Yaña imlâ (, , , ; ) was a modified Arabic script that was in use for the Tatar language between 1920 and 1927. The orthographical reform modified İske imlâ, including abolishing homophonic letters and adding letters for short vowels . Yaña imlâ made use of a "backness sign" to indicate vowel harmony.
There were some projects that were to simplify Yaña imlâ too. The unique separated Arabic was invented (so as to use typewriters).
As early as in 1924 the first projects of Latin script were introduced and in 1928 the government switched to the Latin Yañalif alphabet.
Vowels
10 vowels are defined. These occur in pairs, front and back vowels.
RoundedUnrounded Close OpenCloseOpenBack Arabic Cyrillic(Latin) ()()()()()IPA[][]FrontArabic Cyrillic(Latin) () ()()()()IPA [] [] [][~] Similar to other Turkic languages, Tatar has vowel harmony rules. Tatar orthography has one-dimensional vowel harmony: frontness versus backness. Tatar also has vowel roundedness harmony, but it is not reflected in the orthography.
I / E As in traditional İske imlâ, the vowel () / () is not written if at the beginning or middle of a word and if the resulting consonant cluster is not ambiguous. Hence, () instead of , () instead of , and () instead of .
Word-final devoicing As in traditional İske imlâ, words that historically end in voiced stops keep their voiced spelling. Hence, () instead of and () instead of .
Vowel harmony
The backness sign (, , , Unicode ) has a unique role in Tatar, a role not seen in other Arabic scripts. Appearing as a modifier before a word, it indicates that the vowels in the word will be the back vowels:
() () () ()
The backness sign symbolizes that the vowels of the word are articulated in the same part of the mouth as an alef (the sound): at the back of the mouth.
The hamza plays a similar but inverse role in Kazakh Arabic alphabet, indicating that a word has front vowels.
There are instances where back-vowel words do not need the backness sign.
First are words that contain the vowel (). This vowel is a back vowel, and the corresponding front vowel () is written with a different letter altogether. It is an unambiguous conclusion that any word containing () is a back-vowel word, while a word containing () is a front-vowel word.
For example, the word ( "house") is written with the backness sign, as (), while ( "houses", plural) is written as ().
The second exception is words that contain the following consonants:
() () () () () () () ()
Under the rules of Tatar phonology, the consonants () () and () () can only be accompanied by front vowels. Thus, there won't be any words containing these consonants that would need the backness sign. In contrast, the consonants () () and () () can only be accompanied by back vowels. This means that they themselves act as indicators that vowels in a word are back vowels, thus eliminating a need for the backness sign. For example, the word ( "warm", adjective), is written as (), whereas a derived word, such as ( "warmth; heat", noun), is written as ().
Pursuant to these rules, suffixes are formed in pairs too. For example, words with back vowels take the suffixes () ~ () ~ (), and words with front vowels take the suffixes () ~ () ~ ().
Letters
Zamanälif Isolated Final Medial Initial Jaꞑalif Modern Cyrillic Notes Aa Aa Аа Ää Әə Әә Bb Вʙ Бб Pp Pp Пп Tt Tt Тт Cc Çç Җҗ Çç Cc Чч Xx Xx Хх Dd Dd Дд Rr Rr Рр Zz Zz Зз Jj Ƶƶ Жж Ss Ss Сс Şş Şş Шш Ğğ Ƣƣ Гъ гъ Alternative Cyrillic: Ғғ Ff Ff Фф Qq Qq Къ къ Alternative Cyrillic: Ққ & Ҡҡ Kk Kk Кк Gg Gg Гг Ññ Ŋŋ Ңң Ll Ll Лл Mm Mm Мм Nn Nn Нн Ww Vv Вв Alternative Cyrillic: Ўў Uu, Üü Uu, Yy Уу, Үү for u for Üü Oo, Öö Oo, Өɵ Оо, Өө for Oo for Öö Yy Jj Йй Iı, Ee Ьь, Ee Ыы, Ее for Iı for Ee Iy ıy, İi Іi, ьj Ии, ый for Iy ıy for İi Hh Hh Һһ Alternative Cyrillic: Ҳҳ
Sample text
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Yaña imlâİske imlâ Cyrillic Latin (Zamanälif) English 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.
See also Tatar alphabet Tatar language
Sources