Multiple Languages
ICD as an international standard has to be multilingual. The previous ICD was developed in English first and then translated manually.
This is called Multilingual Representation, not a Translation. The aim is to represent equivalent concepts rather than word-by-word translation.
Built from experience in previous ICD translations in multiple languages, and using the ICD-11 Content Model with standard terminologies, ICD-11 will have computerized assistance for its development in multiple languages with human experts verifying concept equivalence.
The priority will be on 6 Official United Nations Languages:
- English
- French
- Spanish
- Russian
- Chinese
- Arabic
- German
- Portuguese
Other languages will be at the request of WHO Collaborating Centers in different language areas.