
               1998.
 [RFC1766]     Alvestrand, H., "Tags for the Identification of
               Languages", RFC 1766, March 1995.
 [RFC3066]     Alvestrand, H., "Tags for the Identification of
               Languages", BCP 47, RFC 3066, January 2001.
 [UN_M.49]     Statistics Division, United Nations, "Standard Country
               or Area Codes for Statistical Use", UN Standard Country
               or Area Codes for Statistical Use, Revision 4 (United
               Nations publication, Sales No. 98.XVII.9, June 1999.
 [record-jar]  Raymond, E., "The Art of Unix Programming", 2003.

Author's Address

 Doug Ewell (Editor)
 Consultant
 EMail: dewell@adelphia.net
 URI:   http://users.adelphia.net/~dewell

Ewell Informational [Page 6] RFC 4645 Initial Language Subtag Registry September 2006

Full Copyright Statement

 Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).
 This document is subject to the rights, licenses and restrictions
 contained in BCP 78, and except as set forth therein, the authors
 retain all their rights.
 This document and the information contained herein are provided on an
 "AS IS" basis and THE CONTRIBUTOR, THE ORGANIZATION HE/SHE REPRESENTS
 OR IS SPONSORED BY (IF ANY), THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET
 ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE
 INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED
 WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

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Acknowledgement

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 Administrative Support Activity (IASA).

Ewell Informational [Page 7]

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