Codes for the representation of names of scripts

Normative Text

1 Scope

This International Standard provides a code for the presentation of names of scripts. The codes were devised for use in terminology, lexicography, bibliography, and linguistics, but they may be used for any application requiring the expression of scripts in coded form. This standard also includes guidance on the use of script codes in some of these applications.

NOTE: In principle, this standard is intended to provide coded representation for the names of all the scripts of the world. Unique identification of a script is not always straightforward and obvious; therefore a number of scripts have been included in annex B pending further study before codes are standardized for them.

2 Normative references

The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this International Standard. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this International Standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.

ISO 639:1988 Code for the representation of the names of languages.
ISO 639-2:1998 Codes for the representation of names of languages – Part 2: Alpha-3 codes.
ISO 3166-1:1997 Codes for the representation of the names of countries and their subdivisions – Part 1: Country codes.
ISO/IEC 9541-1:1991 Information technology – Font information interchange – Part 1: Architecture.
ISO/IEC 10646-1:2000 Information technology – Universal Multiple-Octet Coded Character Set (UCS) - Part 1: Architecture and Basic Multilingual Plane.
ISO/IEC 10646-2:2001 Information technology – Universal Multiple-Octet Coded Character Set (UCS) - Part 2: Supplementary Planes.

3 Terms and definitions

For the purpose of this International Standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

3.1 alias:

A script code which encompasses two or more script codes. (fr 3.1 alias)

3.2 code:

Data representation in different forms according to a pre-established set of rules. (ISO 639-2:1998) (fr 3.2 code)

3.3 country code:

A combination of characters used to designate the name of a country. (fr 3.5 codet de pays)

3.4 font:

A collection of glyph images having the same basic design, e.g. Courier Bold Oblique. (ISO/IEC 9541-1:1991) (fr 3.8 police, fonte)

3.5 glyph:

A recognizable abstract graphic symbol which is independent of any specific design. (ISO/IEC 9541-1:1991) (fr 3.7 glyphe)

3.6 language code:

A combination of characters used to represent [the name of] a language or languages.(ISO 639-2:1998) (fr 3.4 codet de langue)

3.7 script:

A set of graphic characters used for the written form of one or more languages. (ISO/IEC 10646-1) (fr 3.6 écriture)

NOTE 2: In certain cases, ISO 15924 provides codes which are not subsumed under this definition. Examples: the codes for aliases and the variant codes.

3.8 script code:

A combination of characters used to represent the name of a script. (fr 3.3 codet d’écriture)

3.9 script variant:

A particular form of one script which is so distinctive a rendering as to almost be considered a unique script in itself. (fr 3.9 variante d’écriture)

4 Script codes

4.1 Structure of the alphabetic script codes

The alphabetic script codes are created from the original script name in the language commonly used for it, transliterated or transcribed into Latin letters. If a country, where the script concerned has the status of a national script, requests a certain script code, preference is given to this code whenever possible. The four-letter codes shall be written with an initial capital Latin letter and final small Latin letters (taken from the range Aaaa to Zzzz). This serves to help differentiate script codes from language codes and country codes: so, for example, Mong mon MON or Mong mn MN would refer to a book in the Mongolian script, in the Mongolian language, originating in Mongolia.

NOTE: See 4.7 regarding changes to the codes.

4.2 Structure of the numeric script codes

The numeric script codes have been assigned to provide some measure of mnemonicity to the codes used. The following ranges have been used:

000–099	Hieroglyphic and cuneiform scripts
100–199	Right-to-left alphabetic scripts
200–299	Left-to-right alphabetic scripts
300–399	Alphasyllabic scripts
400–499	Syllabic scripts
500–599	Ideographic scripts
600–699	Undeciphered scripts
700–799	(unassigned)
800–899	(unassigned)
900–999	Private use, aliases, special codes

NOTE 1: ISO/IEC 10646 uses the character-glyph model (defined in ISO/IEC TR 15285:1998) to classify the characters used to write different languages. ISO 15924 does not attempt to apply the character-glyph model, because it is sometimes important to identify certain script variants regardless of the encoding a given text may employ. For example, a Syriac book may be written in one of the three variants of the Syriac script (Estrangelo, Eastern, Western). Identification of such script variants, while outside the scope of ISO/IEC 10646, is relevant to the content of script codes. For example, a user ordering a book through interlibrary loan may prefer, or may wish to exclude, the Gaelic variant of the Latin script for reasons of ease of legibility or familiarity with one of the variants.

NOTE 2: The classifications here reflect the chief attribute of the scripts so classified, and are not necessarily comprehensive of the ways in which the scripts are used. For example, while Ogham may be written from left to right, it is also written vertically from bottom to top. Similarly, the Hangul (Hangŭl, Hangeul) alphabet is sometimes written in vertical columns, and the letters of its alphabet are arranged in syllabic clusters.

NOTE 3: Within each category numeric identifiers assigned to scripts have followed a principle of chronology, and genetic relationship, though this principle cannot be established by any hard and fast rule, since scripts may have many different characteristics. Codes have been assigned by spacing them out so that scripts encoded in future may be assigned to appropriate places in the range.

4.3 Relation of the script codes to other ISO standards

The four-letter codes are derived from ISO 639-2 where the name of a script and the name of a language using the script are identical (example: Gujarātī ISO 639 guj, ISO 15924 Gujr). In cases where there is no identity, the script name may have a unique form (examples: Korean kor, Hangul (Hangŭl, Hangeul) Hang; Punjabi pan, Gurmukhī Guru; Dhivehi div, Thaana Thaa). Where possible the the first three letters of the four-letter code corresponds to the three-letter code. Preference is given to the Bibliographical codes given in ISO 639-2 in deriving the codes specified in this International Standard.

4.4 Adaptation of the script codes

When adapting this International Standard to other scripts (for example, Cyrillic or Greek), codes shall be formed according to the principles of this International Standard.

4.5 Addition of new script codes

For the purpose of allocating additional script codes, ISO has designated a Registration Authority for ISO 15924. ISO maintains a list of Maintenance Agencies and Registration Authorities on the Internet at

http://www.iso.ch/mara

The ISO list identifies the Registration Authority and where the Registration Authority has published materials related to this standard on the Internet.

4.6 Application of script codes

Script codes can be used in the following particular instances.

4.6.1

To indicate generally the scripts in which documents are or have been written or recorded. Example:

<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Language" CONTENT="ga, ru">

<META NAME="Content-Script" CONTENT="Latg, Cyrl">

4.6.2

To indicate the script specified in document holding records (order records, bibliographic records, etc.).

Examples:

In bibliographies:

Röyte pomerantsen: Jewish folk humor.

Kroatisch-Deutsch und Deutsch-Kroatisch: mit einem Anhang der wichtigeren Neubildungen des Kroatischen und Deutschen. – Berlin: Axel Juncker, 1941. vi, 302, 314, 32 p.; 15 cm. In Croatian (Latn) and German (Latf).

In catalogue records:

Uniform Title:	Tipiṭaka. Suttapiṭaka. Majjhimanikāya. Hindi & Pali.
Title:	Suttapiṭake Majjhimanikāyapāli = Majjhima nikāya : Mūlapariyāyavaggo, Sīhanādavaggo ca, Hindī-anuvādasahito / padhānasampādako Svāmī Dvārikādāsaśāstrī.
Edition:	1. saṃskaraṇa.
Published:	Vārāṇasī : Bauddhabhāratī, 1989-<1993>
Description:	23 cm.
Series:	Bauddhabhāratīgranthamālā ; 22-<23-25>
LC Call No.:	BQ1313.H5D93 1989
Notes:	In Pali (Deva); introd. in English and Hindi; translation in Hindi. Theravada Buddhist canon. 1. Mūlapaṇṇasakam. (3 v.) -- 4. Majjhimapaṇṇāsakam. -- 5. Uparipaṇṇāsakam..
Language(s):	hi, en, pi
Other authors:	Dwarikadas Shastri, Swami.
Other titles:	Majjhima nikāya.

4.6.3

To indicate the script used by an application.

Example:

“Laser Syriac: The fonts supplied in this package are coded according to collection 85 of annex A of ISO/IEC 10646 and provide a complete set of glyphs in all three of the styles used to write Syriac (Syre, Syrn, Syrj).”

4.7 Changes of script codes

In order to preserve the integrity of data coded using the codes set forth in this International Standard, it is intended that the four-letter and numeric codes specified herein shall not be changed unless there be extraordinarily compelling reasons to do so.