Language Code (LAN)

DGIF baseline 2026-1, the latest. Earlier baselines: timemap.

Name

languageCode

Datatype

LanguageStrucText

Definition

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO 639-3) three character code that designates the language or macrolanguage of the source of a geographic name.

Description

A macrolanguage is a set of closely related language varieties (dialects) that generally have a common linguistic identity and a common written form; this may occur when there is a transitional socio-linguistic situation in which sub-communities of a single language community are diverging. The language of the geographic name source should be distinguished from the language of origin or etymology of a geographic name; for example, considering the place name 'San Jose, California' the language of the source of this geographic name may be English if it is determined from a United States map, regardless of the fact that this geographic name means 'St. Joseph, California' in Spanish.

Accepted

2013-10-18

Defined by

DFDD

Used by

ZI005 Geographic Name Information