Kodifikálni

Kodifikálni is a Hungarian verb meaning to arrange something—such as laws, rules, or norms—into a systematic code, or to formalize them by codification. The noun form is kodifikáció (codification). The term is used in legal and linguistic contexts, as well as in discussions of standardization of practices.

In legal contexts, codification refers to the process of consolidating and organizing disparate laws or legal principles into a single statutory code or code of laws. This process is central to civil-law traditions and to national efforts to replace customary or ad hoc rules with a unified legal framework. Codification can also influence the interpretation and application of law, providing clearer rules and reduced judicial discretion.

In language policy and sociolinguistics, kodifikálás denotes standardization of a language—defining normative grammar, spelling, and vocabulary—often through official grammars, dictionaries, and orthographic reforms. This use is common in discussions of national language planning and the development of standard languages.

In modern computing, Hungarian typically uses kódolás or kódolni for encoding data, while kodifikálni remains more common in non-technical senses such as legal or linguistic codification. The term is formed from Latin codificare and has parallels in many European languages (French codifier, German kodifizieren, English codify).