[Ietf-languages] Latin Sub tags

[Hugh Paterson III <[e-mail]>]

Greetings,

Has there been any discussion (historical context) for indicating
varieties of Latin [https://iso639-3.sil.org/code/lat]?

Specifically though I am curious about the conceptual entities such as
Early Latin, Classical Latin, and Medieval Latin. These three eras are
well attested in Latin oriented scholarly literature. Has there ever
been a request for sub-tags for these? If so, why were they denied?


In BCP-47 Latin would be indicated using ISO639-1 code [la]. So I
searched for variant codes with a prefix with the value of [la].
Nothing was found for Early Latin, Classical Latin, or Medieval Latin.


In considering an application for these three varieties of Latin, the
time-depth boundaries for these three "varieties" are contested,
therefore I don't think that a variant tag relating to a time frame is
especially neutral or clear.

Is there anyone on this list who would consider Early Latin, Classical
Latin, or Medieval Latin to be separate languages?

Some languages such as Greek have separate ISO639-3 codes for
different time depths: e.g., [ell] and [grc]. My understanding is that
this time based split was introduced to ISO639-3 via compatibility
requirements with ISO639-2 and time depth indication via ISO639-3 is
not a viable way to argue for the introduction of a "new language"
code to ISO639-3. (It would be nice if the ISO639-3 registrar or other
knowledgeable person could comment on this aspect.) Additionally, the
ISO639-2 registrar could be approached to add these as "languages" --
there is sufficient publishing in these "languages" to meet the
guideline ISO639-2 requirements. The result being that they would be
de facto introduced to the ISO639-3 set of codes. However, I'm not at
all sure that pathway really solves any long term goals for indication
of time depths. (Is the ISO639-2 registrar on this list?)


I note Exhibit 1 from the registry. However its comment seems to
indicate that this is an auxiliary language -- a language -- I
emphasise. My general understanding of variant tags which have a
prefix is that they are not languages but variants of a language. So I
question the clarity of the wording of the comment. Maybe I need to
refine my understanding, or maybe I am not fully understanding what an
'auxiliary language' is.


Kind regards,

Hugh

Exhibit 1

%%
Type: variant
Subtag: peano
Description: Latino Sine Flexione
Description: Interlingua de API
Description: Interlingua de Peano
Prefix: la
Comments: Peano’s Interlingua, created in 1903 by Giuseppe Peano as an
  international auxiliary language
Added: 2020-03-12
%%