Formal request for "French (all periods)"

[cowan at ccil.org]

ISO 639-2 (and a fortiori ISO 639-3) contains identifiers for Old French
(fro), Middle French (frm), and Modern French (fra), separated by time
periods.  This subdivision works well for most documents, as the given
dates correspond roughly to the timeline for major changes in the written
form of the evolving French language.

However, sometimes the exact provenance of a document cannot be
determined, while internal language features may indicate a language
variety that bridges the Old/Middle or the Middle/Modern divides.

Classification of such doubtful or ambiguous documents is enhanced
by providing a macrolanguage code which encompasses French of all time
periods.  I therefore propose a macrolanguage identifier that encompasses
fro, frm, and fra.

The filled-out forms are attached.  I suggest "frz" as the identifier.

This is by way of a test case; if the RA approves it, I will submit
similar forms for English, Dutch, (High) German, Greek, Gaelic,
Provencal/Occitan, and Turkish.

-- 
Her he asked if O'Hare Doctor tidings sent from far     John Cowan
coast and she with grameful sigh him answered that      http://ccil.org/~cowan
O'Hare Doctor in heaven was. Sad was the man that word  cowan at ccil.org
to hear that him so heavied in bowels ruthful. All
she there told him, ruing death for friend so young,    James Joyce, Ulysses
algate sore unwilling God's rightwiseness to withsay.   "Oxen of the Sun"