Reminder: ISO 639-3 changes are coming

[Doug Ewell]

Arthur Reutenauer <arthur dot reutenauer at normalesup dot org> wrote:

>> Many, many languages with ISO 639-3 code elements are spoken-only. 
>> But few, if any, constructed languages created in what UNSD would 
>> call "developed countries" would be spoken-only.
>
>  I'm not sure that if that's what Philip meant, but I'd say that as 
> far as constructed languages are concerned, written sources would 
> indeed be a sound criterion

So to speak.

> for deciding upon their inclusion in ISO 639-3.  I deem that the vast 
> majority of speakers of any such artificial language has been studying 
> it first (from books, lessons, or such) before aquiring fluency; 
> therefore the situation is much the opposite as that of "real" 
> languages.

That's pretty much the essence of what I was trying to say.  Almost no 
constructed languages exist without written examples.  This is not the 
case for so-called "natural" languages, many of which are unwritten.

> There are of course well-known exceptions -- that kid has been brought 
> up in English and Klingon by Star Trek enthusiatic parents -- but 
> they're probably exceedingly rare.

The few native speakers of Esperanto, such as George Soros, provide an 
even better-known exception.

--
Doug Ewell  |  Thornton, Colorado, USA  |  http://www.ewellic.org
RFC 5645, 4645, UTN #14  |  ietf-languages @ http://is.gd/2kf0s ­