Belarusian Latin alphabet

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The Belarusian Latin alphabet (also known as Latsinka (in BGN/PCGN) or Łacinka (in itself), from Belarusian: , informal for the Latin alphabet in general) — the common name of the several historically existing systems of rendering the Belarusian (Cyrillic) text in Latin script. It is used, occasionally, in its current form, by certain authors, groups and promoters in the Nasha Niva (1991) weekly, the Arkhe journal, and some of the Belarusian diaspora press on the Internet.

It is not, as such, the Romanisation system, as it imposes knowing certain accompanying orthographical conventions.

The Belarusian Latin alphabet
(as seen in publications, c.1990s – 2000s)
Aa Bb Cc Ćć Čč Dd DZdz DŹdź DŽdž Ee
Ff Gg Hh CHch Ii Jj Kk Ll Łł Mm
Nn Ńń Oo Pp Rr Ss Śś Šš Tt Uu
Ŭŭ Vv Yy Zz Źź Žž

The Belarusian Latin alphabet
(as seen in publications, c.1990s – 2000s)
Aa	Bb	Cc	Ćć	Čč	Dd	DZdz	DŹdź	DŽdž	Ee
Ff	Gg	Hh	CHch	Ii	Jj	Kk	Ll	Łł	Mm
Nn	Ńń	Oo	Pp	Rr	Ss	Śś	Šš	Tt	Uu
Ŭŭ	Vv	Yy	Zz	Źź	Žž

History

In Medieval times (16th century), the first examples of the Latin renderings of the Belarusian (Cyrillic) text are known to occur, coming from the need to include the Old Belarusian quotes in the Polish and Latin texts. Those renderings were un-codified and, seemingly, were done by applying the Polish orthography to the Old Belarusian sounds.

In the 17th century, Belarusian Roman Catholics gradually increased their use of the Latin script, but still largely in parallel with the Cyrillic. Before the 17th century the Belarusian Roman Catholics had been using the Cyrillic script widely.

In the 18th century, the Latin script was used, in parallel with Cyrillic, in some literary works (e.g., dramatic), written in contemporary Belarusian.

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Belarusian in Latin renderings (see also table notes)
Cyrillic Latin, as used in
c.1840s–c.1920s¹ c.1928–1929² Contemp.⁴
Аа Aa Aa
Бб Bb Bb
Вв Ww Vv Vv
Гг Hh Hh
Дд Dd Dd
Ее JEje/IEie^* JEje/IEie^*
Ёё JOjo/IOio^* JOjo/IOio^*
Жж Žž
Зз Zz/Źź Zz/Źź^****
Іі Ii Ii
Йй Jj Jj
Кк Kk Kk
Лл Ll/Łł^** Ll/Łł^{**, ****}
Мм Mm Mm
Нн Nn/Ńń Nn/Ńń^****
Оо Oo Oo
Пп Pp Pp
Рр Rr Rr
Сс Ss/Śś Ss/Śś^****
Тт Tt Tt
Уу Uu Uu
Ўў Ŭŭ
Фф Ff Ff
Хх CHch CHch
Цц Cc/Ćć Cc/Ćć^****
Чч Čč
Шш Šš
Ыы Yy Yy
Ьь —^**** —^****
Ээ Ee Ee
Юю JUju/IUiu^* JUju/IUiu^*
JAja/IAia^* JAja/IAia^*
Notes: The explosive Latin sound "g", which is absent in the Belarusian language (see also Ge with upturn), but had been proposed for introducing by some authors (notably, Yan Stankyevich), was either not distinguished in Latin renderings at all, or, variously, denoted by the "Gg" or by the "HGhg" digraph. Apostrophe is not used.
¹ As seen, e.g., in works of Dunin-Martsinkyevich, Kastus’ Kalinowski, Bahushevich, Tsyotka, the newspaper Nasha Niva, newspapers of the c.1917–1920s.
² As seen, e.g., in contemporary works of Yan Stankyevich, in the 5th (unofficial) edition of the Tarashkyevich's Belarusian grammar (1929).
³ As seen, e.g., in later works of Yan Stankyevich.
⁴ As seen, e.g., in the newspaper Nasha Niva (1991) and journal Arche.
^* Variant with "Jj" used at the start of words or after vowels, with "Ii" elsewhere.
^** Variant "Ll" used before iotified vowels or the soft sign, variant "Łł" elsewhere. Note that this letter is not pronounced the same as Polish "Łł".
^*** Dunin-Martsinkyevich used the "Uu" ("U" in cursive) to denote the "Short U".
^**** "Soft sign" is denoted not by the separate grapheme, but, alternatively, by using the "Ll" variant preceding it, or by the acute sign over the preceding consonant.

**Belarusian in Latin renderings (see also table notes)**
Cyrillic	Latin, as used in
c.1840s–c.1920s¹	c.1928–1929²	Contemp.⁴
Аа	Aa	Aa
Бб	Bb	Bb
Вв	Ww	Vv	Vv
Гг	Hh	Hh
Дд	Dd	Dd
Ее	JEje/IEie^*	JEje/IEie^*
Ёё	JOjo/IOio^*	JOjo/IOio^*
Жж	Žž
Зз	Zz/Źź	Zz/Źź^****
Іі	Ii	Ii
Йй	Jj	Jj
Кк	Kk	Kk
Лл	Ll/Łł^**	Ll/Łł^{, **}
Мм	Mm	Mm
Нн	Nn/Ńń	Nn/Ńń^****
Оо	Oo	Oo
Пп	Pp	Pp
Рр	Rr	Rr
Сс	Ss/Śś	Ss/Śś^****
Тт	Tt	Tt
Уу	Uu	Uu
Ўў	Ŭŭ
Фф	Ff	Ff
Хх	CHch	CHch
Цц	Cc/Ćć	Cc/Ćć^****
Чч	Čč
Шш	Šš
Ыы	Yy	Yy
Ьь	—^****	—^****
Ээ	Ee	Ee
Юю	JUju/IUiu^*	JUju/IUiu^*
JAja/IAia^*	JAja/IAia^*
Notes:	The explosive Latin sound "g", which is absent in the Belarusian language (see also Ge with upturn), but had been proposed for introducing by some authors (notably, Yan Stankyevich), was either not distinguished in Latin renderings at all, or, variously, denoted by the "Gg" or by the "HGhg" digraph. Apostrophe is not used.
	¹ As seen, e.g., in works of Dunin-Martsinkyevich, Kastus’ Kalinowski, Bahushevich, Tsyotka, the newspaper Nasha Niva, newspapers of the c.1917–1920s.
	² As seen, e.g., in contemporary works of Yan Stankyevich, in the 5th (unofficial) edition of the Tarashkyevich's Belarusian grammar (1929).
³ As seen, e.g., in later works of Yan Stankyevich.
⁴ As seen, e.g., in the newspaper Nasha Niva (1991) and journal Arche.
^* Variant with "Jj" used at the start of words or after vowels, with "Ii" elsewhere.
^** Variant "Ll" used before iotified vowels or the soft sign, variant "Łł" elsewhere. Note that this letter is not pronounced the same as Polish "Łł".
	^*** Dunin-Martsinkyevich used the "Uu" ("U" in cursive) to denote the "Short U".
	^**** "Soft sign" is denoted not by the separate grapheme, but, alternatively, by using the "Ll" variant preceding it, or by the acute sign over the preceding consonant.

In the 19th century, some Polish and Belarusian writers of Polish cultural background used the Latin script, exclusively or occasionally, in their works written in Belarusian, notably Chachot, Bahrym, Dunin-Martsinkyevich, Bahushevich, and Hurynovich. The Revolutionary Democrat K. Kalinowski used the Latin script exclusively in his newspaper Peasants’ Truth (Belarusian: , in Latin script: Mużyckaja prauda; 6 issues in 1862 – 1863).

Such introduction of the Latin script for the rendering of the language with far-reaching Cyrillic tradition is sometimes explained by the unfamiliarity of the 19th writers with the history of the Belarusian language or with the language itself, or by the impossibility of either acquiring or deploying the Cyrillic type at the publishing sites those writers had been using.

The custom of using of the Latin script for Belarusian text gradually ceased in the common practice, although at the beginning of the 20th century there were still several examples of exclusive or non-exclusive use of the Latin script in Belarusian printing:

Newspaper Nasha Dolya (1906).
Newspaper Nasha Niva (the issues during 10.11.1906 – 31.10.1912) — issues in both Cyrillic and Latin (in issues’ subheading: Printed weekly in Russian and in Polish letters (in Latin script: Wychodzic’ szto tydzien’ ruskimi i polskimi literami)).
Tsyotka’s Belarusian Violin (Belarusian: ), Baptism to Freedom (Belarusian: ) — books of poetry.
Tsyotka’s First reading for Belarusian children (Belarusian: ) — attempt at creating a Belarusian elementary reading book.
Kupala’s Zither Player (Belarusian: ; 1910) — book of poetry.
Pachopka’s Belarusian Grammar (1915, publ. in 1918) — Belarusian grammar, based entirely on Latin script; claimed by Belarusian linguists, however, to be prepared unscientifically and breaking the traditions of the Belarusian language. See also Belarusian grammar.

In the 1920s in the Belarusian SSR, e.g., at the Belarusian Academic Conference (1926), some suggestions were made to consider transition of the Belarusian grammar to the Latin script (e.g., Zhylunovich, for the sake of "making the Belarusian grammar more progressive"). However, these suggestions were rejected by the Belarusian linguists (e.g., Lastowski).

In the 1920s-1939, after the partition of the Belarus (1921), use of the Latin script, in evolved form, was re-introduced to Belarusian printing in Western Belarus, chiefly for political reasons. The proposed form of the Belarusian Latin alphabet and some grammar rules were introduced for the first time in the 5th (unofficial) edition of the Tarashkyevich’s grammar (Vil’nya, 1929).

The Belarusian Latin alphabet
(Tarashkyevich, 1929)
Aa Bb Cc Ćć Čč Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh
Ii Jj Kk Ll Łł Mm Nn Ńń Oo Pp
Rr Ss Śś Šš Tt Uu Ŭŭ Ww Yy Zz
Žž Źź

The Belarusian Latin alphabet
(Tarashkyevich, 1929)
Aa	Bb	Cc	Ćć	Čč	Dd	Ee	Ff	Gg	Hh
Ii	Jj	Kk	Ll	Łł	Mm	Nn	Ńń	Oo	Pp
Rr	Ss	Śś	Šš	Tt	Uu	Ŭŭ	Ww	Yy	Zz
Žž	Źź

The most active promoter of the Belarusian Latin alphabet at this time was notable Belarusian linguist Yan Stankyevich. It was his proposals (c.1937 – 1941) that gave the Belarusian Latin alphabet its current form.

Belarusian was written in the Latin script during 1941 – 1944 in the German-occupied Belarusian territories, and by the Belarusian diaspora in Prague (1920s – c.1945).

After the Second World War, Belarusian was occasionally written in the Latin script by the Belarusian diaspora in non-Soviet Europe and the Americas (notably in West Germany and the USA). In 1962, Yan Stankyevich proposed a completely different form of the Belarusian Latin alphabet.

The Belarusian Latin alphabet
(Stankyevich, 1962)
Oo Aa Ee Bb Cc Ćć Čč Dd Ff Gg
Hh Chch Ii Jj Kk Ll Łł Mm Nn Ńń
Pp Rr Śś Šš Tt Vv Uu Ŭŭ Dzdz Dźdź
Dždž Zz Źź Žž

The Belarusian Latin alphabet
(Stankyevich, 1962)
Oo	Aa	Ee	Bb	Cc	Ćć	Čč	Dd	Ff	Gg
Hh	Chch	Ii	Jj	Kk	Ll	Łł	Mm	Nn	Ńń
Pp	Rr	Śś	Šš	Tt	Vv	Uu	Ŭŭ	Dzdz	Dźdź
Dždž	Zz	Źź	Žž

Note: all proper names and place names in this article are rendered in BGN/PCGN, direct quotes excluded.

References

Ad. Stankiewič. Biełaruskaja mowa ŭ škołach Biełarusi – Wilnia : Wydawiectwa „Biełaruskaje krynicy“. Bieł. Druk. Im. Fr. Skaryny ŭ Wilni Ludwisarskaja 1, 1928 ; Менск : Беларускае коопэрацыйна-выдавецкае таварыства ″Адраджэньне″, 1993 [факсімільн.]
Б. Тарашкевіч. Беларуская граматыка для школ. – Вільня : Беларуская друкарня ім. Фр. Скарыны, 1929 ; Мн. : «Народная асвета», 1991 [факсімільн.]. – Выданьне пятае пераробленае і пашыранае.
Да рэформы беларускай азбукі. // Працы акадэмічнае канферэнцыі па рэформе беларускага правапісу і азбукі. – Мн. : [б. м.], 1927.
Дунін-Марцінкевіч В. Творы / [Уклад., прадм. і камент. Я. Янушкевіча]. – Мн. : Маст. літ., 1984.
К. Калиновский: Из печатного и рукописного наследия/Ин-т истории партии при ЦК КП Белоруссии – фил. Ин-та марксизма-ленинизма при ЦК КПСС. – Мн.: Беларусь, 1988. ISBN 5-338-00024-5
Сцяпан Некрашэвіч. Садаклад па рэформе беларускага правапісу на акадэмічнай канферэнцыі 1926 г. // Выбраныя навуковыя працы акадэміка С. Н. Некрашэвіча: Да 120-годдзя з дня нараджэння / НАН Беларусі; Ін-т мовазнаўства імя Я. Коласа; Навук. рэд. А. І. Падлужны. – Мн. : 2004. ISBN-985-08-0580-3
Як правільна гаварыць і пісаць пабеларуску. Беларускія корэспондэнцыйныя курсы ў Празе. – Прага : Dr. Jan Ermačenko, Běloruské vydavatelství, 1941 ; Менск : Беларускае коопэрацыйна-выдавецкае таварыства ″Адраджэньне″, 1992 [факсімільн.]. – © Міжнародная асацыяцыя беларусістаў, 1992. – © Беларускае таварыства архівістаў, 1992.
Ян Станкевіч. Б. Тарашкевіч: Беларуская граматыка для школ. Выданьне пятае пераробленае і пашыранае. Вільня. 1929 г., бал. 132 + IV [1930–1931] // Ян Станкевіч. Збор твораў у двух тамах. Т. 1. – Мн.: Энцыклапедыкс, 2002. ISBN 985-6599-46-6
Ян Станкевіч. Беларуская Акадэмічная Конфэрэнцыя 14.—21.XI.1926 і яе працы дзеля рэформы беларускае абэцэды й правапісу (агульны агляд) [1927] // Ян Станкевіч. Збор твораў у двух тамах. Т. 1. – Мн.: Энцыклапедыкс, 2002. ISBN 985-6599-46-6
Ян Станкевіч. Як правільна гаварыць і пісаць пабеларуску (Пастановы Зборкаў Чысьціні Беларускае Мовы) [Вільня, 1937] // Ян Станкевіч. Збор твораў у двух тамах. Т. 1. – Мн.: Энцыклапедыкс, 2002. ISBN 985-6599-46-6
Ян Станкевіч. Які мае быць парадак літараў беларускае абэцады [1962] // Ян Станкевіч. Збор твораў у двух тамах. Т. 2. – Мн.: Энцыклапедыкс, 2002. ISBN 985-6599-46-6

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