kids encyclopedia robot

ISO 639-3 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The ISO 639-3 is an international standard that helps us identify languages using short codes. Think of it like a special ID number for every known language in the world! These codes are also called language codes.

Before this version, there were older standards called ISO 639-1 and ISO 639-2. But as more and more languages were discovered and needed codes, a new and bigger system was needed. That's why ISO 639-3 was created. Unlike the older versions that sometimes used two-letter codes, ISO 639-3 gives every language a unique three-letter code. This standard was officially published on February 5, 2007.

What is ISO 639-3?

ISO 639-3 is a list of codes for almost all known languages. Each language gets its own special three-letter code. For example, 'eng' is for English, 'spa' is for Spanish, and 'fra' is for French. These codes make it easier to talk about languages in a clear and consistent way, especially in computers and databases.

Why Do We Need Language Codes?

Imagine you're building a website or a computer program that needs to work in many different languages. Instead of writing out the full name of each language every time, you can just use its short, three-letter code. This makes things much simpler and helps avoid confusion.

Language codes are useful for:

  • Computers: Helping software know which language to display.
  • Libraries: Cataloging books and documents by language.
  • Research: Studying languages and how they are related.
  • Translation: Making sure translations are correctly labeled.

How ISO 639-3 Works

Every known language, whether it's spoken by millions or just a few people, has a unique three-letter code in the ISO 639-3 standard. If a language doesn't have a code yet, or if a new language is discovered, people can ask for it to be added to the database. These requests are handled by an organization called SIL International. They make sure that the list of language codes stays up-to-date and accurate.

For example, if you wanted to add a code for a newly discovered language, you would contact SIL International. They would review the information about the language and, if it meets the requirements, assign it a new three-letter code. This process helps keep the global list of languages organized and easy to use.

See also

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
ISO 639-3 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.