This page describes how Ukrainian is romanized in Wikipedia. It is subordinate to the naming conventions and the manual of style, and to common sense.
Ukrainian-language text is written in the Ukrainian alphabet, a variant of Cyrillic. To be accessible to the readers of English-language Wikipedia, it is usually romanized, or transliterated into the Roman alphabet.
Contents
Romanization systems
Different romanization systems are used for different subject areas in Wikipedia and elsewhere. More details and other systems are described in romanization of Ukrainian. Each system has a handy transliteration table, linked below.
- General romanization
- BGN/PCGN romanization is Wikipedia's default system for romanization of Ukrainian, and was also used by the United Nations until acceptance of the National system. It is intended for readers of English, and is easy to read and type.
- [BGN/PCGN transliteration table]
- Geographic names
- The Ukrainian National system of 2010 is used for place names in Wikipedia. It is official for all proper names in Ukraine, and is used by the United Nations. It is another English-centered system.
- [Romanization table]
- Linguistics
- Scientific transliteration is used in Wikipedia articles about language, in the Wiktionary project, and in other linguistics publications. This is an “international” romanization system, based on central and eastern European orthographies.
- [Linguistics transliteration table]
Indicating stress
When it is useful, syllabic stress can be indicated in romanized words by an acute accent over a vowel, e.g., Zaporízhia, jajéšnja, hýbel’.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is usually represented using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). See Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation), Ukrainian phonology.
Romanization style
Keep the readers in mind: they read English, but might not be familiar with Ukrainian. Ukrainian words should be used for a reason, not as a substitute for English.
An object that has a conventional name in English should be named that way, instead of transliterating, for example: Chorne more = Black Sea, Ukrayina = Ukraine. Living and very well-known people's names use their preferred or common Roman spelling, e.g., Yulia Tymoshenko, Jaroslav Rudnyckyj, Sergey Korolyov. A less familiar spelling like Kyiv may be appropriate in one context but not another, and should be introduced to those who only know Kiev.
Context and intent
Is a term only used to refer to someone or something, or is there a reason to represent the original Ukrainian orthography?
- When using names or words in the running text of the article body, prefer simple unobtrusive romanizations, English constructions, and familiar spellings: Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Kiev, cabbage roll, hryvnya, Ruthenian Triad (Ruska Triytsia), Bohdan Khmelnytsky.
- When more precision is required, for example to convey Ukrainian spelling (as the title in an article's leading line), to clearly identify a work in a reference list, or when writing about Ukrainian language or orthography, prefer a detailed romanization with original capitalization, adhering to the appropriate standard: Khmel’nyts’ka oblast’, Kyiv, holubéc′, hrývnja, Rus’ka Triytsya, Bohdan Khmel’nyts’kyy.
See also
Naming conventions
- Wikipedia:Naming conventions
- Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English)
- Wikipedia:Naming conventions (Cyrillic)
Pronunciation
External links
Wiktionary