RFC 1766 (rfc1766) - Page 1 of 9
Tags for the Identification of Languages
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group H. Alvestrand
Request for Comments: 1766 UNINETT
Category: Standards Track March 1995
Tags for the Identification of Languages
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Abstract
This document describes a language tag for use in cases where it is
desired to indicate the language used in an information object.
It also defines a Content-language: header, for use in the case where
one desires to indicate the language of something that has RFC-822-
like headers, like MIME body parts or Web documents, and a new
parameter to the Multipart/Alternative type, to aid in the usage of
the Content-Language: header.
1. Introduction
There are a number of languages spoken by human beings in this world.
A great number of these people would prefer to have information
presented in a language that they understand.
In some contexts, it is possible to have information in more than one
language, or it might be possible to provide tools for assisting in
the understanding of a language (like dictionaries).
A prerequisite for any such function is a means of labelling the
information content with an identifier for the language in which is
is written.
In the tradition of solving only problems that we think we
understand, this document specifies an identifier mechanism, and one
possible use for it.
Alvestrand
