Wikimedia language codes

Don Osborn dzo at bisharat.net
Tue Nov 14 03:27:42 CET 2006


Thanks Randy, I have been in touch with Rebecca Guenther and Håvard Hjulstad
about Runyakitara, and have mentioned some of the other language issues. It
is helpful to have the reference you give, though I suspect in most of the
cases I mentioned the need is for an ISO-639 code.

Re Runyakitara, I am also corresponding with Lunghabo James Wire, who heads
a localization initiative in Uganda, on how I can facilitate an application
for a code from their part.

Re Manding languages I will, as mentioned in another posting, try to get
some more input from some experts in MANSA on this issue (it relates a to a
suggestion already made for a kind of outreach to evaluate & restructure the
Wikipedia entries on Mande and Manding peoples and languages).

Re Fula, coding is not the main issue (just elaborating here) but if I had
the possibility I would like to facilitate a regional workshop that would
consider in depth a number of issues in the interface of
multidialect/crossborder languages for it and at least one other
language/macrolanguage of West Africa (perhaps Manding; but probably not
Hausa which is of major importance but whose variant forms are much closer
and don't pose the same sort of issues IMO). This could lead perhaps to
other recommendations including some of possible interest on this list.

On some of the other African languages that I mentioned the master plan is
to build a framework for virtual localization communities in which
information can be shared and various kinds of experts and activists can be
increasingly implicated in discussions of this sort. 

The pattern here is an attempt to give voice to people who(se languages &
localizations) will be affected by all of this. At the same time there needs
to be expert assistance - and even some of use who fancy ourselves expert
don't know all we need to know to do that.

I may follow up with other questions as this evolves.

Don Osborn
Bisharat.net
PanAfrican Localisation project


> -----Original Message-----
> From: ietf-languages-bounces at alvestrand.no [mailto:ietf-languages-
> bounces at alvestrand.no] On Behalf Of Randy Presuhn
> Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 2:30 PM
> To: ietf-languages at iana.org
> Subject: Re: Wikimedia language codes
> 
> Hi -
...
> 
> To me it sounds like the information about the languages you cite
> should be brought to the attention of the ISO 639 maintenance
> agency/registration authority (MA/RA).  If they deny your request(s),
> then proceding along the lines of RFC 4646 section 3.6 (first bullet)
> would seem to be appropriate.  I think it's safe to say that under RFC
> 4646bis the same will be true.
> 
> Randy
> 
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> Ietf-languages at alvestrand.no
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