BGN/PCGN romanization of Belarusian

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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
RomanizationSpecial provisionExamples
А (а)A (a)NoneАнтон = Anton
Вілейка = Vilyeyka
Б (б)B (b)NoneБрэст = Brest
Дубна = Dubna
В (в)V (v)NoneВіцебск = Vitsyebsk
Асіповічы = Asipovichy
Г (г)H (h)NoneГродна = Hrodna
Брагін = Brahin
Д (д)D (d)NoneДобруш = Dobrush
Ліда = Lida
Е (е)Ye (ye)NoneГомель = Homyel’
Беліца = Byelitsa
Ё (ё)Yo (yo)NoneЁдкавічы = Yodkavichy
Нёман = Nyoman
Ж (ж)Zh (zh)NoneЖлобін = Zhlobin
Ружаны = Ruzhany
З (з)Z (z)NoneЗоя = Zoya
князь = knyaz
І (і)I (i)NoneІгнат = 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)NoneКрапіўна = Krapiwna
Менск = Myensk
Л (л)L (l)NoneЛаўна = Lawna
Лёсік = Lyosik
Купала = Kupala
Вілейка = Vilyeyka
Міхал = Mikhal
Вільня = Vil’nya
Лепель = Lyepyel
М (м)M (m)NoneМагілёў = Mahilyow
Няміга = Nyamiha
Н (н)N (n)NoneНаваградак = Navahradak
Баранавічы = Baranavichy
О (о)O (o)NoneОрша = Orsha
Востраў = Vostraw
П (п)P (p)NoneПінск = Pinsk
Дняпро = Dnyapro
Р (р)R (r)NoneРагачоў = Rahachow
Сураж = Surazh
С (с)S (s)NoneСмаляны = Smalyany
Арэса = Aresa
Рось = Ros
Т (т)T (t)NoneТалочын = Talochyn
Масты = Masty
У (у)U (u)NoneУладзімір = Uladzimir
Бабруйск = Babruysk
Ў (ў)W (w)NoneБыхаў = Bykhaw
Воўпа = Vowpa
Іўе = Iwye
Ф (ф)F (f)NoneФолюш = Folyush
фортка = fortka
Х (х)Kh (kh)NoneХатынь = Khatyn’
Быхаў = Bykhaw
Ц (ц)Ts (ts)NoneГанцавічы = Hantsavichy
Стоўбцы = Stowbtsy
цьмяны = ts’myany
мясцовы = myastsovy
Астравец = Astravyets
Прыпяць = Prypyats
Ч (ч)Ch (ch)NoneЧэрыкаў = Cherykaw
Шчара = Shchara
Нарач = Narach
Ш (ш)Sh (sh)NoneШклоў = 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)NoneЭйсманты = Eysmanty
Крэва = Kreva
Ю (ю)Yu (yu)NoneЮры = Yury
уюн = uyun
Я (я)Ya (ya)NoneЯзэп = Yazep
Івянец = Ivyanyets
’’This symbol denotes the absence of palatalization and is not a part of the standard alphabet.зезд = 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.

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References

See also