Pinyin: the prefix

[John Cowan]

Phillips, Addison scripsit:

> Not exactly. The actual relationship is MAY. The Prefix specifically
> indicates "(a language range) whose subtags are appropriate to use
> with this subtag" (Section 3.1)

But Section 4.1 says: "In particular, users and implementations SHOULD
follow the 'Prefix' and 'Suppress-Script' fields in the registry (defined
in Section 3.1): these fields provide guidance on when specific additional
subtags SHOULD (and SHOULD NOT) be used in a language tag."

That seems to say that Prefix: recommendations SHOULD be followed.  But in
any case, my arguments stand whether the modal verb is SHOULD or MAY.

(I won't mention that 4646bis-17, Section 3.1.8, says "each of the
subtags in one of the subtag's Prefix fields SHOULD appear before the
variant in a valid tag", since that language is not yet in effect here.)

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