Ukrainian Latin alphabet
Encyclopedia
A Latin alphabet for the Ukrainian language (called Latynka) has been proposed or imposed several times in the history in Ukraine
, but has never challenged the conventional Cyrillic Ukrainian alphabet
. Actually it is promoted as a way of facilitating the Ukrainian integration within the European Union
.
In or . Polish-influenced Latynka was known as Abecadło (Абецадло).
literary language
has been written with the Cyrillic script, in a tradition going back to the eighth-century introduction of Christianity and the Old Church Slavonic
language to Kievan Rus’. Proposals for Latinization, if not imposed for outright political reasons, have always been politically charged, and have never been generally accepted. Although some proposals to create an official Latin alphabet for Ukrainian language have been expressed lately by national intelligentsia
. Technically, most have resembled the linguistically related Polish
and Czech alphabet
s.
While superficially similar to a Latin alphabet, transliteration
of Ukrainian from Cyrillic into the Latin script (or romanization
) is usually not intended for native speakers, and may be designed for certain academic requirements or technical constraints. See romanization of Ukrainian
.
and Czech alphabet
s. In the nineteenth century, there were attempts to introduce the Latin script into Ukrainian writing, by Josyp Lozynskyj, a Ukrainian scholar and priest from Ľviv (Josyp Łozynski Ivanovyč, Ruskoje wesile, 1834), Tomasz Padura
, and other Polish
-Ukrainian romantic poets.
The use of the Latin script for Ukrainian was promoted by authorities in Galicia under the Austrian Habsburg Empire. Franc Miklošič
developed a Latin alphabet for Ukrainian in 1852, based on the Polish and Czech alphabets (adopting Czech č, š, ž, dž, ď, ť, Polish ś, ź, ć, ń,, and ľ following the same pattern). This initiative was taken into interest by Czech politician Josef Jireček
, who managed to gain support for the project in the Imperial Ministry of Interior. As part of a Polonization
campaign in Galicia during the period of neo-absolutist rule after 1849, Viceroy Agenor Gołuchowski attempted to impose this Latin alphabet on Ukrainian publications in 1859. This started a fierce publicly-debated "War of the Alphabets", and in the end the Latin alphabet was rejected. Ukrainian books continued to be published in Cyrillic, while the Latin alphabet was used in special editions "for those who read Polish only" in Galicia, Podlaskie, and the Chełm region.
A Latin alphabet for Ukrainian publications was also imposed in Romanian Bessarabia
, Bukovina
and Dobrudja. It was also used by immigrants from these regions in the United States.
In Ukraine under the Russian Empire
, Mykhaylo Drahomanov promoted a purely phonemic Cyrillic alphabet (the Drahomanivka
) including the Latin letter j in 1876, replacing the digraphs я, є, ю, ї with ја, је, ју, јі. The Ems Ukaz
banning Ukrainian-language publication doomed this reform to obscurity.
In Soviet Ukraine, during the 1927 orthographical conference in Kharkiv
, linguists M. Johansen, B. Tkačenko, and M. Nakonečnyj proposed the application of the more "international" Latin script to Ukrainian, but the idea was opposed by Soviet government representatives. Later, Vasyl Simovych was a proponent of the Latin script during the tentatite latinization in the USSR
.
and Czech
were used in the Ukrainian Łatynka as stated above, which also has a close resemblance to the Belarusian Łacinka. Although never broadly accepted, it was used mostly by Ukrainians living in territories near Poland (where was called Abecadlo). The orthography was explained in Łatynycia, a western Ukrainian publication of the 1900s.
Digraphs
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, but has never challenged the conventional Cyrillic Ukrainian alphabet
Ukrainian alphabet
The Ukrainian alphabet is the set of letters used to write Ukrainian, the official language of Ukraine. It is one of the national variations of the Cyrillic script....
. Actually it is promoted as a way of facilitating the Ukrainian integration within the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
In or . Polish-influenced Latynka was known as Abecadło (Абецадло).
Characteristics
The UkrainianUkrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
literary language
Literary language
A literary language is a register of a language that is used in literary writing. This may also include liturgical writing. The difference between literary and non-literary forms is more marked in some languages than in others...
has been written with the Cyrillic script, in a tradition going back to the eighth-century introduction of Christianity and the Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic or Old Church Slavic was the first literary Slavic language, first developed by the 9th century Byzantine Greek missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius who were credited with standardizing the language and using it for translating the Bible and other Ancient Greek...
language to Kievan Rus’. Proposals for Latinization, if not imposed for outright political reasons, have always been politically charged, and have never been generally accepted. Although some proposals to create an official Latin alphabet for Ukrainian language have been expressed lately by national intelligentsia
Intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
. Technically, most have resembled the linguistically related Polish
Polish alphabet
The Polish alphabet is the script of the Polish language, the basis for the Polish system of orthography . It is based on the Latin alphabet, but includes certain letters with diacritics: the line or kreska, which is graphically similar to an acute accent ; the overdot or kropka ; the tail or...
and Czech alphabet
Czech alphabet
The Czech alphabet is a version of the Latin script, used when writing Czech. Its basic principles are "one sound, one letter" and the addition of diacritical marks above letters to represent sounds alien to Latin...
s.
While superficially similar to a Latin alphabet, transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
of Ukrainian from Cyrillic into the Latin script (or romanization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
) is usually not intended for native speakers, and may be designed for certain academic requirements or technical constraints. See romanization of Ukrainian
Romanization of Ukrainian
The romanization or Latinization of Ukrainian is the representation of the Ukrainian language using Latin letters. Ukrainian is natively written in its own Ukrainian alphabet, a variation of Cyrillic....
.
History
Ukrainian was occasionally written in the Latin script as far back as the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in publications using the PolishPolish alphabet
The Polish alphabet is the script of the Polish language, the basis for the Polish system of orthography . It is based on the Latin alphabet, but includes certain letters with diacritics: the line or kreska, which is graphically similar to an acute accent ; the overdot or kropka ; the tail or...
and Czech alphabet
Czech alphabet
The Czech alphabet is a version of the Latin script, used when writing Czech. Its basic principles are "one sound, one letter" and the addition of diacritical marks above letters to represent sounds alien to Latin...
s. In the nineteenth century, there were attempts to introduce the Latin script into Ukrainian writing, by Josyp Lozynskyj, a Ukrainian scholar and priest from Ľviv (Josyp Łozynski Ivanovyč, Ruskoje wesile, 1834), Tomasz Padura
Tomasz Padura
Tomasz Padura - An influential Ukrainian-Polish Romantic poet of the so-called Ukrainian school , musician-torbanist, and composer-songwriter....
, and other Polish
Polonization
Polonization was the acquisition or imposition of elements of Polish culture, in particular, Polish language, as experienced in some historic periods by non-Polish populations of territories controlled or substantially influenced by Poland...
-Ukrainian romantic poets.
The use of the Latin script for Ukrainian was promoted by authorities in Galicia under the Austrian Habsburg Empire. Franc Miklošič
Franc Miklošic
Fran Miklošič , was a Slovene philologist.-Biography:Miklošič was born in the small village of Radomerščak near the Lower Styrian town of Ljutomer, then part of the Austrian Empire....
developed a Latin alphabet for Ukrainian in 1852, based on the Polish and Czech alphabets (adopting Czech č, š, ž, dž, ď, ť, Polish ś, ź, ć, ń,, and ľ following the same pattern). This initiative was taken into interest by Czech politician Josef Jireček
Josef Jirecek
Josef Jireček was a Czech scholar.He was born in Vysoké Mýto ....
, who managed to gain support for the project in the Imperial Ministry of Interior. As part of a Polonization
Polonization
Polonization was the acquisition or imposition of elements of Polish culture, in particular, Polish language, as experienced in some historic periods by non-Polish populations of territories controlled or substantially influenced by Poland...
campaign in Galicia during the period of neo-absolutist rule after 1849, Viceroy Agenor Gołuchowski attempted to impose this Latin alphabet on Ukrainian publications in 1859. This started a fierce publicly-debated "War of the Alphabets", and in the end the Latin alphabet was rejected. Ukrainian books continued to be published in Cyrillic, while the Latin alphabet was used in special editions "for those who read Polish only" in Galicia, Podlaskie, and the Chełm region.
A Latin alphabet for Ukrainian publications was also imposed in Romanian Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
, Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
and Dobrudja. It was also used by immigrants from these regions in the United States.
In Ukraine under the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, Mykhaylo Drahomanov promoted a purely phonemic Cyrillic alphabet (the Drahomanivka
Drahomanivka
Drahomanivka was a proposed reform of the Ukrainian alphabet and orthography, promoted by Mykhailo Drahomanov. This orthography was used in a few publications and in Drahomanov's correspondence, but due to cultural resistance and political persecution it was never able to catch on.This phonemic...
) including the Latin letter j in 1876, replacing the digraphs я, є, ю, ї with ја, је, ју, јі. The Ems Ukaz
Ems Ukaz
The Ems Ukaz, or Ems Ukase , was a secret decree of Tsar Alexander II of Russia issued in 1876, banning the use of the Ukrainian language in print, with the exception of reprinting of old documents. The ukaz also forbade the import of Ukrainian publications and the staging of plays or lectures in...
banning Ukrainian-language publication doomed this reform to obscurity.
In Soviet Ukraine, during the 1927 orthographical conference in Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
, linguists M. Johansen, B. Tkačenko, and M. Nakonečnyj proposed the application of the more "international" Latin script to Ukrainian, but the idea was opposed by Soviet government representatives. Later, Vasyl Simovych was a proponent of the Latin script during the tentatite latinization in the USSR
Latinisation (USSR)
In the USSR, latinisation was the name of the campaign during the 1920s-1930s which aimed to replace traditional writing systems for numerous languages with the Latin alphabet and to create for languages had no writing. Almost all Turkic, Iranian, Uralic and several other languages were romanized,...
.
Latynka
Some letters borrowed from PolishPolish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
and Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
were used in the Ukrainian Łatynka as stated above, which also has a close resemblance to the Belarusian Łacinka. Although never broadly accepted, it was used mostly by Ukrainians living in territories near Poland (where was called Abecadlo). The orthography was explained in Łatynycia, a western Ukrainian publication of the 1900s.
| Aa | Bb | Cc | Ćć | Czcz | Dd | Ďď | Ee | Ff | Gg |
| Аа | Бб | Цц | Цьць | Чч | Дд | Дьдь | Ее | Фф | Ґґ |
| Hh | Ii | Jj | Kk | Ll | Łł | Mm | Nn | Ńń | Oo |
| Гг | Іі | Йй | Кк | Льль | Лл | Мм | Нн | Ньнь | Оо |
| Pp | Rr | Ŕŕ | Ss | Śś | Szsz | Tt | Ťť | Uu | Ww |
| Пп | Рр | Рьрь | Сс | Сьсь | Шш | Тт | Тьть | Уу | Вв |
| Yy | Zz | Źź | Žž | ||||||
| Ии | Зз | Зьзь | Жж |
Digraphs
- я, є, ю, ї = ja, je, ju, ji
- x = ch, as used in Polish
Sample text
The Introduction of Josyp Łozynśkyj's Ruskoje Wesile ('Ruthenian Wedding', 1834):- Perédmowa
- W tym opysi skazuju, jaksia wesile po sełach mežy prostym ruskim ludom widprawlaje. Ne mohu jednako utrymowaty, jakoby toj sposób wesile widprawlaty wsiude newidminni był zachowanym; bo hdenekodyj szczoś dodajut, hdeinde szczoś wypuskajut, a znowu hdeinde szczoś widminiajut. Syła w mojej syli było, starał-jemsia w rozmaitych misciach obradki i pisny ruskoho wesila póznaty i pérekonał-jemsia že prynajmni szczo do hołownych obradkiw i pisnéj wsiude tymže samym sposobom wesilesia widprawlaje. I toj sposób opysałjem w nynijszуj knyžoczci dodajuczy jednako hdenekodyj i miscowyi widminy. Moim najperszym i najbohatszym a nawet’ i nihdy newyczerpanym źridłom, z kotorohom tyi widomosty czerpał, było dopytowanie po sełach tych ludej, kotryi czasto na wesilach bywały i wesilnyi ur’ady pistowały. Nykotorych obradkiw był jem sam okozritelnym świdkom.
See also
- Romanization of UkrainianRomanization of UkrainianThe romanization or Latinization of Ukrainian is the representation of the Ukrainian language using Latin letters. Ukrainian is natively written in its own Ukrainian alphabet, a variation of Cyrillic....
- Euro-Ukrainian alphabetEuro-Ukrainian alphabetEuro-Ukrainian is a proposed Ukrainian Latin alphabet. The Latynka alphabet is not officially used. Only in other countries do diaspora Ukrainians use the Latin script. Some young Ukrainians who do not read nor write using the Cyrillic script, due to never having learned it, use a version of the...
Latin script for Ukrainian Language - Łacinka alphabetBelarusian Latin alphabetThe Belarusian Latin alphabet or Łacinka is the common name of the several historical alphabets to render the Belarusian text in Latin script.-Use:...
, the pre-Soviet Belarusian Latin alphabet - Latinisation (USSR)Latinisation (USSR)In the USSR, latinisation was the name of the campaign during the 1920s-1930s which aimed to replace traditional writing systems for numerous languages with the Latin alphabet and to create for languages had no writing. Almost all Turkic, Iranian, Uralic and several other languages were romanized,...
External links
- Latynka's Orthography
- Alphabet War in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
- Latynka transcriber (scroll to bottom of page) which transcribes Ukrainian into Latynka