Subject: Re: [Ietf-languages] First cut at a BCP 47 extension structure for ISO TR 21636 (was: Language subtag registration form)

From: "Doug Ewell" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2020 16:52:55 -0700

Peter Constable wrote:
 
> Observation: In the case of "eastern" and "western", their meaning
> depends on what it is the qualify. ('East' relative to what?...) But
> in the case of "fonipa", there is a unique meaning that's independent
> of what it is qualifying.
 
Exactly. Mark had stated that the restriction against this type of
generic variant "doesn't apply when there isn't a prefix," but that's
sort of circular; we couldn't have registered 'eastern' and 'western'
for Armenian or any other language simply by omitting the Prefix field.
 
--
Doug Ewell, CC, ALB | Thornton, CO, US | ewellic.org

---

From: Mark Davis ☕️ <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2020 16:16:03 -0800

Switching subject since this is not about "BCP 47 extension structure for
ISO TR 21636..."

Mark

> for Armenian or any other language simply by omitting the Prefix field.
Well, if the registry had {eastern, western, northern, southern, central}
variants, then someone could have sv-northern. The meaning would be the
customary meaning of 'northern' — a variety spoken in the northern part of
the area of the Earth in which that language is typically spoken. It is
quite common to distinguish varieties based on general geographical
location: look at Kurdish.

For many languages that 'adjective' would not be particularly useful, and
like any subtag, should be avoided where it does not mark a useful
distinction. For example, for English it would not be particularly useful.

---

From: Hugh Paterson III <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2020 07:30:32 +0100

Also, different meaning would be applied to the tag if used as
en-us-northern vs en-northern.  I would think then the tag is relative and
therefor harder to consistently use or interpret.  I have heard it said of
those who live in California, that if one asks a Californian where they
live they usually give you a town name.  And if one were to inquire where
that town is they arbitrarily define Southern California to include it.
Northern California is any place north of where the person lives. It’s my
favorite game to play with new, to me, native Californians that I meet.

- Hugh

On Mon, Nov 30, 2020 at 1:16 AM Mark Davis ☕️ <[email-masked]> wrote:

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-- 
All the best,
-Hugh

Sent from my iPhone
Paris, France