The Challenges of “Internationalizing” a Language in the Digital Age: A Corpus-Linguistic Study of Transliteration and Morphological Adaptation in Rendering Kazakh Cyrillic Names in English
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57589/srl.v74i1.4264Keywords:
transliteration, Kazakh, Cyrillic, Latin, script, language variationAbstract
This article presents the challenges of transliterating Kazakh proper names written in the Cyrillic script into English, especially against the backdrop of the government-led transformation of the Kazakh writing system from Cyrillic to Latin script, which has been underway since 2017 and is poised to pass its first milestone in 2029. The aim of the transformation is to make the Kazakh language more easily understandable and international. This turn towards internationalization has also led to more prolific translation from Kazakh into English, which in turn has brought about a significant degree of variation in spelling in English, even when pertaining to key figures and names from the Kazakh culture and history (cf. Abai/Abay, etc. for the poet, philosopher and reformer Abai Qunanbaiuly). The article analyzes the degree of variation by using corpus-linguistic methodology. To this end, we constructed a corpus of English subpages of several official/institutional Kazakhstani websites (the government, higher education, etc.). We use this corpus to identify the Kazakh names with the highest degree of variation in their English equivalents and create categories of potentially problematic names in terms of transliteration, as well as in terms of morphological adaption of competitive Russified and Kazakh forms.
References
Aksholakova, Assem, Nurgul Ismailova, 2013: The Language Policy of Kazakhstan and the State Language in Government Service. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 93. 1580–1586.
Antroponymic Dictionary [Антропонимдік сөздік], 2018: Almaty: Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan Science Committee, Akhmet Baitursunov Institute of Language Education.
Ayagan, Burkitbai (ur.), 2005: National Encyclopedia of Kazakhstan. Zv. 3. Almaty: Kazakh Encyclopaedia. 560.
Bazarbayeva Zeynep Muslimovna, Talshyn Kanatkyzy Chukayeva, 2021: The New Kazakh Latinized Script. Bulletin of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Philology Series 3/136. 24–30.
Bazarbayeva, Zeynep Muslimovna, Didar Sadyk, 2024: Certain Issues in Spelling Onomastic Names. Bulletin of Sh. Ualikhanov KU 4. 60–70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59102/kufil/2024/iss4pp60-70.
Bazarbayeva, Zeynep Muslimovna, Talshyn Kanatkyzy Chukayeva, 2023: The Phonematic Principle of the Kazakh Script Based on Latin Graphics. Bulletin of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Philology Series 1/142. 8–14.
Bekzhanova, Zhazira, Tsediso Michael Makoelle, 2022: Latinization of the Kazakh Alphabet: Implications for Education, Inclusion, and Social Cohesion in Kazakhstan. SAGE Open 12/4.
Comrie, Bernard, 1999: Script and Identity in the Turkic Languages. Language and National Identity in Central Eurasia. Ur. William Fierman. Washington: Woodrow Wilson Center. 25–36.
Comrie, Bernard, Gerald Stone, Maria Polinsky, 1996: The Russian Language in the Twentieth Century. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Coulmas, Florian, 2003: Writing Systems: An Introduction to Their Linguistic Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Diringer, David, 1948: The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
Ермолович, Дмитрий, 2005: Имена собственные на стыке языков и культур. Москва: Р. Валент.
[Ermolovič, Dmitrij, 2005: Imena sobstvennye na styke jazykov i kulʼtur. Moskva: R. Valent.]
Fierman, William, 1991: Language Planning and National Development: The Uzbek Experience. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Fierman, William, 2006: Language and Education in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan: Kazakh-Medium Instruction in Urban Schools. The Russian Review 65/1. 98–116.
Fierman, William, 2009: Identity, Symbolism, and the Politics of Language in Central Asia. Europe-Asia Studies 61/7. 1207–1228.
Grenoble, Lenore A., 2003: Language Policy in the Soviet Union. New York idr.: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Kassenova, Meruyert D., Rymbek M. Zhumashev, 2025: From the History of Translation Kazakh Script into Latin Graphic in the 1920 and 1930s. Bulletin of the Karaganda University. History. Philosophy Series 30/1. 139–147.
Landau, Jacob M., Barbara Kellner-Heinkele, 2001: Politics of Language in the Ex-Soviet Muslim States: Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. London: Hurst & Company.
Lewis, Geoffrey, 1999: The Turkish Language Reform: A Catastrophic Success. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Madieva, Gulmira B., Roza M. Tayeva, 2014: The Evolution of the Kazakh Surnames: ‘For’ and ‘Against’. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 116. 4798–4802.
Mamynova, Bagdan, 2022: The Newspaper »Kazakh« (1913–1918): Spelling Features and Punctuation in the Process of Approbation of the Usul-Sotie (Tote Zhazu) Script. Philology Series 2/186. 62–74.
Mamynova, Bagdan, Garifolla Anes, Umit Anessova, 2023: The Begining of the 20th Century: Spelling Features and Punctuation in the Process of Approbation the Letter Usul-Sotie (Tote Zhazu) in the Newspaper «Kazakh» (1913-1918). Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Asian and African Studies 15. 568–587. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu13.2023.308.
Meirambekova, Lyazat K., Gulnaz R. Dautova, 2021: The Historical Role of Kazakh Language in the System of Turkic Languages. Bulletin of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Philology Series 1/181. 119–126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26577/EJPh.2021.v181.i1.ph13.
Mnaidarova, Miramgul, Gulnar Sarseke, Ibrahim Sahin, 2025: Anthroponyms in the Kazakh and Turkish Languages: A Historical Review of Their Studies and Structural Features. Treatises and Documents Journal of Ethnic Studies 94. 208–226.
Nurgaziev, T. E., A. B. Kirykbaev, 2024: Methodological Aspect of Kazakhstan’s Transition to Latin Graphic Writing. International Journal of Humanities and Natural Sciences 4–5/91. 53–56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24412/2500-1000-2024-4-5-53-56.
Pavlenko, Aneta, 2008: Multilingualism in Post-Soviet Countries: Language Revival, Language Removal, and Sociolinguistic Theory. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 11/3–4. 275–314. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050802271517.
Riekkinen, Mariya, Aizhan Zhatkanbayeva, Kanat Kozhabek, Gulnar Aigarinova, 2021: Latinizing the Alphabet in Kazakhstan: Rationale, Legal Foundation, and Possible Impact on the Status of the Russian Language. European Yearbook of Minority Issues Online 18. 1–25.
Robinson, Andrew, 1995: The Story of Writing: Alphabets, Hieroglyphs & Pictograms. London: Thames & Hudson.
Rsaliyeva, Nursaule, Kyzdarkhan Rysbergen, 2014: Onomastic Space of Kazakhstan: Current Condition and Problems. Names and Their Environment: Proceedings of the 25th International Congress of Onomastic Sciences. Zv. 4. Ur. Carole Hough, Daria Izdebska. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. 153–165.
Smagulova, Juldyz, 2008: Language Policies of Kazakhization and Their Influence on Language Attitudes and Use. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 11/3–4. 440–475.
Sulkarnayeva, Assiya, 2017: Analysis of PPP Use and Types of Questions at MA TESOL Modules. Bulletin of KazGUU University JSC. Series Philological Sciences 1/33. 76–81.
Zadorozhnaya, Lyudmila Aleksandrovna, Aidana Almabekovna Kutpanova, Azatbek Manonuly Badaliyev, 2025: Kazakh Proper Names in English Translation: Variability and Risks of Non-Standardized Usage of Computer-Assisted Translation Tools. Bulletin of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Philology Series 4/153. 299–310.
Zharkynbekova, Sholpan, Aliya Aimoldina, 2016: The Role of English Language in the Context of New Language Policy Implementation in Kazakhstan. Sociolinguistic Transition in Former Eastern Bloc Countries: Two Decades after the Regime Change. Ur. Marián Sloboda, Petteri Laihonen, Anastassia Zabrodskaja. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang (Prague Papers on Language, Society and Interaction, 4). 399–418.
Zhou, Minglang, 2003: Multilingualism in China: The Politics of Writing Reforms for Minority Languages, 1949–2002. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Damjan Popič, Mila Zadorozhnaya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Slavistična revija (http://www.srl.si) is distributed under
Creative Commons, attribution 4.0 international.
Slavistična revija publishes fully open access journals, which means that all articles are available on the internet to all users immediately upon publication. Non-commercial use and distribution in any medium is permitted, provided the author and the journal are properly credited.
