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ISO 15924', ''Codes for the representation of names of scripts'', defines two sets of codes for a number of
writing systems (scripts). Each script is given both a four-letter code and a numeric one.
Script is defined as "set of graphic characters used for the written form of one or more languages". So scripts that are not (yet) "used for the written form of one language" are explicitly excluded.
Where possible the 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). Preference is given to the 639-2 Bibliographical codes, which is different to the otherwise often favored use of the Terminological codes.
4-letter ISO 15924 codes are incorporated into the Language Subtag Registry for
IETF language tags and so can be used in file formats that make use of such language tags. For example, they can be used in
HTML and
XML to help
Web browsers determine which
typeface to use for foreign text. This way one could differentiate, for example, between
Serbian written in the Cyrillic (
sr-Cyrl) or Latin (
sr-Latn) script, or mark
romanized text as such.
Maintenance
ISO has appointed the
Unicode Consortium as the Registration Authority for the standard. In 2004, the Registration Authority appointed
Michael Everson to act as Registrar.
[1]
Script codes
Numeric ranges
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
Special codes
Zxxx || 997 || Code for unwritten languages
Zyyy || 998 || Code for undetermined script
Zzzz || 999 || Code for uncoded script
Qaaa-Qabx are 50 codes for private use. The Qaaa-Qabx range is not mentioned in the standard itself, but in the codelist.
See also
★
List of ISO 15924 codes
References
1. Unicode - ISO 15924 Registration Authority
External links
★
ISO 15924 Registration Authority (
Unicode)
★
Official ISO 15924 code lists