BGN/PCGN romanization of Belarusian

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	Romanization	Special provision	Examples
А (а)	A (a)	None	Антон = Anton Вілейка = Vilyeyka
Б (б)	B (b)	None	Брэст = Brest Дубна = Dubna
В (в)	V (v)	None	Віцебск = Vitsyebsk Асіповічы = Asipovichy
Г (г)	H (h)	None	Гродна = Hrodna Брагін = Brahin
Д (д)	D (d)	None	Добруш = Dobrush Ліда = Lida
Е (е)	Ye (ye)	None	Гомель = Homyel’ Беліца = Byelitsa
Ё (ё)	Yo (yo)	None	Ёдкавічы = Yodkavichy Нёман = Nyoman
Ж (ж)	Zh (zh)	None	Жлобін = Zhlobin Ружаны = Ruzhany
З (з)	Z (z)	None	Зоя = Zoya князь = knyaz’
І (і)	I (i)	None	Ігнат = 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)	None	Крапіўна = Krapiwna Менск = Myensk
Л (л)	L (l)	None	Лаўна = Lawna Лёсік = Lyosik Купала = Kupala Вілейка = Vilyeyka Міхал = Mikhal Вільня = Vil’nya Лепель = Lyepyel’
М (м)	M (m)	None	Магілёў = Mahilyow Няміга = Nyamiha
Н (н)	N (n)	None	Наваградак = Navahradak Баранавічы = Baranavichy
О (о)	O (o)	None	Орша = Orsha Востраў = Vostraw
П (п)	P (p)	None	Пінск = Pinsk Дняпро = Dnyapro
Р (р)	R (r)	None	Рагачоў = Rahachow Сураж = Surazh
С (с)	S (s)	None	Смаляны = Smalyany Арэса = Aresa Рось = Ros’
Т (т)	T (t)	None	Талочын = Talochyn Масты = Masty
У (у)	U (u)	None	Уладзімір = Uladzimir Бабруйск = Babruysk
Ў (ў)	W (w)	None	Быхаў = Bykhaw Воўпа = Vowpa Іўе = Iwye
Ф (ф)	F (f)	None	Фолюш = Folyush фортка = fortka
Х (х)	Kh (kh)	None	Хатынь = Khatyn’ Быхаў = Bykhaw
Ц (ц)	Ts (ts)	None	Ганцавічы = Hantsavichy Стоўбцы = Stowbtsy цьмяны = ts’myany мясцовы = myastsovy Астравец = Astravyets Прыпяць = Prypyats’
Ч (ч)	Ch (ch)	None	Чэрыкаў = Cherykaw Шчара = Shchara Нарач = Narach
Ш (ш)	Sh (sh)	None	Шклоў = 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)	None	Эйсманты = Eysmanty Крэва = Kreva
Ю (ю)	Yu (yu)	None	Юры = Yury уюн = uyun
Я (я)	Ya (ya)	None	Язэп = Yazep Івянец = Ivyanyets
’	’’	This symbol denotes the absence of palatalization and is not a part of the standard alphabet.	з’езд = 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.

References

• U.S. Board on Geographic Names (1994). Romanization Systems and Roman-Script Spelling Conventions (PDF). Defense Mapping Agency. p. 23. OCLC 31881487. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 23, 2013. Retrieved 2007-03-13.

See also

• Belarusian language
• Belarusian Latin alphabet
• Romanization of Belarusian
• List of cities in Belarus