Kyrgyz (Kyrgyz tili / Кыргыз тили / قىرعىز تىلى)

Kyrgyz or Kirghiz is a Turkic language with about 4.5 million speakers mainly in Kyrghyzstan, and also in China, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Russia. It is official language in Kyrgyzstan, together with Russian, is closely related to Altay and is mutually intelligible with Kazakh.

Kyrgyz was written a version of the the Perso-Arabic script until 1928, then with the Latin alphabet from 1928 and 1940, and with with the Cyrillic alphabet from 1940 onwards, though some people, especially in China, still use the Perso-Arabic script. After Kyrghyzstan became independent in 1991 there was a plan to re-introduce the Latin alphabet, but it has yet to be implemented.

Arabic alphabet for Kyrghyz (قىرعىز الفاۋىتى)

Arabic alphabet for Kyrghyz

Cyrillic alphabet for Kyrghyz (кыргыз алфавити)

Cyrillic alphabet for Kyrghyz

Notes

Kyrgyz has vowel harmony: э, и, ө & ү are front vowels, and а, ы, о & у are back vowels
Before or after back vowels к = [q], г = [ɢ~ʁ] and ң = [ɴ], and before or after front vowels к = [k], г = [g] and ң = [ŋ], and when surrounded by front vowels г = [ɣ] . When between back vowels к = [χ] and г = [ʁ], e.g. кыргыз [qɯr'ɢɯz].
л = [ɫ] before and after back vowels
ж = [ʒ] in Russian loanwords, e.g. журнал [ʒur'nɑɫ]
Letters in parenthesis are only used in Russian loanwords. Initial е = [je] only appears in Russian loanwords.
ю = [jy] between front vowels

Sample text in Kyrghyz

Arabic alphabet

باردىق ادامدار ۅز بەدەلىندە جانا ۇقۇقتارىندا ەركىن جانا تەڭ ۇقۇقتۇۇ بولۇپ جارالات.۔ الاردىن اڭ-سەزىمى مەنەن ابئيىرى بار جانا بئرى-بئرىنە بئر تۇۇعاندىق مامئلە قىلۇۇعا تئيىش.

Cyrillic alphabet

Бардык адамдар өз беделинде жана укуктарында эркин жана тең укуктуу болуп жаралат. Алардын аң- сезими менен абийири бар жана бири-бирине бир туугандык мамиле кылууга тийиш.

Transliteration

Bardık adamdar öz bedelinde jana ukuktarında érkin jana teñ ukuktuu bolup jaralat. Alardın añ-sezimi menen abiyiri bar jana biri-birine bir tuugandık mamile kıluuga tiyiş.

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.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Tower of Babel in Kyrgyz

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