# Review of Content Standard MARC 21 Code List for Languages August, 2005

1.  This review is intended to assess the potential utility of content
    standards for use and potentially for inclusion in an ISO
    11179-based metadata registry. The review is directed primarily
    toward the utility of the standard itself, rather than to matching
    the standard with specific agency programs. The review covers issues
    such as the subject area, currency, quality, authority, and
    acceptance of the standards. These are factors that need to be taken
    into account no matter what the programmatic application of the
    standard may be.

## 1. Summary

**MARC in General**

MARC is the acronym for MAchine-Readable Cataloging. It defines a data
format that emerged from a Library of Congress-led initiative that began
thirty years ago. It provides the mechanism by which computers exchange,
use, and interpret bibliographic information, and its data elements make
up the foundation of most library catalogs used today. MARC became
USMARC in the 1980s and MARC 21 in the late 1990s.    

\"Machine-readable\" means that a computer can read and interpret the
data in the cataloging record. A \"Cataloging record\" means a
bibliographic record, or the information traditionally shown on a
catalog card. The record includes (not necessarily in this order): 1) a
description of the item, 2) main entry and added entries, 3) subject
headings, and 4) the classification or call number. (MARC records often
contain much additional information.)

***1) Description:*** Catalogers use *Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules*,
2nd ed., 2002 revision, to compose the bibliographic description of a
library item. This description includes the title, statement of
responsibility, edition, material specific details, publication
information, physical description, series, notes, and standard numbers.

***2) Main entry and added entries:*** AACR2 also contains rules for
determining \"access points\" to the record (usually referred to as the
\"main entry\" and \"other added entries\"), and the form these access
points should take. Access points are the retrieval points in the
library catalog where patrons should be able to look up the item.

***3) Subject headings (subject added entries):*** Catalogers use the
*Sears List of Subject Headings* (Sears), the *Library of Congress
Subject Headings* (LCSH), or some other list of standard subject
headings to select the subjects under which the item will be listed. Use
of an approved list is important for consistency, to ensure that all
items on a particular subject are found under the same heading and
therefore in the same place in the catalog.

***4) Call number:*** Catalogers use a Dewey Decimal or Library of
Congress classification schedule to select the call number for an item.
The purpose of the call number is to place items on the same subject
together on the same shelf in the library. Most items are sub-arranged
alphabetically by author. The second part of the call number usually
represents the author\'s name, facilitating this subarrangement.

A set of **Code Lists** is associated with the set of formats.

**Code List for Languages**

This standard contains a list of languages and their associated
three-character alphabetic codes. The purpose of this list is to allow
the designation of the language or languages in MARC records. The list
contains 457 discrete codes, of which 55 are used for groups of
languages.

## 2. Identification of Standard {#identification-of-standard .unnumbered}

### 2.1. Title

MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging Record) 21 Code List for Languages

### 2.2. Acronym

MARC 21 Code List for Languages

### 2.3. Web page(s), Identifier, or Contact Information:

### 2.3.1 Web page(s)

MARC general:

<http://www.loc.gov/marc>

Code List for Languages:

http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/langhome.html

### 2.3.2 Identifier

ISBN 0-8444-1083-7

**2.3.3 Contact Information**

<ndmso@loc.gov>

### 2.4 Authority

**2.4.1 Creator**

The Network Development and MARC Standards Office at the Library of
Congress and the Standards and the Support Office at the Library and
Archives Canada maintain the MARC 21 formats. Input for development is
provided by MARC 21 users from around the world, including libraries,
library networks and utilities, and library system vendors.

This list was originally compiled in collaboration with Library of
Congress MARC Pilot Project participants, the National Library of
Medicine, the National Agricultural Library, and the Defense Language
Institute. In addition, the language list of the Center for Applied
Linguistics, *Library of Congress Subject Headings* (LCSH), and language
specialists were consulted. The list was revised by a committee of the
National Information Standards Organization (NISO) and became an
American National Standard in 1987: *Codes for the Representation of
Languages for Information Interchange* (ANSI Z39.53). In 2000, the list
was further revised to include numerous changes necessary for
compatibility with the ISO 639-2 *(Codes for the Representation of Names
of Languages Part 2: Alpha-3 Code*) standard.

**2.4.2. Acceptance as authoritative**

Widely used and accepted as authoritative worldwide, especially in the
U.S. and Canada.

### 2.5 Publisher

The [Network Development and MARC Standards
Office](http://www.loc.gov/marc/ndmso.html) plans and develops library
and information network standards at the Library of Congress. It is the
maintenance agency for several national standards, including the MARC 21
formats.

The [Standards division](http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/6/19/) at the Library and
Archives Canada maintains and supports the MARC 21 formats and other
library standards.

### 2.6 Language(s)

The MARC Standards Office encourages independent translation efforts.
Various MARC publications and standards have been translated into other
languages. There is a list at:

<http://www.loc.gov/marc/translations.html>

As these are listed in the language of the translation, it's hard to
tell which standards have been translated into each language. The Code
List for Languages has been translated into French.

###  3. Content description

### 3.1 Subject area of content and area of application

### INDIVIDUAL LANGUAGE CODES

This list includes individual codes for most of the major languages of
the modern and ancient world, e.g. Arabic, Chinese, English, Hindi,
Latin, Tagalog, etc. These are the languages that are most frequently
represented in the total body of the world\'s literature. Additional
codes for individual languages are created from time to time when it
becomes apparent that a significant body of literature in a particular
language already exists, or when it is determined that the amount of
material in a language is growing.\
\
Usually only one code is provided for a given language, even if that
language can be written in more than one set of characters. In a few
cases however, separate codes are provided for the same spoken language
written in different characters.

### LANGUAGE GROUP CODES

In addition to codes for individual languages, the list also contains a
number of codes for language groups. While some individual languages are
given their own unique code, although linguistically they are part of a
language group, many individual languages are assigned a group code,
because it is not considered practical to establish a separate code for
each.\
\
Group codes may be recognized by the fact that the name listed in
association with the code does not represent an individual language, and
includes either the generic term \"languages\" or the expression
\"(Other),\" as opposed to names of individual languages which do not
include these terms. For example:

**myn**

> Mayan languages

**nic**

> Niger-Kordofanian (Other)

These language group codes are generally established at a very broad
level, e.g. South American Indian (Other) *sai*. Although some South
American Indian languages have their own unique codes, such as Mapuche
*arn* and Aymara *aym*, all other South American Indian languages which
have not been assigned a unique code, such as the Cumana language, are
assigned the group code *sai*.

Some group codes have been established at an intermediate level when
individual languages and dialects within that group did not warrant
discrete codes, yet it was felt that assignment to one of the very broad
group codes was not sufficiently specific. For example, the Athapascan
language group, a subgroup of North American Indian languages, is given
the code *ath*, and that code rather than *nai*, the code for North
American Indian (Other), is assigned to Athapascan languages not having
their own codes.

Ancient languages that are not given unique codes are assigned the code
for the major language group to which each belongs, rather than the code
for the modern language that evolved from the ancient language. Thus,
the language Swedish, Old is assigned the code *gem* for the language
group Germanic (Other) instead of the code *swe* for the modern language
Swedish.

Dialects are normally treated like any individual language entered in
the list, and are generally assigned a group code. However, if a dialect
of a language as well as the language itself is entered in the list, the
dialect is usually assigned the same code as the code for the language.
If the language is assigned a group code, the dialect is assigned the
same group code. For example, Bolinao, a dialect of Sambali, and Sambali
language itself are both assigned *phi*, the group code for Philippine
(Other). If the language has a unique code, the dialect is also assigned
that code rather than the code for the group to which both belong. For
example, Aja, a dialect of Ewe, is assigned *ewe*, the code for Ewe. In
a few instances, however, both the language and a dialect of that
language have their own unique codes. For example, Akan has the code
*aka*, and Twi, a dialect of Akan, has the code *twi*.

### NAMES OF LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS

The form of name of a language used in this code list normally
corresponds to the form of the name appearing in *Library of Congress
Subject Headings*(LCSH), with the exception that names of individual
languages in the list generally do not include the terms \"language\" or
\"dialect\" and consist of only the substantive portion of the name. For
example:

> English *(name in code list)*\
> English language *(name in LCSH)*

LCSH forms of names have not been used for the code list name if they
make use of subdivisions; instead such headings are reformulated into
phrase expressions for this list. This most often occurs in connection
with headings for local dialects:

> Morvan French *(name in code list)*\
> French Language\--Dialects\--France\--Morvan *(name in LCSH)*

In addition, names of early forms of modern languages often appear in
the code list in a form different from LCSH that frequently makes use of
chronological subdivisions:

> Swedish, Old (to 1550) *(name in code list)*\
> Swedish language\--To 1550 *(name in LCSH)*

 

### SPECIAL CODES FOR SPECIAL SITUATIONS

In addition to codes for individual languages and language groups, codes
are also provided for three special situations.

**Undetermined \[und\]**

> This code is used if the language associated with an item cannot be
> determined. This code is also used for works having textual content
> consisting of arbitrary syllables, humming or other human-produced
> sounds for which a language cannot be specified.

**Multiple languages \[mul\]**

> This code is used when two or more languages are associated with an
> item, and it is not practical to use codes for all of the languages.

**Blanks \[###\]**

> Three blanks are used in place of a language code when the item has no
> sung, spoken, or written textual content (e.g. instrumental or
> electronic music; sound recordings consisting of nonverbal sounds;
> audiovisual materials with no narration, printed titles, or subtitles;
> machine-readable data files consisting of machine languages or
> character codes).

 

### 3.2 Kind of content

The list is made up of two basic parts: Part I: Name Sequence, and Part
II: Code Sequence. A description of these two parts follows.

#### Part I: Name Sequence {#part-i-name-sequence .unnumbered}

In this part, the languages are listed alphabetically by the name. An
entry for an individual language gives the name followed by the code in
brackets, both in boldface. Any variant names of the language are listed
on successive lines, with the first variant preceded by the symbol UF
(used for). For example:

**Aramaic \[arc\]**

> UF
>
> Biblical Aramaic
>
> Chaldean

The entry for an individual language that does not have a unique code,
but is assigned a group code is similar, except that the assigned code
with its language group name is given on the lines following the name.
For example:

**Chabacano**

> *Assigned collective code* **\[crp\]**
>
> (Creoles and Pidgins (Other))
>
> UF
>
> Chavacano
>
> Zamboangueño

The entry for a language group is also similar to that for an individual
language, with the addition of a list of the individual languages that
have been assigned that group code. This list follows the variant names,
if any are given. For example:

**Creoles and Pidgins (Other) \[crp\]**

> UF
>
> Pidgins
>
> *Collective code for:*
>
> *Chabacano*
>
> *Fanakalo*
>
> *Naga Pidgin*
>
> *San Basilio del Palenque Spanish Creole*
>
> *Unami jargon*

The variant names from each of these entries also appear in their
alphabetic position in the list as references, but not in boldface. For
example:

Bafang

> USE
>
> Fe\'fe\'

Chaldean

> USE
>
> Aramaic

These references do not give the code; the entry under the name referred
to must be consulted to determine the code.

#### Part II: Code Sequence {#part-ii-code-sequence .unnumbered}

In this part, the languages and their codes are listed alphabetically by
the code. Only the name of the individual language or language group and
the associated code are given in this part. Tracings or references for
variant forms of the language names are not included. For example:

**arc**

> Aramaic

**bai**

> Bamileke languages

Languages that are assigned a group code are not included in the code
sequence part. Thus, the language Fe\'fe\' which is assigned the group
code *bai* does not appear in this part of the list.

Discontinued codes are also listed in this part in their alphabetical
sequence. They are identified by a hyphen preceding the code. For
example:

**-ajm**

> Aljamía

### 3.3 Audience(s)

Catalogers and librarians who use these codes for catalog entries of
publications.

The names of individual languages that appear in boldface are the form
normally used in uniform titles and notes in bibliographic records. For
example:

> Homer. Iliad. English. *(form in uniform title)*\
> Text in Coptic and French; notes in French. *(form in note)*

*Library of Congress Rule Interpretations* 1.7B2 and 25.5C may be
consulted for specific instructions and exceptions.

The individual languages that appear in boldface also usually correspond
to the subject headings for those languages in LCSH. The relationship of
language names in this list to LCSH is described more fully above in the
section \"Names of Languages and Dialects.\"

### 3.4 Related Standards

-   MARC Code List for Countries

-   MARC Code List for Geographic Areas

-   MARC Code Lists for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions

-   MARC Code List for Organizations

### 3.5 Standards Dependencies

Language codes are used in the following MARC 21 fields:

> [Bibliographic records]{.underline}\
> 008/35-37 Fixed-Length Data Elements / Language\
> 040\$b Cataloging Source / Language of cataloging\
> 041 Language Code\
> 242\$y Translation of Title by Cataloging Agency / Language code of
> translated title\
> 775\$e Other Edition Entry / Language code
>
> [Authority records]{.underline}\
> 040\$b Cataloging Source / Language of cataloging
>
> [Holdings records]{.underline}\
> 008/22-24 Fixed-Length Data Elements / Language\
> 040\$b Record Source / Language of cataloging
>
> [Classification records]{.underline}\
> 040\$b Cataloging Source / Language of cataloging\
> 084\$e Classification Scheme and Edition / Language code
>
> [Community Information records]{.underline}\
> 008/12-14 Fixed-Length Data Elements / Language\
> 040\$b Cataloging Source / Language of cataloging\
> 041 Language Code

**3.6 Content Quality**

Catalogers around the world have come to depend on the quality and
expertise of the LC\'s MARC documentation.

### 4. Currency of Content

### 4.1 Date

2003-02

### 4.2 Versions, Updates

The Library of Congress is the maintenance agency for this list and for
both ANSI Z39.53 and ISO 639-2. Questions and requests for information
about this list should be sent to the Cataloging Policy and Support
Office, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540-4305 (e-mail:
<cpso@loc.gov>). ANSI Z39.53 and ISO 639-2 include only the list of
codes and associated language or language group name (as in Part II of
this document).

Requests for new language codes are submitted to the ISO 639-2
maintenance agency, Library of Congress, (<iso639-2@loc.gov>) and
balloted by the ISO 639 Joint Advisory Committee. Once approved, they
are added to the ISO 639-2 and MARC lists and are included in ANSI
Z39.53 when revised. Notices describing additions/deletions of code
values will be issued for all changes to the language codes made in the
interim period between issuance of revised versions of this document.
Please consult the MARC website
([www.loc.gov/marc/](http://www.loc.gov/marc/)) for these notices.

### 4.3 Currency

Updates are issued as necessary.

**5. Acceptance**

Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) has been the standard in library
automation for over 25 years. It forms the backbone of today\'s
automated library systems, networks, and bibliographical utilities
around the world. The MARC products developed at the Library of Congress
set the standard for MARC cataloging documentation.

### 6. Content details {#content-details .unnumbered}

### 6.1 Size statistics (estimated)

This standard contains a list of languages and their associated
three-character alphabetic codes. The purpose of this list is to allow
the designation of the language or languages in MARC records. The list
contains 457 discrete codes, of which 55 are used for groups of
languages.

The HTML version has two lists: a Name Sequence

> [A-B](http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/lang_a2b.html) \-- A-ch\'ang
> to Byzantine Greek\
> [C-G](http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/lang_c2g.html) \-- Cabardan to
> Gypsy\
> [H-K](http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/lang_h2k.html) \-- Habe to
> Kyrgyz\
> [L-N](http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/lang_l2n.html) \-- La-oop to
> Nzima\
> [O-S](http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/lang_o2s.html) \-- O-wen-k\`o
> to Syryenian\
> [T-Z](http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/lang_t2z.html) \-- Ta River
> Van Kieu to Zyrian

and a [Code Sequence](http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/lang_pt2.html),
with an alternative [ASCII
version](http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/langascii.html).

### 6.2 Format / Schemas(s)

In addition to text and HTML, the Network Development and MARC Standards
Office has developed a framework for working with MARC data in a XML
environment. This framework is intended to be flexible and extensible,
allowing users to work with MARC data in ways that meet their specific
needs. The framework contains many components such as schemas,
stylesheets, and software tools developed and maintained by the Library
of Congress. Conversion utilities between MARC (ISO 2709) and MARCXML
are also available. See
[www.loc.gov/marc/marcxml.html](http://www.loc.gov/marc/marcxml.html).

The Network Development and MARC Standards Office also developed a MARC
to SGML and SGML to MARC conversion program.

MARC 21 has been mapped to the following metadata standards:      

[MODS](http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods-mapping.html)      

[Dublin Core](http://www.loc.gov/marc/marc2dc.html)      

[MARC Character Sets to
UCS/Unicode](http://www.loc.gov/marc/specifications/specchartables.html)
     

[Digital Geospatial
Metadata](http://www.alexandria.ucsb.edu/public-documents/metadata/marc2fgdc.html)
           

The following metadata standards have been mapped to MARC 21:      

[MODS](http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods//mods2marc-mapping.html)      

[Dublin Core](http://www.loc.gov/marc/dccross.html)      

[UNIMARC to MARC 21](http://www.loc.gov/marc/unimarctomarc21.html)      

[ONIX](http://www.loc.gov/marc/onix2marc.html)      

[Digital Geospatial Metadata to
MARC](http://www.alexandria.ucsb.edu/public-documents/metadata/fgdc2marc.html)

### 6.3 Media / Download

Available for download at:

<http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/langhome.html>

This revision of the 2000 edition contains places and their associated
two-or three-character lower case alphabetic codes used in MARC records.
Included are individual codes for presently existing national entities,
states of the United States, provinces, and territories of Canada,
divisions of the United Kingdom, and internationally recognized
dependencies. References from variant forms are also included. Changes
and additions since the previous edition include changes that reflect
jurisdictional changes in Canada. 46 pages.

**Price:**\
North America \$20\
outside North America \$22

Also available in [Cataloger\'s
Desktop](http://www.loc.gov/cds/desktop/) on CD-ROM. The most widely
used cataloging documentation resources in an integrated, online system.
Includes the current version of the *Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules*
(AACR2).

**6.4 Licensing Issues**

Using excerpts from MARC documentation is permissible as long as credit
is given.    

### 6.5 Documentation

Extensive documentation on MARC standards is available at:

<http://www.loc.gov/marc>