[asterisk-bugs] [Asterisk 0015346]: [patch] TW is not an ISO Language Code

[Asterisk Bug Tracker]

A NOTE has been added to this issue. 
====================================================================== 
https://issues.asterisk.org/view.php?id=15346 
====================================================================== 
Reported By:                volivier
Assigned To:                
====================================================================== 
Project:                    Asterisk
Issue ID:                   15346
Category:                   Core/Internationalization
Reproducibility:            always
Severity:                   minor
Priority:                   normal
Status:                     ready for testing
Asterisk Version:           1.6.1.0 
Regression:                 No 
SVN Branch (only for SVN checkouts, not tarball releases):  trunk 
SVN Revision (number only!):  
Request Review:              
====================================================================== 
Date Submitted:             2009-06-17 16:49 CDT
Last Modified:              2009-06-23 13:37 CDT
====================================================================== 
Summary:                    [patch] TW is not an ISO Language Code
Description: 
Tawanese actually is standard mandarin chinese that is categorized as
"zh-tw" or simply "zh" and NEVER "tw". Should simply be "zh" in Asterisk
because Asterisk is not concerned with the actual script of a locale (the
way it is written).

The reason why setting taiwanese as "tw" is a problem, is because it
fragments the efforts to localize in the standard mandarin chinese language
(which is coded as "zh") and is a bad internationalization practice
altogether.
====================================================================== 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 (0106861) davidw (reporter) - 2009-06-23 13:37
 https://issues.asterisk.org/view.php?id=15346#c106861 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
You couldn't use zh_CN or zh_TW as they already imply something other than
specific variants of Chinese.  Note that Chinese variants are mutually
incomprehensible and do have grammatical differences, although we really
need someone with first hand knowledge.  I only have second hand knowledge
and I think the same is true for volivier.

I have a feeling that you might have to end up with the three letter
codes, e.g. zh_CMN, zh_NAN, or zh_YUE, if you insist on keeping the zh_
format.  Someone once old me that language boundaries don't follow
administrative boundaries in the Chinese mainland, so you cannot use those
to qualify the language.

Incidentally, the specific special rule that you need for Mandarin is to
use yao instead of yi when spelling out telephone numbers.  I don't know if
that is true of other Chinese variants, although one might provide the
structure to allow it and then treat others as degenerate cases.

I think the reasoning is that yi is basically a pure vowel.  If you use it
in numeric numbers, that isn't a problem, as the multipliers delimit the
digits, e.g. yi bai yi shi yi for 111.  But if you spell out the number,
you would end up with yi yi yi, which could easily sound like eeeeeeee. 

Issue History 
Date Modified    Username       Field                    Change               
====================================================================== 
2009-06-23 13:37 davidw         Note Added: 0106861                          
======================================================================