List of ISO 639-2 codes
The List of ISO 639-2 codes is an index of three-letter language identifiers defined in ISO 639-2 (Codes for the representation of names of languages — Part 2). ISO 639-2 is maintained by the ISO 639-2 Language Code Agency (the Library of Congress).
ISO 639-2 includes: Text about individual languages, macrolanguages, and language collections. Text about special-purpose codes used when a specific language cannot be identified or is not applicable. Text about a small set of languages with two alternative ISO 639-2 codes (bibliographic and terminologic).
Table columns
[edit | edit source]The main table on this page uses the following columns.
ISO 639-2/B is the bibliographic three-letter code (used in some library and cataloguing contexts). ISO 639-2/T is the terminologic three-letter code (used in some terminology and language-technology contexts). ISO 639-1 is the two-letter code (only available for a subset of languages). English name is the English-language label associated with the code in ISO 639-2. French name is the French-language label associated with the code in ISO 639-2. Notes contains brief clarifications, including cases where ISO 639-2/B and ISO 639-2/T differ.
Special and reserved codes
[edit | edit source]| Code | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| mis | Uncoded languages | Used when the language is known to exist but is not coded in ISO 639-2. |
| mul | Multiple languages | Used when multiple languages are present and no single language is primary. |
| und | Undetermined | Used when the language cannot be determined. |
| zxx | No linguistic content; not applicable | Used for content without language (for example, purely instrumental music or untexted media). |
| qaa–qtz | Reserved for local use | Range reserved for private or local coding schemes. |
Codes
[edit | edit source]The ISO 639-2 code list is large and is updated through the ISO 639-2 Language Code Agency. This page provides an on-wiki table format for reference and local use.
Sample entries and common codes
[edit | edit source]| ISO 639-2/B | ISO 639-2/T | ISO 639-1 | English name | French name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aar | aar | aa | Afar | afar | |
| abk | abk | ab | Abkhazian | abkhaze | |
| afr | afr | af | Afrikaans | afrikaans | |
| amh | amh | am | Amharic | amharique | |
| ara | ara | ar | Arabic | arabe | Macrolanguage in ISO 639-2. |
| asm | asm | as | Assamese | assamais | |
| aze | aze | az | Azerbaijani | azéri | |
| bel | bel | be | Belarusian | biélorusse | |
| ben | ben | bn | Bengali | bengali | |
| bos | bos | bs | Bosnian | bosniaque | |
| bul | bul | bg | Bulgarian | bulgare | |
| cat | cat | ca | Catalan; Valencian | catalan; valencien | |
| ces | ces | cs | Czech | tchèque | ISO 639-2/B is cze. See notes below. |
| cze | ces | cs | Czech | tchèque | Bibliographic code (B). |
| dan | dan | da | Danish | danois | |
| deu | deu | de | German | allemand | ISO 639-2/B is ger. See notes below. |
| ger | deu | de | German | allemand | Bibliographic code (B). |
| ell | ell | el | Greek, Modern (1453–) | grec moderne (après 1453) | ISO 639-2/B is gre. See notes below. |
| gre | ell | el | Greek, Modern (1453–) | grec moderne (après 1453) | Bibliographic code (B). |
| eng | eng | en | English | anglais | |
| est | est | et | Estonian | estonien | Sometimes treated as a macrolanguage in ISO-based listings. |
| eus | eus | eu | Basque | basque | ISO 639-2/B is baq. See notes below. |
| baq | eus | eu | Basque | basque | Bibliographic code (B). |
| fas | fas | fa | Persian | persan | ISO 639-2/B is per. See notes below. |
| per | fas | fa | Persian | persan | Bibliographic code (B). |
| fin | fin | fi | Finnish | finnois | |
| fra | fra | fr | French | français | ISO 639-2/B is fre. See notes below. |
| fre | fra | fr | French | français | Bibliographic code (B). |
| heb | heb | he | Hebrew | hébreu | ISO 639-2/B is heb (no separate B code in ISO 639-2 for this entry). |
| hin | hin | hi | Hindi | hindi | |
| hrv | hrv | hr | Croatian | croate | |
| hun | hun | hu | Hungarian | hongrois | |
| hye | hye | hy | Armenian | arménien | ISO 639-2/B is arm. See notes below. |
| arm | hye | hy | Armenian | arménien | Bibliographic code (B). |
| ind | ind | id | Indonesian | indonésien | |
| isl | isl | is | Icelandic | islandais | ISO 639-2/B is ice. See notes below. |
| ice | isl | is | Icelandic | islandais | Bibliographic code (B). |
| ita | ita | it | Italian | italien | |
| jpn | jpn | ja | Japanese | japonais | |
| kat | kat | ka | Georgian | géorgien | ISO 639-2/B is geo. See notes below. |
| geo | kat | ka | Georgian | géorgien | Bibliographic code (B). |
| kor | kor | ko | Korean | coréen | |
| lat | lat | la | Latin | latin | Historical language. |
| lit | lit | lt | Lithuanian | lituanien | |
| mkd | mkd | mk | Macedonian | macédonien | ISO 639-2/B is mac. See notes below. |
| mac | mkd | mk | Macedonian | macédonien | Bibliographic code (B). |
| msa | msa | ms | Malay | malais | ISO 639-2/B is may. See notes below. |
| may | msa | ms | Malay | malais | Bibliographic code (B). |
| nld | nld | nl | Dutch; Flemish | néerlandais; flamand | ISO 639-2/B is dut. See notes below. |
| dut | nld | nl | Dutch; Flemish | néerlandais; flamand | Bibliographic code (B). |
| nor | nor | no | Norwegian | norvégien | Macrolanguage in ISO 639-2. |
| pol | pol | pl | Polish | polonais | |
| por | por | pt | Portuguese | portugais | |
| ron | ron | ro | Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan | roumain; moldave | ISO 639-2/B is rum. See notes below. |
| rum | ron | ro | Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan | roumain; moldave | Bibliographic code (B). |
| rus | rus | ru | Russian | russe | |
| slk | slk | sk | Slovak | slovaque | ISO 639-2/B is slo. See notes below. |
| slo | slk | sk | Slovak | slovaque | Bibliographic code (B). |
| slv | slv | sl | Slovenian | slovène | |
| spa | spa | es | Spanish; Castilian | espagnol; castillan | |
| srp | srp | sr | Serbian | serbe | |
| swe | swe | sv | Swedish | suédois | |
| tha | tha | th | Thai | thaï | |
| tur | tur | tr | Turkish | turc | |
| ukr | ukr | uk | Ukrainian | ukrainien | |
| vie | vie | vi | Vietnamese | vietnamien | |
| zho | zho | zh | Chinese | chinois | ISO 639-2/B is chi. See notes below. |
| chi | zho | zh | Chinese | chinois | Bibliographic code (B). |
Notes on B/T code pairs
[edit | edit source]A small number of languages have two ISO 639-2 codes, one bibliographic (B) and one terminologic (T). Both codes refer to the same language entry in ISO 639-2 and are treated as synonyms in that standard.
Common B/T pairs include: Text listing examples such as French (fre/fra), German (ger/deu), Greek (gre/ell), Icelandic (ice/isl), Armenian (arm/hye), Basque (baq/eus), Dutch (dut/nld), Romanian (rum/ron), Slovak (slo/slk), Macedonian (mac/mkd), Malay (may/msa), Chinese (chi/zho), Czech (cze/ces), Persian (per/fas).