Kyrgyz alphabets
The Kyrgyz alphabets (Kyrgyz: Кыргыз алфавити, romanized: Kyrgyz alfaviti, قىرغىز الفابىتى, Yañalif: Qьrƣьz alfaviti, Kyrgyz pronunciation: [qɯrˈɢɯz ɑɫfɑˈviti]) are the alphabets used to write the Kyrgyz language. The Kyrgyz language uses the following alphabets:
- The Cyrillic script is officially used in the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan)
- The Arabic script is officially used in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the People's Republic of China (China) in the Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
- Kyrgyz Braille
The Arabic script was traditionally used to write Kyrgyz before the introduction of the first Latin-based alphabets in 1927. Today an Arabic alphabet is used in China.[1] The New Turkic Alphabet was used in the USSR in the 1930s until its replacement by a Cyrillic script.[2] The Kyrgyz Cyrillic alphabet is the alphabet used in Kyrgyzstan. It contains 36 letters: 33 from the Russian alphabet with 3 additional letters for sounds of the Kyrgyz language: Ң, Ү, Ө.
Kyrgyzstan announced in September 2022 that it is considering switching to the Latin alphabet.[3]
Correspondence chart
Correspondence chart of four Kyrgyz alphabets: the Kyrgyz Cyrillic and Kyrgyz Braille alphabets used in Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz Latin alphabet used 1928–1938 in the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic and the Kyrgyz Arabic alphabet used in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. In this correspondence chart, the Cyrillic alphabet is written in its official order. The Arabic and Latin equivalents are not written in their official alphabetical orders but have been listed around the Cyrillic for ease of understanding.
| Cyrillic | Name | Braille | Arabic[4] | Transliteration (BGN/PCGN)[5] |
Latin (1928–1938)[2][6] |
IPA transcription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| А а | а (a) | ⠁ | ا | A a | A a | /ɑ/ |
| Б б | бе (be) | ⠃ | ب | B b | B ʙ | /b/ |
| В в | ве (ve) | ⠺ | ۋ | V v | V v | /v/, /w/ |
| Г г | ге (ge) | ⠛ | گ غ* |
G g | G g, Ƣ ƣ | /ɡ/, /ʁ/, /ɢ/ |
| Д д | де (de) | ⠙ | د | D d | D d | /d/ |
| Е е | е (e) | ⠑ | ە | E e | E e | /e/ |
| Ё ё | ё (ë) | ⠡ | ي+و(يو) | Yo yo | Jo jo | /jo/ |
| Ж ж | же (je) | ⠚ | ج | J j | Ç ç (Ƶ ƶ from 1938) | /d͡ʒ/, both /d͡ʒ/ and /ʒ/ since 1938 |
| З з | зе (ze) | ⠵ | ز | Z z | Z z | /z/ |
| И и | и (i) | ⠊ | ى | I i | I i | /i/ |
| Й й | ий (iy) | ⠯ | ي | Y y | J j | /j/ |
| К к | ка (ka) | ⠅ | ك ق* |
K k | K k, Q q | /k/, /q/, /χ/ |
| Л л | эл (el) | ⠇ | ل | L l | L l | /l/, /ɫ/ |
| М м | эм (em) | ⠍ | م | M m | M m | /m/ |
| Н н | эн (en) | ⠝ | ن | N n | N n | /n/ |
| Ң ң | ың (yng) | ⠽ | ڭ | Ng ng | Ꞑ ꞑ | /ŋ/, /ɴ/ |
| О о | о (o) | ⠕ | و | O o | O o | /o/ |
| Ө ө | ө (ö) | ⠌ | ۅ | Ö ö | Ɵ ɵ | /ø/ |
| П п | пе (pe) | ⠏ | پ | P p | P p | /p/ |
| Р р | эр (er) | ⠗ | ر | R r | R r | /r/ |
| С с | эс (es) | ⠎ | س | S s | S s | /s/ |
| Т т | те (te) | ⠞ | ت | T t | T t | /t/ |
| У у | у (u) | ⠥ | ۇ | U u | U u | /u/ |
| Ү ү | ү (ü) | ⠧ | ۉ | Ü ü | Y y | /y/ |
| Ф ф | эф (ef) | ⠋ | ف | F f | F f | /f/ |
| Х х | ха (kha) | ⠓ | ح | Kh kh | H h | /χ/ |
| Ц ц | це (tse) | ⠉ | (ت+س (تس | C c | Ts ts | /t͡s/ |
| Ч ч | че (che) | ⠟ | چ | Ch ch | C c | /t͡ʃ/ |
| Ш ш | ша (sha) | ⠱ | ش | Sh sh | Ş ş | /ʃ/ |
| Щ щ | ща (shcha) | ⠭ | - | Shch shch | Şc şc | /ʃt͡ʃ/, /ʃː/ |
| Ъ ъ | ажыратуу белгиси (azhyratuu belgisi) | ⠷ | - | ” | - | *[7] |
| Ы ы | ы (y) | ⠮ | ى | Y y | Ь ь | /ɯ/ |
| Ь ь | ичкертүү белгиси (ichkertüü belgisi) | ⠾ | - | ’ | - | *[7] |
| Э э | э (e) | ⠪ | ە | E e | E e | /e/ |
| Ю ю | ю (yu) | ⠳ | ي+ۋ(يۋ) | Yu yu | Ju ju | /ju/, /jy/ |
| Я я | я (ya) | ⠫ | ي+ا(يا) | Ya ya | Ja ja | /ja/, /jɑ/ |
The letter H is not present in the Kyrgyz alphabet. Instead, it was replaced by a mute sound. (e.g. "Шаар (Shaar)" (city) in Kyrgyz corresponds to Şahar/Şähär/Şəhər in other Turkic languages.)
- К (K) – ك changes into ق (Q) if precedes or succeeds by letters а, о, у, ы.
- Г (G) – گ changes into غ (Ğ) if precedes or succeeds by letters а, о, у, ы.
Text sample
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights[8]
| Kyrgyz in Cyrillic script |
Kyrgyz in Arabic script |
Kyrgyz in Latin script (Yañalif-based) (1928–1938) |
IPA transcription | English |
| Бардык адамдар өз беделинде жана укуктарында эркин жана тең укуктуу болуп жаралат. Алардын аң-сезими менен абийири бар жана бири-бирине бир туугандык мамиле кылууга тийиш. | باردىق ادامدار ۅز بەدەلىندە جانا ۇقۇقتارىندا ەركىن جانا تەڭ ۇقۇقتۇۇ بولۇپ جارالات. الاردىن اڭ-سەزىمى مەنەن ابئيىرى بار جانا بئرى-بئرىنە بئر تۇۇعاندىق مامئلە قىلۇۇعا تئيىش. | Bardьq adamdar ɵz ʙedelinde çana uquqtarьnda erkin çana teꞑ uquqtuu ʙolup çaralat. Alardьn aꞑ‑sezimi menen aʙijiri ʙar çana ʙiri‑ʙirine ʙir tuuƣandьq mamile qьluuƣa tijiş. | bɑrd̪ɯq ɑd̪ɑmd̪ɑr øz bed̪elind̪e d͡ʒɑnɑ uquq.t̪ɑrɯnd̪ɑ erkin d͡ʒɑnɑ t̪eŋ uquqt̪uː boɫup d͡ʒɑrɑɫɑt̪. ɑɫɑrd̪ɯn ɑŋ-sezimi menen ɑbijiri bɑr d͡ʒɑnɑ biri-birine bir t̪uːʁɑnd̪ɯq mɑmile qɯɫuːʁɑ t̪ijiʃ. | All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. |
Arabic
The tabel below illustrates the letter order for Kyrgyz as the letter order differs based on whether it is being written in the Arabic versus Cyrillic alphabet.
| Transliteration | Name in Kyrgyz | IPA | Isolated | Final | Medial | Initial | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | Latin | ||||||
| А а | A a | Алип | [ɑ] | ا | ﺎ | ا | |
| Б б | B b | Бээ | [b] | ﺏ | ﺐ | ﺒ | ﺑ |
| П п | P p | Пээ | [p] | پ | ﭗ | ﭙ | ﭙ |
| Т т | T t | Тээ | [t] | ﺕ | ﺖ | ﺘ | ﺗ |
| Ж ж | J j / Dj dj | Жым | [dʒ] | ﺝ | ﺞ | ﺠ | ﺟ |
| Ч ч | Ch ch | Чым | [t͡ʃ] | ﭺ | ﭻ | ﭽ | ﭼ |
| Х х | H h (ĥ) / X x | H h / X x | [χ~q] | ﺡ | ﺢ | ﺤ | ﺣ |
| Д д | D d | Дал | [d] | ﺩ | ﺪ | ﺩ | |
| Р р | R r | R r | [r] | ﺭ | ﺮ | ﺭ | |
| З з | Z z | Z z | [z] | ﺯ | ﺰ | ﺯ | |
| С с | S s | S s | [s] | ﺱ | ﺲ | ﺴ | ﺳ |
| Ш ш | Sh sh | Sh sh | [ʃ] | ﺵ | ﺶ | ﺸ | ﺷ |
| Г г | Gh gh | Gh gh | [ɢ~ʁ] | ﻉ | ﻊ | ﻌ | ﻋ |
| Ф ф | F f | F f | [ɸ] | ﻑ | ﻒ | ﻔ | ﻓ |
| К к | Q q | Q q | [q] | ﻕ | ﻖ | ﻘ | ﻗ |
| Кь кь | K k | K k | [k] | ك | ـك | ـكـ | كـ |
| Гь гь | G g | G g | [ɡ] | گ | ﮓ | ﮕ | ﮔ |
| Ң ң | Ng ng | Ng ng | [ŋ~ɴ] | ڭ | ـڭ | ـڭـ | ڭـ |
| Л л | L l | лам | [l~ɫ] | ﻝ | ﻞ | ﻠ | ﻟ |
| М м | M m | M m | [m] | ﻡ | ﻢ | ﻤ | ﻣ |
| Н н | N n | N n | [n] | ﻥ | ﻦ | ﻨ | ﻧ |
| О о | O o | O o | [o] | و | ﻮ | و | |
| Ө ө | Ö ö | Ö ö | [ø] | ۅ | ـۅ | ۅ | |
| У у | U u | U u | [u] | ﯗ | ـﯗ | ﯗ | |
| Ү ү | Ü ü | Ü ü | [y] | ۉ | ـۉ | ۉ | |
| В в | V v | V v | [v~w] | ﯞ | ـﯞ | ﯞ | |
| Э э
Е е |
E e | E e | [e] | ە | ﻪ | ە | |
| И и
Ы ы |
I ı/ İ i | I ı/ İ i | [i~ɯ] | ﻯ | ﻯ | ـىـ | ىـ |
| Й й | Y y | Y y | [j] | ي | ي | ﻴ | ﻳ |
| - | Кыбачы | ء | |||||
In earlier versions of the alphabet, the sequence «ییی» was used to represent ы/и; the sequence «ېېې» was instead used to represent й. This modification was likely undone because of «ېېې»'s historic role representing the /e/ sound. Although «ېېې» was never a part of standardized Persian or Chagatai orthography, it possibly had precedent as a scribal variation of representing /e/ and its modern-day role in Pashto and Uyghur is also representing /e/. For this reason Kasym Tynystanov likely erred on the side of caution and settled on the modern scheme shown above.
See also
References
- ^ Minglang Zhou (2003). Multilingualism in China: the politics of writing reforms for minority languages, 1949–2002. Vol. 89 of Contributions to the sociology of language (illustrated ed.). Walter de Gruyter. p. 149. ISBN 3-11-017896-6. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
- ^ a b O.L. Sumarokova (2021). "Кыргызский алфавит: долгий путь к кириллице" (PDF) (in Russian). Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University. pp. 59–73, 77.
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan to adopt Latin alphabet, in blow to 'Russian order'". 29 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Kyrgyz alphabet, language and pronunciation". omniglot.com. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ Romanization of Kyrgyz, United States Board on Geographic Names, October 2017.
- ^ Кыргызская латиница (Kyrgyz Latin Alphabet)
- ^ a b no phonemic value; only found in borrowings
- ^ Kyrgyz edition of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
External links
- Kyrgyz Cyrillic – Latin - Arabic - Old turkic converter
- Kyrgyz – Latin converter
- Грамматический справочник – Письменность
- Kyrgyz Website in China using the Arabic script
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