ON LANGUAGE NAMES /// RE: Results of Duplicate Busters Survey #2//Ainu

[Doug Ewell]

Lang Gérard <gerard dot lang at insee dot fr> wrote:

> I do not know if my proposition solution is simpler, easier to 
> understand or more arbitrary that ISO 639/RA-JAC's one
> But, in my opinion, it is more like a "language name" that adding a 
> country name after a language name.
> Moreover, if we begin in this direction, how will we explain that we 
> do not want to recognize language names like "arab (country name)" for 
> every arab speaking country ?

Those are regional varieties of the same underlying Arabic language, not 
totally different languages as Ainu and Ainu are.

Besides, Arabic is not a good example for the point you are trying to 
make.  Consider that ISO 639-3/RA has registered all of the following so 
far, based on a lack of mutual intelligibility:

Arabic
Algerian Arabic
Algerian Saharan Arabic
Andalusian Arabic
Babalia Creole Arabic
Baharna Arabic
Chadian Arabic
Cypriot Arabic
Dhofari Arabic
Eastern Egyptian Bedawi Arabic
Egyptian Arabic
Gulf Arabic
Hadrami Arabic
Hijazi Arabic
Judeo-Arabic
Judeo-Iraqi Arabic
Judeo-Moroccan Arabic
Judeo-Tripolitanian Arabic
Judeo-Tunisian Arabic
Judeo-Yemeni Arabic
Libyan Arabic
Mesopotamian Arabic
Moroccan Arabic
Najdi Arabic
North Levantine Arabic
North Mesopotamian Arabic
Omani Arabic
Saidi Arabic
Sanaani Arabic
Shihhi Arabic
South Levantine Arabic
Standard Arabic
Sudanese Arabic
Sudanese Creole Arabic
Ta'izzi-Adeni Arabic
Tajiki Arabic
Tunisian Arabic
Uzbeki Arabic

--
Doug Ewell  *  Thornton, Colorado, USA  *  RFC 4645  *  UTN #14
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