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 from 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.

Contents 1 Maintenance 2 Script codes 2.1 Numeric ranges 2.2 Special codes 3 Relations to other standards 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] 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]

[edit] Script codes

[edit] 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

[edit] Special codes

• Qaaa || 900 Reserved for private use (start) (2004-05-29)
• Qabx || 949 Reserved for private use (end) (2004-05-29)
• Zmth || 995 Mathematical notation (2007-11-26)
• Zsym || 996 Symbols (2007-11-26)
• 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.

[edit] Relations to other standards

The following standards are referred to as indispensable by ISO 15924.

• ISO 639-2:1998 Codes for the representation of names of languages — Part 2: Alpha-3 code
• ISO/IEC 9541-1:1991 Information technology — Font information interchange — Part 1: Architecture
• ISO/IEC 10646-1:2000 Information technology — Universal Multiple-Octet Coded Character Set (UCS) - Part 1: Architecture and Basic Multilingual Plane

For definition of font and glyph the standard refers to

• ISO/IEC 9541-1:1991

[edit] See also

• List of ISO 15924 codes

[edit] References

1. ^ Unicode - ISO 15924 Registration Authority

[edit] External links

• ISO 15924 Registration Authority (Unicode)
• Official ISO 15924 code lists

v • d • e ISO 15924 Arab | Cyrl | Hani | Latf | Latn | Phnx | Sgnw | Syrc List of ISO 15924 codes