# Refinement of the Dialect code element

**URL:** <https://forums.snomed.org/t/refinement-of-the-dialect-code-element/361>\
**Category:** Terminology Release AG\
**Created:** [September 22, 2025, 6:59pm UTC](https://forums.snomed.org/t/refinement-of-the-dialect-code-element/361 "2025-09-22T18:59:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aatkinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@aatkinson](https://forums.snomed.org/u/aatkinson)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 6:59pm UTC](https://forums.snomed.org/t/refinement-of-the-dialect-code-element/361/1 "2025-09-22T18:59:53Z")

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The proposal is to tighten up the wording of the File Naming Conventions to dis-allow dialect codes in the spec, which currently allows for a dialect code in that position, but doesn’t specify dependencies such as the contents of the language refset file.

- This would be implemented here:

- It would be applied to the “ContentSubType” element of the naming conventions.

- It would apply to all SNOMED CT products (including Managed Service products), and would have to be applied consistently going forward to any product being published by SNOMED CT

- It would not be applied retro-actively

- However, Managed Service customers could, in theory, add a dialect element in after receiving the package from SNOMED CT

- It would not have an impact on the International Edition, as there are currently no dialects specified in the package.

- The questions then, would be:

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**Author:** ![aatkinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@aatkinson](https://forums.snomed.org/u/aatkinson)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://forums.snomed.org/t/refinement-of-the-dialect-code-element/361/3 "2026-04-14T12:24:17Z")

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New proposal (after feedback from the AG’s) -

- to remove the option for dialect-code to be included for either Description or Text-Definition files…
- but to continue allowing the dialect-code to be included for Language refset files only
- to discuss whether or not the existing use of the dialect-code in the Language refset filenaming for context-specific refsets is acceptable, or whether we need a new, more appropriate method for distinguishing these files from original Language refset files within the same package
- (eg)
- _der2\_cRefset\_LanguageSnapshot-nb\_NO1000202\_20250715.txt_
- _ **der2\_cRefset\_LanguageSnapshot-nb-gp\_NO1000202\_20250715.txt** _
- _der2\_cRefset\_LanguageSnapshot-nn\_NO1000202\_20250715.txt_
- _ **der2\_cRefset\_LanguageSnapshot-nn-gp\_NO1000202\_20250715.txt** _

This will first be posted on the MSUAG forums site for discussion, and then put back through the TRAG before sending to the MF…