MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data: 041: Language Code (Network Development and MARC Standards Office, Library of Congress)

Codes for languages associated with an item when the language code in field 008/35-37 of the record is insufficient to convey full information. Includes records for multilingual items, items that involve translation, and items where the medium of communication is a sign language. Sources of the codes are: MARC Code List for Languages or other code lists such as ISO 639-1 ( Codes for the representation of names of languages - Part 1 : alpha-2 code).

Used in conjunction with 008/35-37 (Language). If there is a code in 008/35-37, it is recorded as the first code in subfields $a or $d (for sound recordings) of field 041. If 008/35-37 contains all blanks (No information provided) or the code "zxx" (No linguistic content) and field 041 is being used, e.g., to record the language code(s) of accompanying material, no subfield $a or $d is present. If only a non-MARC code is used to express the predominant language in an item, field 008/35-37 is coded with three fill characters (| | |).

For computer files, field 041 is used to record codes for languages associated with the data and/or user interface (e.g., screen displays). This field is not used to code for machine languages (e.g., COBOL) or character codes, (e.g., ASCII). Information about machine-languages is recorded in field 538 (System Details Note).

For audiovisual materials, field 041 is used with motion pictures, filmstrips, slides, transparencies, and videorecordings when one or more of the following conditions exist:

For original or historical projectable graphic material, opaque graphic material, and three-dimensional material, this field is used when one or more of the following conditions exist:

GUIDELINES FOR APPLYING CONTENT DESIGNATORS

■ INDICATORS

First Indicator - Translation indication

Whether the work is or includes a translation. The first indicator value is assigned from the content of the item itself; accompanying material is not considered when determining if an item is a translation. Exception: When printed music contains a translation of a vocal text printed as text, the item is considered a translation and value 1 is used.

# - No information provided

No information has been provided as to whether the item is or includes a translation.


041	##$aeng$afre$aswe The item includes text in English, French and Swedish.


041	##$adut$afre$ager $aita$aspa$beng The item includes text in Dutch, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Its summary is in English.

0 - Item not a translation/does not include a translation

1 - Item is or includes a translation

Used regardless of whether the work in the original language has been published or not. If, however, the translated work is not entered under the main entry for the original, for example, because the translation also involved adaptation, then the item is not considered a translation and the first indicator position contains value 0.


041	1#$aeng$hrus

■ SUBFIELD CODES

$a - Language code of text/sound track or separate title

Language code in the first occurrence of subfield $a is also recorded in 008/35-37 (Language) unless 008/35-37 contains blanks (###) or the code "zxx" (No linguistic content).


008/35-37	eng
041	0#$aeng$afre $ager [Text is in English, French and German.]

For works in multiple languages, the codes for the languages of the text are recorded in the order of their predominance in the text. If no language is predominant, the codes are recorded in English alphabetical order. If the catalog institution has chosen to code mul (Multiple languages) in 008/35-37, the code for the title (or the first title, if there are more than one) and the code mul are recorded. Alternatively, any number of specific language codes may be recorded in repeating occurrences of subfield $a.


008/35-37	rus
041	0#$arus$aeng [Item is in Russian (the predominant language) and English.]


008/35-37	eng
041	0#$aeng$afre $ager$ahun$apor $arus


008/35-37	cze
041	0#$acze$aeng $ager [Map with legend in Czech, English, and German.]


008/35-37	sgn
041	0#$asgn$aeng [Item contains representations of the alphabet in sign language with minimal English text on title page.]


008/35-37	mul
041	0#$amul$arus [Item is multilingual with no predominant language and the cataloging institution has chosen not to specify a language in field 008/35-37. The title is in Russian.]

For continuing resources, when the language of the text changes over a period of time, codes for all languages are recorded.

For computer files, the language(s) associated with the data and/or user interface (e.g., screen displays) is recorded in subfield $a.

For musical works, the language(s) of the textual content is recorded in subfield $a only when the work is printed or manuscript music. If the work is a sound recording, the language code(s) is recorded in subfield $d.

For visual materials, subfield $a contains the code(s) of languages associated with the item, as well as any language code(s) of the languages of accompanying printed script or accompanying sound. Language code(s) of all languages of other accompanying material are recorded in subfield $g.


008/35-37	eng
041	0#$aeng$afre $ager$aita [Audiovisual item with sound track or separate titles in English, French, German, Italian.]


008/35-37	eng [no field 041] [Sound track or separate titles in English only.]

When a work is a translation or includes a translation, the code for the language of the translation is recorded in subfield $a. The code(s) for the language(s) of the original work and/or codes for intermediate translations are recorded in subfield $h. If an item is the original with an accompanying translation, subfield $a contains the code(s) for the language(s) of the translation and the original(s). The code(s) for the original is also recorded in subfield $h.


008/35-37	eng
041	1#$aeng$hfre [Text is in English, translated from French.]


008/35-37	eng
041	1#$aeng$hger $hswe [Text is an English translation of a German text which was originally published in Swedish.]


008/35-37	eng
041	1#$aeng$agrc $hgrc [Text in original Greek and in English translation.]


008/35-37	eng
041	1#$aeng$hund [Text is an English translation; the original language undetermined.]


008/35-37	fre
041	1#$afre$hger $hrus [Text is in French and contains three works, the first translated from German and two from Russian.]


008/35-37	eng
041	1#$aeng$hmul [Item is an anthology of Indic poems translated into English from multiple Indic languages.]

$b - Language code of summary or abstract

Language(s) are recorded in English alphabetical order.

For textual resources, record the language of the summary regardless if it is the same or different from the language recorded in subfield $a.


008/35-37	eng
041	0#$aeng$bfre $bger$bspa [Text is in English with summaries in French, German, and Spanish.]

For music, subfield $b contains the language code(s) of material accompanying sound recordings if the accompanying material contains summaries of the contents of a nonmusic sound recording or summaries of songs or other vocal works (not translations of the text(s)) contained on a music sound recording.

$d - Language code of sung or spoken text

Language code(s) for the audible portion of an item, usually the sung or spoken content of a sound recording or computer file. The language code in the first occurrence of subfield $d, if there is no subfield $a, may also be recorded in field 008/35-37.

Note: The language code(s) for the textual portion of an item is entered in subfield $a.


008/35-37	eng
041	0#$deng$eeng $efre$eger [Recording in English with accompanying libretto in English, French, and German.]

$e - Language code of librettos

For music, the language code(s) of the printed text of the vocal/textual content of the work.

Used whether accompanying material or printed with the item. Note: Despite its name, this subfield is not restricted to librettos. However, it is not used for items covered by subfield $g.


008/35-37	fre
041	0#$afre$efre $eger$eita

$f - Language code of table of contents

Language code(s) of the table of contents when it differs from the language of the text.

Code(s) are recorded in English alphabetical order.


008/00-02	rum
041	0#$arum$ffre $fger$frus [Text in Romanian, with tables of contents in French, German, and Russian.]

$g - Language code of accompanying material other than librettos

Language code(s) of significant accompanying material other than summaries (subfield $b) or librettos (subfield $e).

Includes such items as program notes, prefaces, commentaries, manuals, codebooks, user instructions, etc. For visual materials, subfield $g is used for all accompanying material, except for accompanying printed script or accompanying sound (which are recorded in subfield $a).


008/35-37	ger
041	##$ager$geng [The photograph collection has captions in German and accompanying material in English.]


008/35-37	zxx
041	##$gfre [The item is a print having accompanying material in French. There are no captions or other text associated with the item.]


008/35-37	###
041	0#$geng
245	00$aFlorida bird songs$h[sound recording]. [A sound recording with program notes on container.]

$h - Language code of original and/or intermediate translations of text

Language code(s) for intermediate translations; codes precede those for original languages.

For music, when printed or manuscript music, sound recordings, or the accompanying material for these items is or includes a translation, subfield $h may follow the related subfield $a, $d, $e, or $g. Note also that the first indicator position may contain value 0 when it is the data element coded in subfield $e or $g that is a translation rather than that coded in subfield $a or $d.


008/35-37	eng
041	1#$deng$hfre $hger$hita [Sound recording of works sung in English, originally in French, German, and Italian.]


008/35-37	fre
041	1#$afre$efre $eger$hfre [French words printed also as text with German translation.]

$j - Language code of subtitles or captions

Language code(s) of subtitles or captions (open or closed, intended for users with hearing disabilities).


041	1#$aeng$bger $jger [An English language video contains a German language summary on its package and German subtitles.]

$2 - Source of code

Source of the language code scheme used in the field. Code from: MARC Code Lists for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions.

If a non-MARC code is used to express the predominant language in an item, field 008/35-37 is coded with three fill characters (| | |).

If more than one code scheme is used in a record, repeat the field.


008/35-37	\|\|\|
041	07$aen$afr $ait$2 [Code for ISO 639-1]


008/35-37	eng
041	0#$aeng$afre
041	07$aen$afr $2 [Code for ISO 639-1] [Two language code schemes are used and field 041 is repeated.]

$6 - Linkage

See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$8 - Field link and sequence number

See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

INPUT CONVENTIONS

CONTENT DESIGNATOR HISTORY

In 2001: the practice of placing multiple language codes in one subfield, e.g., $aengfreger, was made obsolete and subfields $a, $b, $d, $e, $f and $g were changed from Not-repeatable (NR) to Repeatable (R). The field was also changed from Not-repeatable (NR) to Repeatable (R) to accommodate non-MARC language codes.

Indicator 1 - Translation indication
# - Undefined (AM, MP, VM) [OBSOLETE, 1993]
# - No information provided [NEW, 2008]
In 1993 the first indicator (with values 0 and 1) was defined in the archival and manuscripts control, maps, and visual materials specifications and first indicator value # (Undefined) was made obsolete.

Indicator 2 - Source of code [NEW, 2001]
Prior to 2001, indicator 2 was undefined, but the field was specified to contain a MARC language code. Thus, value # prior to 2001 can be interpreted as the current # value: MARC language code.

$a - Language code of text/soundtrack or separate title [REDEFINED, 1980]
$b - Language code for summary, abstract, or subtitles [RENAMED, 2005]
$b - Language code of summary or abstract [RENAMED, 2007]
$c - Languages of separate titles (VM) [OBSOLETE, 1972]
$c - Languages of available translation (SE) [OBSOLETE, 1977]
In the specifications for books, music, serials, and mixed materials, subfield $a was redefined to exclude languages of the original and/or intermediate translations of text when subfield $h was defined for this information in 1980. For example, prior to 1980 for an item having text in English, translated from French, subfield $a was coded "engfre" (first indicator value 1).In the visual materials specifications, subfield $c was made obsolete in this field when subfield $a was redefined to include languages of separate titles in 1972. Prior to that time, subfield $a was used only for languages on a soundtrack.In the serials specifications, subfield $c was made obsolete in 1977. The language code of a related work is contained in subfield $e of field 775 (Other Edition Entry).
$j - Language code of subtitles or captions [NEW, 2007]
$2 - Source of code [NEW, 2001]

041 - Language Code (R)

FIELD DEFINITION AND SCOPE

GUIDELINES FOR APPLYING CONTENT DESIGNATORS

■ INDICATORS

■ SUBFIELD CODES

INPUT CONVENTIONS

CONTENT DESIGNATOR HISTORY


Subfield Codes
$a - Language code of text/sound track or separate title (R) $b - Language code of summary or abstract (R) $d - Language code of sung or spoken text (R) $e - Language code of librettos (R) $f - Language code of table of contents (R) $g - Language code of accompanying material other than librettos (R)	$h - Language code of original and/or intermediate translations of text (R) $j - Language code of subtitles or captions (R) $2 - Source of code (NR) $6 - Linkage (NR) $8 - Field link and sequence number (R)