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BGN/PCGN romanization of Belarusian
System for romanization of Belarusian-language texts
System for romanization of Belarusian-language texts
The BGN/PCGN romanization system for Belarusian is a method for romanization of Cyrillic Belarusian texts, that is, their transliteration into the Latin alphabet.
There are a number of systems for romanization of Belarusian, but the BGN/PCGN system is relatively intuitive for anglophones to pronounce. It is part of the larger set of BGN/PCGN romanizations, which includes methods for 29 different languages. It was developed by the United States Board on Geographic Names and by the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use. The portion of the system pertaining to the Belarusian language was jointly adopted by BGN and PCGN in 1979.
This romanization of Belarusian can be rendered by using only the basic letters and punctuation found on English-language keyboards: no diacritics or unusual letters are required, but the interpunct character (·) is optionally used to avoid some ambiguity.
The following table describes the system and provides examples.
| Belarusian | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| letter | Romanization | Special provision | Examples |
| А (а) | A (a) | None | Антон = Anton |
| Вілейка = Vilyeyka | |||
| Б (б) | B (b) | None | Брэст = Brest |
| Дубна = Dubna | |||
| В (в) | V (v) | None | Віцебск = Vitsyebsk |
| Асіповічы = Asipovichy | |||
| Г (г) | H (h) | None | Гродна = Hrodna |
| Брагін = Brahin | |||
| Д (д) | D (d) | None | Добруш = Dobrush |
| Ліда = Lida | |||
| Е (е) | Ye (ye) | None | Гомель = Homyel’ |
| Беліца = Byelitsa | |||
| Ё (ё) | Yo (yo) | None | Ёдкавічы = Yodkavichy |
| Нёман = Nyoman | |||
| Ж (ж) | Zh (zh) | None | Жлобін = Zhlobin |
| Ружаны = Ruzhany | |||
| З (з) | Z (z) | None | Зоя = Zoya |
| князь = knyaz’ | |||
| І (і) | I (i) | None | Ігнат = Ihnat |
| Мінск = Minsk | |||
| Й (й) | Y (y) | Belarusian names do not normally begin with this letter. This may happen in Belarusian renderings of foreign names, though. | Йосель = Yosyel’ |
| Койданава = Koydanava | |||
| К (к) | K (k) | None | Крапіўна = Krapiwna |
| Менск = Myensk | |||
| Л (л) | L (l) | None | Лаўна = Lawna |
| Лёсік = Lyosik | |||
| Купала = Kupala | |||
| Вілейка = Vilyeyka | |||
| Міхал = Mikhal | |||
| Вільня = Vil’nya | |||
| Лепель = Lyepyel’ | |||
| М (м) | M (m) | None | Магілёў = Mahilyow |
| Няміга = Nyamiha | |||
| Н (н) | N (n) | None | Наваградак = Navahradak |
| Баранавічы = Baranavichy | |||
| О (о) | O (o) | None | Орша = Orsha |
| Востраў = Vostraw | |||
| П (п) | P (p) | None | Пінск = Pinsk |
| Дняпро = Dnyapro | |||
| Р (р) | R (r) | None | Рагачоў = Rahachow |
| Сураж = Surazh | |||
| С (с) | S (s) | None | Смаляны = Smalyany |
| Арэса = Aresa | |||
| Рось = Ros’ | |||
| Т (т) | T (t) | None | Талочын = Talochyn |
| Масты = Masty | |||
| У (у) | U (u) | None | Уладзімір = Uladzimir |
| Бабруйск = Babruysk | |||
| Ў (ў) | W (w) | None | Быхаў = Bykhaw |
| Воўпа = Vowpa | |||
| Іўе = Iwye | |||
| Ф (ф) | F (f) | None | Фолюш = Folyush |
| фортка = fortka | |||
| Х (х) | Kh (kh) | None | Хатынь = Khatyn’ |
| Быхаў = Bykhaw | |||
| Ц (ц) | Ts (ts) | None | Ганцавічы = Hantsavichy |
| Стоўбцы = Stowbtsy | |||
| цьмяны = ts’myany | |||
| мясцовы = myastsovy | |||
| Астравец = Astravyets | |||
| Прыпяць = Prypyats’ | |||
| Ч (ч) | Ch (ch) | None | Чэрыкаў = Cherykaw |
| Шчара = Shchara | |||
| Нарач = Narach | |||
| Ш (ш) | Sh (sh) | None | Шклоў = Shklow |
| Ашмяны = Ashmyany | |||
| Ы (ы) | Y (y) | Belarusian names do not normally begin with this letter. It may happen in Belarusian renderings of foreign names. | Ыттык-Кёль = Yttyk-Kyol’ |
| Кобрын = Kobryn | |||
| Солы = Soly | |||
| Ь (ь) | ’ | This character does not occur in the beginning of a word. | Копысь = Kopys’ |
| рунь = run’ | |||
| Э (э) | E (e) | None | Эйсманты = Eysmanty |
| Крэва = Kreva | |||
| Ю (ю) | Yu (yu) | None | Юры = Yury |
| уюн = uyun | |||
| Я (я) | Ya (ya) | None | Язэп = Yazep |
| Івянец = Ivyanyets | |||
| ’ | ’’ | This symbol denotes the absence of palatalization and is not a part of the standard alphabet. | з’езд = z’’yezd |
| Зг (зг) | Z∙h (z∙h) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Кг (кг) | K∙h (k∙h) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Сг (сг) | S∙h (s∙h) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Тс (тс) | T∙s (t∙s) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Цг (цг) | ts∙h (ts∙h) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Ґ (ґ) | G (g) | This character is obsolete. |
References
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
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