ISO 639 and ISO 639-2: The Code Lists

Note that this document provides the technical contents of ISO 639 and ISO 639-2, but is not official. The ISO 639 Registration Authority provides the Official 639 Code List of 2-letter codes and language names. The ISO 639-2 Registration Authority provides the Official 639-2 Code List of 3-letter codes and language names.

This list states the ISO 639 Alpha-2 code elements, the ISO 639-2/T Alpha-3 code elements, the ISO 639-2/B Alpha-3 code elements, and the language names given in the standards (639 variants in parentheses). The list is ordered alphabetically by the ISO 639-2/T codes. Where the name in ISO 639 differs from that in ISO 639-2, the ISO 639 name is given in [square brackets].

This list is updated whenever a change to the official code list in ISO 639 or in ISO 639-2 is effected by the respective Registration Authorities.

This list is complete and up-to-date as of 2000-02-19. It lists 433 languages.

The Registration Authority for ISO 639 is Infoterm, Simeringer Haupstraße 24, A-1110 Wien, Austria. The Registration Authority for ISO 639-2 is the Network Development and MARC Standards Office, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.

639-1TBLanguage name (in English)
aaaaraarAfar
ababkabkAbkhazian
 aceaceAchinese
 achachAcoli
 adaadaAdangme
 afaafaAfro-Asiatic (Other)
 afhafhAfrihili
afafrafrAfrikaans
 akaakaAkan
 akkakkAkkadian
 alealeAleut
 algalgAlgonquian languages
amamhamhAmharic
 angangEnglish, Old (ca. 450-1100)
 apaapaApache languages
araraaraArabic
 arcarcAramaic
 arnarnAraucanian
 arparpArapaho
 artartArtificial (Other)
 arwarwArawak
asasmasmAssamese
 athathAthapascan languages
 ausausAustralian languages
 avaavaAvaric
aeaveaveAvestan
 awaawaAwadhi
ayaymaymAymara
azazeazeAzerbaijani
 badbadBanda
 baibaiBamileke languages
babakbakBashkir
 balbalBaluchi
 bambamBambara
 banbanBalinese
 basbasBasa
 batbatBaltic (Other)
 bejbejBeja
bebelbelBelarussian [Byelorussian]
 bembemBemba
bnbenbenBengali [Bengali, Bangla]
 berberBerber (Other)
 bhobhoBhojpuri
bhbihbihBihari
 bikbikBikol
 binbinBini
bibisbisBislama
 blablaSiksika
 bntbntBantu (Other)
bobodtibTibetan
bsbosbosBosnian
 brabraBraj
brbrebreBreton
 btkbtkBatak (Indonesia)
 buabuaBuriat
 bugbugBuginese
bgbulbulBulgarian
 cadcadCaddo
 caicaiCentral American Indian (Other)
 carcarCarib
cacatcatCatalan
 caucauCaucasian (Other)
 cebcebCebuano
 celcelCeltic (Other)
cscesczeCzech
chchachaChamorro
 chbchbChibcha
cechecheChechen
 chgchgChagatai
 chkchkChuukese
 chmchmMari
 chnchnChinook jargon
 chochoChoctaw
 chpchpChipewyan
 chrchrCherokee
cuchuchuChurch Slavic
cvchvchvChuvash
 chychyCheyenne
 cmccmcChamic languages
 copcopCoptic
kwcorcorCornish
cocoscosCorsican
 cpecpeCreoles and pidgins, English-based (Other)
 cpfcpfCreoles and pidgins, French-based (Other)
 cppcppCreoles and pidgins, Portuguese-based (Other)
 crecreCree
 crpcrpCreoles and pidgins (Other)
 cuscusCushitic (Other)
cycymwelWelsh
 dakdakDakota
dadandanDanish
 daydayDayak
 deldelDelaware
 dendenSlave (Athapascan)
dedeugerGerman
 dgrdgrDogrib
 dindinDinka
 divdivDivehi
 doidoiDogri
 dradraDravidian (Other)
 duaduaDuala
 dumdumDutch, Middle (ca. 1050-1350)
 dyudyuDyula
dzdzodzoDzongkha [Bhutani]
 efiefiEfik
 egyegyEgyptian (Ancient)
 ekaekaEkajuk
elellgreGreek, Modern (post 1453)
 elxelxElamite
enengengEnglish
 enmenmEnglish, Middle (1100-1500)
eoepoepoEsperanto
etestestEstonian
eueusbaqBasque
 eweeweEwe
 ewoewoEwondo
 fanfanFang
fofaofaoFaroese
fafasperPersian
 fatfatFanti
fjfijfijFijian [Fiji]
fifinfinFinnish
 fiufiuFinno-Ugrian (Other)
 fonfonFon
frfrafreFrench
 frmfrmFrench, Middle (ca. 1400-1600)
 frofroFrench, Old (842-ca. 1400)
fyfryfryFrisian
 fulfulFulah
 furfurFriulian
 gaagaaGa
 gaygayGayo
 gbagbaGbaya
 gemgemGermanic (Other)
 gezgezGeez
 gilgilGilbertese
gdglaglaGaelic (Scots) [Scots Gaelic]
gaglegleIrish
glglgglgGallegan [Galician]
gvglvglvManx [Manx Gaelic]
 gmhgmhGerman, Middle High (ca. 1050-1500)
 gohgohGerman, Old High (ca. 750-1050)
 gongonGondi
 gorgorGorontalo
 gotgotGothic
 grbgrbGrebo
 grcgrcGreek, Ancient (to 1453)
gngrngrnGuarani
gugujgujGujarati
 gwigwiGwich'in
 haihaiHaida
hahauhauHausa
 hawhawHawaiian
he/-iwhebhebHebrew ["in" withdrawn; use "he"]
hzherherHerero
 hilhilHiligaynon
 himhimHimachali
hihinhinHindi
 hithitHittite
 hmnhmnHmong
hohmohmoHiri Motu
hrhrvscrCroatian
huhunhunHungarian
 huphupHupa
hyhyearmArmenian
 ibaibaIban
 iboiboIgbo
 ijoijoIjo
iuikuikuInuktitut
ieileileInterlingue
 iloiloIloko
iainainaInterlingua (International Auxiliary Language Association)
 incincIndic (Other)
id/-inindindIndonesian ["in" withdrawn; use "id"]
 ineineIndo-European (Other)
ikipkipkInupiaq [Inupiak]
 irairaIranian (Other)
 iroiroIroquoian languages
isisliceIcelandic
ititaitaItalian
jwjawjavJavanese
jajpnjpnJapanese
 jprjprJudeo-Persian
 jrbjrbJudeo-Arabic
 kaakaaKara-Kalpak
 kabkabKabyle
 kackacKachin
klkalkalKalaallisut [Greenlandic]
 kamkamKamba
knkankanKannada
 karkarKaren
kskaskasKashmiri
kakatgeoGeorgian
 kaukauKanuri
 kawkawKawi
kkkazkazKazakh
 khakhaKhasi
 khikhiKhoisan (Other)
kmkhmkhmKhmer [Cambodian]
 khokhoKhotanese
kikikkikKikuyu
rwkinkinKinyarwanda
kykirkirKirghiz
 kmbkmbKimbundu
 kokkokKonkani
kvkomkomKomi
 konkonKongo
kokorkorKorean
 koskosKosraean
 kpekpeKpelle
 krokroKru
 krukruKurukh
kjkuakuaKuanyama
 kumkumKumyk
kukurkurKurdish
 kutkutKutenai
 ladladLadino
 lahlahLahnda
 lamlamLamba
lolaolaoLao [Laothian]
lalatlatLatin
lvlavlavLatvian [Latvian, Lettish]
 lezlezLezghian
lnlinlinLingala
ltlitlitLithuanian
 lollolMongo
 lozlozLozi
lbltzltzLetzeburgesch [Luxembourgish]
 lualuaLuba-Lulua
 lublubLuba-Katanga
 luglugGanda
 luiluiLuiseno
 lunlunLunda
 luoluoLuo (Kenya and Tanzania)
 luslusLushai
 madmadMadurese
 magmagMagahi
mhmahmahMarshall
 maimaiMaithili
 makmakMakasar
mlmalmalMalayalam
 manmanMandingo
 mapmapAustronesian (Other)
mrmarmarMarathi
 masmasMasai
 mdrmdrMandar
 menmenMende
 mgamgaIrish, Middle (900-1200)
 micmicMicmac
 minminMinangkabau
 mismisMiscellaneous languages
mkmkdmacMacedonian
 mkhmkhMon-Khmer (Other)
mgmlgmlgMalagasy
mtmltmltMaltese
 mncmncManchu
 mnimniManipuri
 mnomnoManobo languages
 mohmohMohawk
momolmolMoldavian
mnmonmonMongolian
 mosmosMossi
mimrimaoMaori
msmsamayMalay
 mulmulMultiple languages
 munmunMunda languages
 musmusCreek
 mwrmwrMarwari
mymyaburBurmese
 mynmynMayan languages
 nahnahNahuatl
 nainaiNorth American Indian (Other)
nanaunauNauru
nvnavnavNavajo
nrnblnblNdebele, South
ndndendeNdebele, North
ngndondoNdonga
nenepnepNepali
 newnewNewari
 nianiaNias
 nicnicNiger-Kordofanian (Other)
 niuniuNiuean
nlnlddutDutch
nnnnonnoNorwegian Nynorsk
nbnobnobNorwegian Bokmål
 nonnonNorse, Old
nonornorNorwegian
 nsonsoSotho, Northern
 nubnubNubian languages
nynyanyaChichewa; Nyanja
 nymnymNyamwezi
 nynnynNyankole
 nyonyoNyoro
 nzinziNzima
ocociociOccitan (post 1500); Provençal
 ojiojiOjibwa
ororioriOriya
omormormOromo [(Afan) Oromo]
 osaosaOsage
osossossOssetian; Ossetic
 otaotaTurkish, Ottoman (1500-1928)
 otootoOtomian languages
 paapaaPapuan (Other)
 pagpagPangasinan
 palpalPahlavi
 pampamPampanga
papanpanPanjabi [Punjabi]
 pappapPapiamento
 paupauPalauan
 peopeoPersian, Old (ca. 600-400 B.C.)
 phiphiPhilippine (Other)
 phnphnPhoenician
piplipliPali
plpolpolPolish
 ponponPohnpeian
ptporporPortuguese
 prapraPrakrit languages
 proproProvenÁal, Old (to 1500)
pspuspusPushto [Pashto, Pushto]
 qaa-qtzqaa-qtzreserved for local use
ququequeQuechua
 rajrajRajasthani
 raprapRapanui
 rarrarRarotongan
 roaroaRomance (Other)
rmrohrohRaeto-Romance, [Rhaeto-Romance]
 romromRomany
roronrumRomanian
rnrunrunRundi
rurusrusRussian
 sadsadSandawe
sgsagsagSango [Sangho]
 sahsahYakut
 saisaiSouth American Indian (Other)
 salsalSalishan languages
 samsamSamaritan Aramaic
sasansanSanskrit
 sassasSasak
 satsatSantali
 scoscoScots
 selselSelkup
 semsemSemitic (Other)
 sgasgaIrish, Old (to 900)
 sgnsgnSign languages
 shnshnShan
-sh  Serbo-Croatian ["sh" withdrawn; use "bs", "hr", or "sr"]
 sidsidSidamo
sisinsinSinhalese [Singhalese]
 siosioSiouan languages
 sitsitSino-Tibetan (Other)
 slaslaSlavic (Other)
skslksloSlovak
slslvslvSlovenian
sesmesmeNorthern Sami
 smismiSami languages Other
smsmosmoSamoan
snsnasnaShona
sdsndsndSindhi
 snksnkSoninke
 sogsogSogdian
sosomsomSomali
 sonsonSonghai
stsotsotSotho, Southern [Sesotho]
esspa/espspaSpanish
sqsqialbAlbanian
scsrdsrdSardinian
srsrpsccSerbian
 srrsrrSerer
 ssassaNilo-Saharan (Other)
sssswsswSwati
 suksukSukuma
susunsunSundanese
 sussusSusu
 suxsuxSumerian
swswaswaSwahili
svswesweSwedish
 syrsyrSyriac
tytahtahTahitian
 taitaiTai (Other)
tatamtamTamil
tttattatTatar
teteltelTelugu
 temtemTimne
 terterTereno
 tettetTetum
tgtgktgkTajik
tltgltglTagalog
ththathaThai
 tigtigTigre
 tirtirTigrinya
 tivtivTiv
 tkltklTokelau
 tlitliTlingit
 tmhtmhTamashek
 togtogTonga (Nyasa)
 tontonTonga (Tonga Islands)
 tpitpiTok Pisin
 tsitsiTsimshian
tntsntsnTswana
tstsotsoTsonga
tktuktukTurkmen
 tumtumTumbuka
 turturTurkish
 tuttutAltaic (Other)
 tvltvlTuvalu
twtwitwiTwi
 tyvtyvTuvinian
 ugaugaUgaritic
uguiguigUighur
ukukrukrUkrainian
 umbumbUmbundu
 undundUndetermined
ururdurdUrdu
uzuzbuzbUzbek
 vaivaiVai
 venvenVenda
vivievieVietnamese
vovolvolVolap¸k
 votvotVotic
 wakwakWakashan languages
 walwalWalamo
 warwarWaray
 waswasWasho
 wenwenSorbian languages
wowolwolWolof
xhxhoxhoXhosa
 yaoyaoYao
 yapyapYapese
yi/-jiyidyidYiddish ["ji" withdrawn; use "yi"]
 yoryorYoruba
 ypkypkYupik languages
 zapzapZapotec
 zenzenZenaga
zazhazhaZhuang
zhzhochiChinese
 zndzndZande
zuzulzulZulu
 zunzunZuni
639-1TBLanguage name (in English)


HTML Michael Everson, everson@egt.ie, Everson Gunn Teoranta, Dublin, 2000-03-10