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TheUyghur Latin alphabet (Uyghur:ئۇيغۇر لاتىن يېزىقى,Uyghur Latin Yëziqi,ULY, Уйғур Латин Йезиқи) is an auxiliary alphabet for theUyghur language based on theLatin script. Uyghur is primarily written inUyghur Arabic alphabet and sometimes inUyghur Cyrillic alphabet.
In 2023, the alphabet was agreed as theBGN/PCGN romanization system for Uyghur.[1]
The Uyghur Latin alphabet was first introduced in the 1930s in the former Soviet Union and was briefly used in the Uyghur Autonomous Region during the 1960s to 1970s. The ULY project was finalized atXinjiang University,Ürümqi,Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR),People's Republic of China in July 2001, at the fifth conference of a series held there for that purpose that started in November 2000. In January 2008, the ULY project was amended and identified by Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Working Committee of Minorities' Language and Writing.[2]
The letters in the Uyghur Latin alphabet are, in order:
| Capital Letter | A | E | B | P | T | J | CH | X | D | R | Z | ZH | S | SH | GH | F | Q | K | G | NG | L | M | N | H | O | U | Ö | Ü | W | Ë | I | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Letter | a | e | b | p | t | j | ch | x | d | r | z | zh | s | sh | gh | f | q | k | g | ng | l | m | n | h | o | u | ö | ü | w | ë | i | y |
| IPA | ɑ, a | ɛ, æ | b | p | t | d͡ʒ | t͡ʃ | χ,x | d | r, ɾ | z | ʒ | s | ʃ | ʁ, ɣ | f, ɸ | q | k | ɡ | ŋ | l | m | n | h, ɦ | o, ɔ | u, ʊ | ø | y, ʏ | w, v | e; ɤ | i, ɪ; ɨ, ɯ | j |
The creators of the Uyghur Latin alphabet strongly emphasized that “the proposed alphabet should not replace [the Persian-Arab Uyghur alphabet] nor should its introduction represent a new reform of the writing system. It is to be used solely in computer-related fields as an ancillary writing system.”[3]
The Uyghur Latin alphabet had a heavypublic relations presence on both the Internet and official Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region media but despite official efforts to play down the sense of a massive reform, the Uyghur Latin alphabet has acquired that connotation and the public seems wary of it. The importance of having one-to-one correspondence between Latin and Arabic is noteworthy.
The different orthographies are compared in the following table.
| Order | UEY | ULY | USY | UYY | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | ئا | Aa | Аа | Aa | /ɑ/ |
| 02 | ئە | Ee | Әә | Əə | /ɛ/~/æ/ |
| 03 | ب | Bb | Бб | Bb | /b/ |
| 04 | پ | Pp | Пп | Pp | /p/ |
| 05 | ت | Tt | Тт | Tt | /t/ |
| 06 | ج | Jj[note 1] | Җҗ | Jj | /d͡ʒ/ |
| 07 | چ | Chch | Чч | /t͡ʃ/ | |
| 08 | خ | Xx | Хх | Hh | /χ/ |
| 09 | د | Dd | Дд | Dd | /d/ |
| 10 | ر | Rr | Рр | Rr | /r/ |
| 11 | ز | Zz | Зз | Zz | /z/ |
| 12 | ژ | Zhzh[note 2] | Жж | Ⱬⱬ | /ʒ/ |
| 13 | س | Ss | Сс | Ss | /s/ |
| 14 | ش | Shsh | Шш | Xx | /ʃ/ |
| 15 | غ | Ghgh | Ғғ | Ƣƣ | /ʁ/ |
| 16 | ف | Ff | Фф | Ff | /f/ |
| 17 | ق | Ққ | Ⱪⱪ | /q/ | |
| 18 | ك | Kk | Кк | Kk | /k/ |
| 19 | گ | Gg | Гг | Gg | /ɡ/ |
| 20 | ڭ | Ngng | Ңң | Ngng | /ŋ/ |
| 21 | ل | Ll | Лл | Ll | /l/ |
| 22 | م | Mm | Мм | Mm | /m/ |
| 23 | ن | Nn | Нн | Nn | /n/ |
| 24 | ھ | Hh | Һһ | Ⱨⱨ | /h/ |
| 25 | ئو | Oo | Оо | Oo | /o/ |
| 26 | ئۇ | Uu | Уу | Uu | /u/ |
| 27 | ئۆ | Öö | Өө | Ɵɵ | /ø/ |
| 28 | ئۈ | Üü | Үү | Üü | /y/ |
| 29 | ۋ | Ww | Вв | Ww/Vv | /w/~/v/ |
| 30 | ئې | Ëë[note 3] | Ее | Ee | /e/ |
| 31 | ئى | Ii | Ии | Ii | /i/~/ɪ/ |
| 32 | ي | Yy | Йй | Yy | /j/ |
Below follows an example of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 1) in Uyghur:
| Arabic alphabet (UEY): | ھەممە ئادەم تۇغۇلۇشىدىنلا ئەركىن، ئىززەت۔ھۆرمەت ۋە ھوقۇقتا باب۔باراۋەر بولۇپ تۇغۇلغان. ئۇلار ئەقىلگە ۋە ۋىجدانغا ئىگە ھەمدە بىر۔بىرىگە قېرىنداشلىق مۇناسىۋىتىگە خاس روھ بىلەن مۇئامىلە قىلىشى كېرەك. |
|---|---|
| Cyrillic alphabet (USY): | Һәммә адәм туғулушидинла әркин, иззәт-һөрмәт вә һоқуқта баббаравәр болуп туғулған. Улар әқилгә вә виҗданға игә һәмдә бир-биригә қериндашлиқ мунасивитигә хас роһ билән муамилә қилиши керәк. |
| Former Pinyin-based alphabet (UYY): | Ⱨəmmə adəm tuƣuluxidinla ərkin, izzət-ⱨɵrmət wə ⱨoⱪuⱪta babbarawər bolup tuƣulƣan. Ular əⱪilgə wə wijdanƣa igə ⱨəmdə bir-birigə ⱪerindaxliⱪ munasiwitigə has roⱨ bilən mu’amilə ⱪilixi kerək. |
| Newer Latin alphabet (ULY): | Hemme adem tughulushidinla erkin, izzet-hörmet we hoquqta babbarawer bolup tughulghan. Ular eqilge we wijdan'gha ige hemde bir-birige qërindashliq munasiwitige xas roh bilen muamile qilishi kërek. |
| English: | 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. |