[Fwd]: Response to Mark's message]

[Peter_Constable at sil.org]

John Cowan wrote on 04/09/2003 01:00:09 PM:

> > ISO-639 fails miserably as unambiguous specification of written
language. I
> > realize that the proponents of ISO-639 don't even want it to apply to
> > written language.
>
> Au contraire: the requirements for ISO 639 languages are precisely the
> existence of written documents in public repositories

Actually, John, ISO 639 doesn't specify anywhere that the documents have to
be *written* documents (as I heard pointed out by Rebecca Guenther of LOC).
Mark is, I believe, correct.



- Peter


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Peter Constable

Non-Roman Script Initiative, SIL International
7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd., Dallas, TX 75236, USA
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