ISO 639 ngumgangatho wamazwe ngamazwe wokuhlela iilwimi zendalo kunye namaqela eelwimi, kwaye ubanika ikhowudi yokuchonga eyodwa.
Injongo ye-ISO 639 kukwenza ikhathalogu eyaziwayo jikelele yeekhowudi eziqhelekileyo ezinxulunyaniswa ngokukodwa nolwimi ngalunye ngaphandle kokungacaci. Igama elithi ulwimi libandakanya zonke iindlela zonxibelelwano lweelwimi phakathi kwabantu kubandakanya iilwimi ezingasekhoyo okanye zembali, amaqela eelwimi, ukwahluka kweelwimi, iziyelelane kunye neendlela zonxibelelwano olungathethwayo. njengolwimi lwezandla.
I-ISO 639 yavunywa okokuqala ngo-1967, kodwa inamacandelo ahlukeneyo (amanani-1 ukuya ku-6) apapashiweyo aza ahlaziywa kaninzi ukutyhubela iminyaka ukuya kutsho kwinkulungwane yama-21, ekwandisa ixesha ngalinye inguqulelo ye-ISO yangaphambili. Eyona migangatho isetyenziswa ngokuqhelekileyo yi-ISO 639-1 kunye ne-ISO 639-3.
Iikhowudi zokuchonga ezibonelelwe yi-ISO 639 zinokusetyenziswa kwiindawo ezininzi kunye nezicelo, umzekelo ukubonisa ulwimi ebhalwe ngalo isicatshulwa okanye iwebhusayithi, ukuchonga ulwimi lwemvelaphi yegama elichazwe kwisichazi-magama, iilwimi. ilawulwa kwisoftware, igama lendawo njl.njl. Ngesi sizathu, ISO 639 isetyenziswa kakhulu kwinkalo yethekhnoloji yolwazi, uyilo lwewebhu kunye nolawulo lweencwadi ezigcina iibhayibhilografi.