[Foundation-l] A proposal for new language creation

Wed Nov 23 16:09:36 UTC 2005

ilooy wrote:

>I'd like to suggest that taking into
>consideration ISO codes or SIL
>codes may be one solution. This
>would mean that an outside group
>which is well established and has
>looked into the matter has deemed
>a certain language important enough
>to be assigned a separate code.
>  
>
I guess there are some who think this is perhaps a little bit too lax of 
a policy in some regards.  There are ISO codes for completely fictional 
languages like Klingon or Tolkein Elvish, and there is some opposition 
to the current Klingon language Wikipedia as a result, even though it 
was created using this argument you are making.

In general, even with the group that assigns these ISO codes you are 
talking about, there is even opposition to constructed languages like 
these, so that does give more support to your argument.  There are new 
ISO codes that are being added as well, and if you speak a dialect like 
Cornish or some other very little-know language you would do both your 
culture and the international community in general a good service by 
trying to get a new ISO code established for your language, going beyond 
just the Wikimedia Foundation.  It is far easier to add an ISO code for 
a German dialect from Bavaria than to add one for a constructed language 
like Pig Latin.

The only real issue at that point is if you can get a reasonably large 
group of people to support something like Wikipedia.  There are many 
very ambitious people who have started a Wikipedia for their language, 
only to have it become the target of spammers and vandals after it 
wasn't updated for several months with any new content.  This is the 
dilemma really.

-- 
Robert Scott Horning