Scientists propose version of new Kazakh alphabet

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Sagadiyev noted the efforts of the two working groups that worked on a draft of Kazakh alphabet based on Latin script, Kazinform correspondent reports.

The version of a new Kazakh alphabet based on Latin script that was submitted for discussion yesterday was created by the scientists of the Shayakhmetov Republican Coordination and Methodological Center for the Development of Languages and the Baitursynov Institute of Linguistics.

"The alphabet is on the table. And if someone has any specific changes to propose, they should speak out," Mr. Sagadiev said.

According to the director of the Shayakhmetov Center Yerbol Tleshov, the proposed version of the alphabet consists of 25 letters.

The proposed version of the new alphabet has eight digraphs (a combination of two letters pronounced as one sound) to fully support the sound system of Kazakh language.

Also the experts decided not to use diacritical marks (various superscripts, subscripts, less often in-line characters used in letter and syllabic systems of writing, not as independent notations of sounds, but for changing or clarifying the meaning of other signs), saying that because of their rare use, certain specific sounds of Kazakh may be lost.