Russian uses phonetic transcription for the Cyrillization of its many loanwords from French. Some use is made of Cyrillic's iotation features to represent French's front rounded vowels and etymologically-softened consonants.
Consonants In the table below, the symbol represents either a "softened" consonant or the approximant . When applicable, a softened consonant can be indicated in transcription either by a following iotated vowel or by . + Russian transcription of French consonantsFrench RussiantranscriptionExamplesCommentsphoneme(s)grapheme(s)[b]bбbateau-lavoir – бато-лавуар[ʃ]chшCharles – Шарль[d]dдBordeaux – Бордо[f]f, phфFoucault – Фуко[ɡ]g, guгGuillaume – Гийом[ɲ]gnньBoulogne – Булонь –h –Humanité – ЮманитегHugo – ГюгоLe Havre – Гаврoften in the case of h aspiré[ʒ]j, g(e)жJean – Жан[k]c, qu, kкCamus – Камю[l]lльGilbert – Жильберbefore a consonant or at the end of a wordлLouvre – Луврbefore vowels[lj]liльMontpellier – Монпелье[m]mмmonde – монд[n]nнRhône – Рона[ŋ]ngнг[p]pпPierre – Пьер[ʁ]rрRenoir – Ренуар[s]s, ç, cсRousseau – Руссо[sj]tiсьLibération – Либерасьон[t]tтpointe – пуэнт[v]vвVerlaine – Верлен[w]wвGwénaël – Гвенаэльsometimes transliterated with in loanwords from English[ks] [kz] [gz]xкс кз гзXavier – Ксавье Saint-Exupéry – Сент-Экзюпери according to the pronunciation of the [j] y, i, il(l)йyeuse – йёзBayard – БайярGuillaume – Гийом after a vowel or word-initiallyьLavoisier – Лавуазье after a consonantil(l)льMarseille – Марсельfrozen form[z]z, sзVierzon – Вьерзон Doubled French consonants remain doubled in their Russian transcription: Rousseau – Руссо. Silent consonants (common in French) are generally not transcribed, except where they exist in the surface form due to liaison.
Vowels +Russian transcription of French vowelsFrench RussiantranscriptionExamplesCommentsphoneme(s)grapheme(s)[a], [ɑ]a, âаCharles – Шарль [e], [ɛ] é, è, ê, ai, eеRené – РенеэEdmond – ЭдмонCitroën – Ситроэн at the beginning of a word, following a vowel, or rarely for at the end of a word[ø], [œ]eu, œ, œuёVilledieu – Вильдьё is generally simplified to in RussianэEugène – ЭженMaheu – Маэat the beginning of a word, or after a vowel[ə], —e –Charles – Шарль e muetеDe Gaulle – Де Голльonly in cases where is usually pronounced, e.g., le, de, que, rebelle, etc.[i]i, yиVillage – Виляж[o], [ɔ]o, au, ôoRhône – Рона[wa]oiуаTroyes – Труа[u], [w]ouуLouvre – Лувр[y], uюL'Humanité – Юманите[ɑ̃]an, am, en, emан, амAmbroise – АмбруазOccidental – Оксидантальnasal vowels are written as the corresponding oral vowel followed by (or before )[ɛ̃]in, en, ainен, ем, эн, эмSaintes – СентAin – Эн[ɔ̃]on, omон, омComte – Конт[œ̃]unен, ем, эн, эмVerdun – Верден[wɛ̃]oinуэн pointe – пуэнт
Finally, the softened consonants modify the following vowels: + Palatalization hard Russian vowel softening Examples Comments After a vowel or After a consonant or ʲаяcognac – коньякBayard – Байярʲе ; ʲёие, йе ; йёье ; ьёtrieur – триерCahiers du cinéma – Кайе дю синемаRichelieu – Ришельеэ never follows a softened consonantʲийиьиTilly – ТийиʲойоьоChillon – Шильонʲу юʲюйюьюʲ before a consonant or at the end of a word, softening is written with Neither nor are doubled.
Bibliography Paul Garde, La Transcription des noms propres français en russe, Paris, Institut d'études slaves, 1974, 63 pages, 25 cm, collection « Documents pédagogiques de l'Institut d'études slaves » n° X,