TheBelarusian Arabic alphabet[a] or theBelarusian Arabica[b][1] was based on thePerso-Arabic script and was developed in the 15th or 16th century. It consisted of 28graphemes, including several additions to representBelarusianphonemes not found in theArabic language.
The Belarusian Arabic alphabet was used by theLipka Tatars, who had been invited to settle in the eastern territories of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania—a region that now comprises modern-dayBelarus. During the 14th–16th centuries they gradually stopped using their own language and started using theRuthenian language (modernBelarusian andUkrainian) rendered in the Belarusian Arabic alphabet. Books of that literary tradition are known in Belarusian asKitab (Belarusian:Кітаб), which is Arabic for 'book' or 'written material'.
SomePolish texts were also written in the Arabic script in the 17th century or later.[2]
/a/ is consistently written long (that is, with a mater lectionis), while /e/ is consistently written short.
/o/ is most commonly written long.[3]
| Cyrillic | Latin | Arabic | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contextual forms | Isolated | ||||
| Final | Medial | Initial | |||
| Б б | B b | ـب | ـبـ | بـ | ب |
| В в | V v | ـو | و | ||
| Г г | H h | ـه | ـهـ | هـ | ه |
| Ґ ґ | G g | ـغ | ـغـ | غـ | غ |
| Д д | D d | ـد | د | ||
| Дж дж | Dž dž | ـج | ـجـ | جـ | ج |
| Дзь дзь | Dź dź | ـࢮ | ࢮ ( ) | ||
| Ж ж | Ž ž | ـژ | ژ | ||
| З з | Z z | ـض | ـضـ | ضـ | ض |
| Зь зь | Ź ź | ـز | ز | ||
| Й й | J j | ـى | ـىـ | ىـ | ى |
| К к | K k | ـق | ـقـ | قـ | ق |
| Кь кь | Kj kj | ـك | ـكـ | كـ | ك |
| Л л, Ль ль | Ł ł, L l | ـل | ـلـ | لـ | ل |
| М м | M m | ـم | ـمـ | مـ | م |
| Н н, Нь нь | N n, Ń ń | ـن | ـنـ | نـ | ن |
| П п | P p | ـپ | ـپـ | پـ | پ |
| Р р | R r | ـر | ر | ||
| С с | S s | ـص | ـصـ | صـ | ص |
| Сь сь | Ś ś | ـس | ـسـ | سـ | س |
| Т т | T t | ـط | ـطـ | طـ | ط |
| Ў ў | Ŭ ŭ | ـو | و | ||
| Ф ф | F f | ـف | ـفـ | فـ | ف |
| Х х | Ch ch | ـح | ـحـ | حـ | ح |
| Ц ц | C c | ـࢯ | ـࢯـ | ࢯـ | ࢯ ( ) |
| Ць ць | Ć ć | ـت | ـتـ | تـ | ت |
| Ч ч | Č č | ـچ | ـچـ | چـ | چ |
| Ш ш | Š š | ـش | ـشـ | شـ | ش |
| ’ | — | — | ـعـ | — | — |
| ь | — | — | |||
| Cyrillic | Latin | Arabic | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contextual forms | Isolated | ||||
| Final | Medial | Initial | |||
| Ла ла, Ля ля | Ła ła, La la | ـلا | لا | ||
Below is a sample text, Article 1 of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights.[4]
| Belarusian Cyrillic alphabet | Усе людзі нараджаюцца свабоднымі i роўнымі ў сваёй годнасці i правах. Яны надзелены розумам i сумленнем i павінны ставіцца адзін да аднаго ў духу брацтва. |
|---|---|
| Belarusian Latin alphabet | Usie ludzi naradžajucca svabodnymi i roŭnymi ŭ svajoj hodnaści i pravach. Jany nadzieleny rozumam i sumlenniem i pavinny stavicca adzin da adnaho ŭ duchu bractva. |
| Belarusian Arabic alphabet | اُوسَ ليُوࢮِى نَارَاجَايُوࢯَّا صْوَابَودْنِمِى اِى رَووْنِمِى وصْوَايَويْ هَودْنَاسْتِى اِى پْرَاوَاحْ. يَانِ نَاࢮَلَنِ رَوضُومَامْ اِى صُومْلَنَّمْ اِى پَاوِىنِّ صْتَاوِىࢯَّا آࢮِىنْ دَا آدْنَاهَو ودُوحُو بْرٰاࢯْطْوَا. |
| Belarusian IPA transcription | [u̯sʲeˈlʲud͡zʲɪnərɐˈd͡ʐajʊt͡sːəsvɐˈbodnɨmʲɪiˈrou̯nɨmʲɪu̯svɐˈjojˈɦodnəsʲt͡sʲɪiprɐˈvax‖jɐˈnɨnɐˈd͡zʲelʲɪnɨˈrozʊməmisʊˈmlʲenʲːɪmipɐˈvʲinːɨˈstavʲɪt͡sːəɐˈd͡zʲindaədnɐˈɦou̯ˈduxʊˈbrat͡stvə‖] |
| English translation | 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. |
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