Formal and informal Latin script for Kazakh language

In 2017 President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced that Kazakhstan will fully transition from Cyrillic to Latin letters by 2025. I wrote this post in response. As my good friend Maktaxali taught me, we often find that “The caravan has left but the dogs are still barking”. In the matter of writing the Kazakh language using the Latin script, I found myself adding to the “howls”.

The Formal and Informal Latin scripts

I know that the “caravan has left” however, I propose an improved Kazakh Latin Script in two variants Formal (Kara) and Informal (Kiswi). The proposed Formal (Kara) Latin script is suitable for newspapers, the web, and books. While dropping the ‘ altogether, gives the Informal (Kiswi) Latin script which is suitable for SMS, apps, and mobile devices.

Here is an example: The Qazaq national verse “Kozimning qarasi” by Abay Kuwnanbaev using the approved Qazaqstan Latin and Cyrillic scripts; and the proposed Formal (Kara) and Informal (Kiswi) Latin scripts.

Below there is a Qazaq Cyrillic to Kara and Kiswi alippe translation table, but first, here is an explanation of the proposed scripts.

Background

After living in Kazakhstan for nearly 20 years, and as a Kazakh language speaker, my interest in this topic goes back a long way.  In 1990, I prepared a guide to the Kazakh language for English speakers called “Kazakh Notes“. This guide helps language learners master the consonant and vowel harmonies underlying the spoken and written forms of Kazakh language words. Learning, speaking and promoting  Kazakh language learning is an abiding interest of mine.

Goals

• Build on same philosophy as the official Qazaqstan Latin script.
• Improve the visual aesthetic by reducing reliance on ‘.
• Make the written form more closely reflect vowel harmony.
• Reduce the number of digraphs required.
• Provide a simplified form of the script for use in apps and mobile devices where the  ‘ character is not permitted, or desirable.

Proposed Latin alphabet with Formal and Informal variants

The above changes have reduced the required apostrophes from 10 to 4 (!) , and in the Informal Latin script none are required!

Juwan and Jingiswke sounds

The proposed latin script treats Juwan (Hard) and Jingiswke (Soft) variants of sounds in a uniform way. For consonants, K and G the Juwan variants have their own letters Q and X and the distinction is preserved in the Kiswi alippe.  For vowels the Jingishke variants are marked with the ‘ and the distinction is not preserved in the Kiswi alippe

Qazaq Cyrillic – Kara and Kiswi alippe translation

Here is a list of common Qazaq words from here and their translation into the Kara and Kiswi alippe.