Instruction on transliteration of Belarusian geographical names with letters of Latin script

Instruction on transliteration of Belarusian geographical names with letters of Latin script is an officially adopted method of Romanisation of the Belarusian Cyrillic text in geographical names. It was adopted by the decree of the State Committee on land resources, geodetics and cartography (2000-11-23). The official name of the document is: «Инструкция по транслитерации географических названий Республики Беларусь буквами латинского алфавита». The document had been published in the National registry of the judicial acts of the Republic Belarus (issue №3, 2001-01-11).

It is reported in the press that since October 2006 this instruction is recommended for use by the Working Group on Romanization Systems of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) The final decision of the UN is planned for a 2007 conference.

The instruction replaces the previous equivalent normatives and sets up the rules of the rendering of the Belarusian geographical names, which are mandatory on the Republic Belarus territory, when producing the cartographical and other (equivalent?) goods, destined for the international use.

The Belarusian names are romanised in their modern, correct, officially approved form. When the appropriate official materials in Belarusian are absent, the names traditional for the target language are to be used as the basis.

These rules are not appliable to the toponims of the bordering countries with the officially Latin-based writing systems (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia) and to the toponims of the bordering countries with the officially Cyrillic-based writing systems (Russia, Ukraine).

When choosing on the capital or small letters, on writing parts of the name separately, on writing the name with the dash, the Belarusian orthography's choice on such issues is to be preserved.

The letters with diacriticals or without them are considered equivalent and are sorted according to the letters succeeding them in the word.

Two diacritical signs are used:

• _̌ (U+030C, combined);
• apostrophe _’ («upper 9», U+0301, combined only with Uu, or U+2019, non-combined). The instruction doesn't seem to prescribe the specific form of the apostrophe itself, e.g., wedge-like or nine-like, and uses both forms in its text interchangeably.

Rules of transliteration (as by the Appendix 1 of this Instruction)

А а	A а	Аршанскi - Aršanski
Б б	B b	Бешанковiчы - Biešankovičy
В в	V v	Вiцебск - Viciebsk
Г г	H h	Гомель - Homiel’, Гаўя - Наújа
Д д	D d	Добруш - Dobruš
Е е	Je je*	Ельск - Jеl’sk, Бабаедава - Babajedava
	iе**	Лепель - Liepiel’
Ё ё	Jo jo*	Ёды - Jody, Вераб’ёвiчы - Vierabjovičy
	io**	Мёры - Miory
Ж ж	Ž ž	Жодзiшкi - Žodziški
З з	Z z	Зэльва - Zel’va
І і	I i	Iванава - Ivanava, Iўе - Iúje
Й й	J j	Лагойск - Lahojsk
К к	K k	Круглае - Kruhlaje
Л л	L l	Любань - Liuban’
М м	M m	Магiлёў - Mahilioú
Н н	N n	Нясвiж - Niasviž
О о	O o	Орша - Orša
П п	P p	Паставы - Pastavy
Р р	R r	Рагачоў - Rahačoú
С с	S s	Светлагорск - Svetlahorsk[sic]
Т т	T t	Талачын - Talačyn
У у	U u	Узда - Uzda
Ў ў	Ú ú	Шаркаўшчына - Šarkaúščyna
Ф ф	F f	Фанiпаль - Fanipal’
Х х	Ch ch	Хоцiмск - Chocimsk
Ц ц	C c	Цёмны Лес - Ciоmny Lies
Ч ч	С̌ č	Чавусы - Čavusy
Ш ш	Š š	Шумiлiна - Šumilina
’(apostrophe)	not transliterated	Раз’езд - Razjezd
Ы ы	Y y	Чыгiрынка - Čyhirynka
Ь ь	’	Чэрвень - Červien’
Э э	E e	Чачэрск - Čačersk
Ю ю	Ju ju*	Юхнаўка - Juchnaúka, Гаюцiна - Hajucina
	iu**	Любонiчы - Liuboničy
Я я	Ja ja*	Ямнае - Jamnaje, Баяры - Bajary
	iа**	Вязынка - Viazynka, Bаляр’яны - Valiarjany

Notes:

^* In the beginning of the word, after the vowels or the apostrophe or the separating soft sign or the «short U».

^** After the consonants.

See also

• Romanization of Belarusian
• Belarusian Latin alphabet

External references

• №8/4488 Об утверждении Инструкции по транслитерации географических названий Республики Беларусь буквами латинского алфавита // Национальный реестр правовых актов Республики Беларусь. №3, 11 января 2001.
• 8/16668 О внесении изменений и дополнений в Инструкцию по транслитерации географических названий Республики Беларусь буквами латинского алфавита
• United Nations Statistics Division, Geographical Names