List of Cyrillic digraphs
Encyclopedia
The following digraphs
(and trigraphs
) are used in the Cyrillic alphabet
. The palatalized
consonants of Russian
and other languages written as C-⟨ь⟩ are mostly predictable and therefore not included here unless they are irregular. Likewise, in the languages of the Caucasus
, there are numerous other predictable multigraphs that are not included. These include doubled letters (or whole digraphs) that indicate 'tense' ('strong') consonants and long vowels; sequences with ⟨в⟩, ⟨у⟩, ⟨ә⟩ for labialized consonants; and sequences with ⟨Ӏ⟩ or ⟨ъ⟩ for ejective consonant
s or pharyngealized consonants and vowels. Tatar
also has discontinuous digraphs. See Cyrillic digraphs
for examples.
to write the nasalized vowel æ̃.
⟨аь⟩ is used in Chechen
, Ingush
, and various Dagestanian languages such as Tabasaran
to write the sound a or æ.
to write the sound ɣ.
⟨гу⟩ is used in Kabardian
to write the sound ɡʷ. A sequence гу with this sound value is found in several languages where у is used for labialization, but in Kabardian its value is not predictable, as plain г is pronounced ɣ.
⟨гъ⟩ is used in for a guttural fricative (ʁ or ɣ, depending on language and dialect) in Avar
, Archi
, Kabardian
, Tatar
(word finally), Karachay-Balkar
, and Ossetian. In Tabasaran
, which uses ⟨гг⟩ for [ɣ], ⟨гъ⟩ is ʕ.
⟨гь⟩ is used in Avar
, Archi
, and Tabasaran
to write the sound h. In Tatar
, it is used word-finally for ɡ.
⟨гӀ⟩ is used in various languages of the Caucasus
to write a guttural fricative, further back than ⟨гъ⟩ if the language also has that digraph. In Avar
and Archi
it is ʕ, whereas in Chechen
and Ingush
it is ɣ or ʁ.
, Ukrainian
and Belarusian
, to write a sound dʒ or in Russian
to write dʐ (standard Russian pronunciation has two separate sounds here, even in loanword
s). In Karachay-Balkar
it pronounced [dʒ] (Karachay dialect) or [dz] (Balkar dialect), and in Kabardian
it is ʲ.
⟨дз⟩ is a digraph or sequence of letters used in some languages such as Kabardian
, Ossetian, Komi
, Ukrainian
and Belarusian
to write the affricate dz. In Ossetian, the letter ж does not exist apart from Russian loans, and з is pronounced ʒ or [z], though a distinction exists between дж [dʒ] and дз [dz].
⟨дь⟩ is used in Yakut to write the sound ɟ.
to write the sound jaŋ. Cf. Ян and он.
⟨ёь⟩ is used in Chechen
to write the sound jø.
to write the sound ʑ, which is also written as the decomposable letter sequences (not digraphs) ⟨зж⟩ and ⟨сж⟩. Examples are дрожжи "yeast" and жужжать "to hum".http://slovari.yandex.ru/dict/ushakov/article/ushakov/07/us187810.htm?text=%D0%B6%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B6%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C As a simple sequence, ⟨жж⟩ transcribes [ʐʐ].
⟨жч⟩ is a sequence of letters used in Russian to write a long voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative ɕ, the same value as the letter ⟨щ⟩. However, since the sound value of ⟨жч⟩ is a predictable effect of assimilation
, it is not a true digraph. An example is in the word мужчина ("man"), pronounced muɕˈɕinə.http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/мужчина Other sequences with the same result are ⟨сч⟩, ⟨шч⟩, ⟨зщ⟩, and ⟨сщ⟩.
⟨жь⟩ is used in Kabardian
to write the palatalized
sound ʑ. ⟨ь⟩ is commonly used for palatalized consonants like [ʑ] in other languages such as Abkhaz
, where ⟨жь⟩ would not be considered a digraph, but this is not the case in Kabardian.
, it is not a true digraph like ⟨жж⟩.
to write the sound kʷ. A sequence ⟨ку⟩ with this sound value is found in several languages where ⟨у⟩ is used for labialization, but in Kabardian its value is not so predictable, as plain ⟨к⟩ is only found in foreign loanword
s.
⟨кх⟩ is used in Chechen
to write the sound q and in Ingush
for qχ.
⟨къ⟩ is used with different values in various languages. In Avar
, it is used to write the "tense" ejective sound [qːʼ]; in Chechen
, Archi
, and Kabardian
it is plain ejective qʼ; in Ingush
and Karachay-Balkar
it is plain q (Ingush does not have ejective consonant
s); and in Tabasaran
it is [qʰː] (⟨К⟩ is kʰ). It is used for word-final q in Tatar
. ⟨Къ⟩ also occurs in Ossetian for kʼ, but there it is not a true digraph, as ⟨ъ⟩ is used as a predictable mark of ejective consonants.
⟨кь⟩ is used in Avar
to write the "tense" ejective sound [tɬːʼ], in Archi
to write k ([kʟ̝̊]), and in Tabasaran
to write qʼ. In Tatar
, it is used word-finally for k.
⟨кӀ⟩ is used in Kabardian
to write the ejective consonant
sound [kʼʲ]. ⟨КӀ⟩ is commonly used for ejective
kʼ in the languages of the Caucasus
, though as a predictable sequence of ⟨к⟩ and the ejective marker ⟨Ӏ⟩, not a true digraph. However, in Kabardian there is no plain ⟨к⟩ apart from foreign loan words, and palatalized
ʲ is written ⟨ч⟩.
⟨кхъ⟩ is used in Kabardian
to write the sound q. It is not predictable from ⟨къ⟩, which is the ejective homologue qʼ.
⟨кӀу⟩ is used in Kabardian
to write the sound [kʷʼ]. It is actually a regular sequence of ⟨к⟩ for [k], ⟨Ӏ⟩ for ejective consonant
s, and ⟨у⟩ for labialization. However, it is not predictable from the digraph ⟨кӀ⟩, which stands for palatalized [kʲʼ], not plain kʼ.
and Archi
to write the sound ɬ (cf. ⟨л⟩ for [ɮ] in Kabardian and for [l] in Archi) and in Avar
for the "tense" sound [tɬː] (cf. ⟨л⟩ for [l]).
⟨лӀ⟩ is used in Kabardian
to write the sound ʼ and in Archi
to write kʼ ([kʟ̝̊ʼ])
⟨л’⟩ is used in Khanty
to write the sound ɬ.
⟨лх⟩ is used in Moksha
to write the sound l̥.
and Karachay-Balkar
to write the sound ŋ. It is a transliteration of the Roman digraph ng.
⟨нь⟩ is used when cyrillicizing Mandarin Chinese to write the sound n at the end of a syllable. It is equivalent to pinyin
n. (The letter н at the end of a syllable represents ŋ, pinyin ng.) Нь is also used in Yakut for the sound ɲ. This is a digraph rather than a predictable sequence in Yakut, which does not otherwise have the letter ь.
to write the sound aŋ. Cf. Ан (digraph).
⟨оь⟩ is used in various languages of the Caucasus to write the sound ø, including Chechen
, Ingush
, Kumyk
, Nogai
, and various Dagestanian languages.
to write the sound r̥.
⟨рхӀ⟩ is used in Chechen
to write the sound r̥.
жж. However, since the sound value of сж is a predictable effect of assimilation
, it is not a true digraph like жж.
to write the sound tʃ. (The letter ч is ʲ.)
, Ingush
, Kumyk
, Nogai
, and various Dagestanian languages such as Tabasaran
.
to write the sound yː. It is the long version of the vowel ү.
for qʰ, in Archi
and Ossetian for q, and in Kabardian
for χ.
⟨хь⟩ is used in various languages of the Caucasus. In Avar
, Archi
, and Tabasaran
it is used to write the sound x; in Kabardian
and Chechen
for ħ; and in Ingush
to write ç.
⟨хӀ⟩ is used in a few languages of the Caucasus to write a guttural sound further back than ⟨хь⟩. In Avar
and Archi
it is used for ħ, and in Chechen
for h.
z and-before a iotated vowel-j.
zh.
⟨ч’⟩ is used in Khanty
.
yu.
⟨юь⟩ is used in Chechen
to write the sound jy.
to write the nasalized vowel jæ̃.
⟨яь⟩ is used in Chechen
to write the sound ja.
Digraph (orthography)
A digraph or digram is a pair of characters used to write one phoneme or a sequence of phonemes that does not correspond to the normal values of the two characters combined...
(and trigraphs
Trigraph (orthography)
A trigraph is a group of three letters used to represent a single sound or a combination of sounds that does not correspond to the written letters combined. For example, in the word schilling, the trigraph sch represents the voiceless postalveolar fricative , rather than the consonant cluster...
) are used in the Cyrillic alphabet
Cyrillic alphabet
The Cyrillic script or azbuka is an alphabetic writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...
. The palatalized
Palatalization
In linguistics, palatalization , also palatization, may refer to two different processes by which a sound, usually a consonant, comes to be produced with the tongue in a position in the mouth near the palate....
consonants of Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and other languages written as C-⟨ь⟩ are mostly predictable and therefore not included here unless they are irregular. Likewise, in the languages of the Caucasus
Languages of the Caucasus
The languages of the Caucasus are a large and extremely varied array of languages spoken by more than ten million people in and around the Caucasus Mountains, which lie between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea....
, there are numerous other predictable multigraphs that are not included. These include doubled letters (or whole digraphs) that indicate 'tense' ('strong') consonants and long vowels; sequences with ⟨в⟩, ⟨у⟩, ⟨ә⟩ for labialized consonants; and sequences with ⟨Ӏ⟩ or ⟨ъ⟩ for ejective consonant
Ejective consonant
In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspirated or tenuis consonants...
s or pharyngealized consonants and vowels. Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
also has discontinuous digraphs. See Cyrillic digraphs
Cyrillic digraphs
The Cyrillic alphabet family contains a large number of specially treated two-letter combinations, or digraphs, but few of these are used in Slavic languages. In a few alphabets, trigraphs and even the occasional tetragraph are used....
for examples.
А
⟨ан⟩ is used in DunganDungan language
The Dungan language is a Sinitic language spoken by the Dungan of Central Asia, an ethnic group related to the Hui people of China.-History:...
to write the nasalized vowel æ̃.
⟨аь⟩ is used in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
, Ingush
Ingush language
Ingush is a language spoken by about 413,000 people , known as the Ingush, across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kazakhstan and Russia. In Ingush, the language is called ГІалгІай Ğalğaj .-Classification:...
, and various Dagestanian languages such as Tabasaran
Tabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
to write the sound a or æ.
Г
⟨гг⟩ is used in TabasaranTabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
to write the sound ɣ.
⟨гу⟩ is used in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
to write the sound ɡʷ. A sequence гу with this sound value is found in several languages where у is used for labialization, but in Kabardian its value is not predictable, as plain г is pronounced ɣ.
⟨гъ⟩ is used in for a guttural fricative (ʁ or ɣ, depending on language and dialect) in Avar
Avar language
The modern Avar language belongs to the Avar–Andic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family....
, Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
, Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
, Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
(word finally), Karachay-Balkar
Karachay-Balkar language
The Karachay-Balkar language is a Turkic language spoken by the Karachays and Balkars. It is divided into two dialects: Karachay-Baksan-Chegem which pronounces two phonemes as and , and Balkar, which pronounces the corresponding phonemes as and .- Alphabet :Modern Karachay-Balkar Cyrillic...
, and Ossetian. In Tabasaran
Tabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
, which uses ⟨гг⟩ for [ɣ], ⟨гъ⟩ is ʕ.
⟨гь⟩ is used in Avar
Avar language
The modern Avar language belongs to the Avar–Andic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family....
, Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
, and Tabasaran
Tabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
to write the sound h. In Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
, it is used word-finally for ɡ.
⟨гӀ⟩ is used in various languages of the Caucasus
Languages of the Caucasus
The languages of the Caucasus are a large and extremely varied array of languages spoken by more than ten million people in and around the Caucasus Mountains, which lie between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea....
to write a guttural fricative, further back than ⟨гъ⟩ if the language also has that digraph. In Avar
Avar language
The modern Avar language belongs to the Avar–Andic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family....
and Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
it is ʕ, whereas in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
and Ingush
Ingush language
Ingush is a language spoken by about 413,000 people , known as the Ingush, across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kazakhstan and Russia. In Ingush, the language is called ГІалгІай Ğalğaj .-Classification:...
it is ɣ or ʁ.
Д
⟨дж⟩ is a digraph or sequence of letters, depending on the language. It is used in many languages, such as BulgarianBulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
, Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
and Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
, to write a sound dʒ or in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
to write dʐ (standard Russian pronunciation has two separate sounds here, even in loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s). In Karachay-Balkar
Karachay-Balkar language
The Karachay-Balkar language is a Turkic language spoken by the Karachays and Balkars. It is divided into two dialects: Karachay-Baksan-Chegem which pronounces two phonemes as and , and Balkar, which pronounces the corresponding phonemes as and .- Alphabet :Modern Karachay-Balkar Cyrillic...
it pronounced [dʒ] (Karachay dialect) or [dz] (Balkar dialect), and in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
it is ʲ.
⟨дз⟩ is a digraph or sequence of letters used in some languages such as Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
, Ossetian, Komi
Komi language
The Komi language is a Finno-Permic language spoken by the Komi peoples in the northeastern European part of Russia. Komi is one of the two members of the Permic subgroup of the Finno-Ugric branch...
, Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
and Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
to write the affricate dz. In Ossetian, the letter ж does not exist apart from Russian loans, and з is pronounced ʒ or [z], though a distinction exists between дж [dʒ] and дз [dz].
⟨дь⟩ is used in Yakut to write the sound ɟ.
Ё
⟨ён⟩ is used in DunganDungan language
The Dungan language is a Sinitic language spoken by the Dungan of Central Asia, an ethnic group related to the Hui people of China.-History:...
to write the sound jaŋ. Cf. Ян and он.
⟨ёь⟩ is used in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
to write the sound jø.
Ж
⟨жж⟩ is an uncommon digraph used in RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
to write the sound ʑ, which is also written as the decomposable letter sequences (not digraphs) ⟨зж⟩ and ⟨сж⟩. Examples are дрожжи "yeast" and жужжать "to hum".http://slovari.yandex.ru/dict/ushakov/article/ushakov/07/us187810.htm?text=%D0%B6%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B6%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C As a simple sequence, ⟨жж⟩ transcribes [ʐʐ].
⟨жч⟩ is a sequence of letters used in Russian to write a long voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative ɕ, the same value as the letter ⟨щ⟩. However, since the sound value of ⟨жч⟩ is a predictable effect of assimilation
Assimilation (linguistics)
Assimilation is a common phonological process by which the sound of the ending of one word blends into the sound of the beginning of the following word. This occurs when the parts of the mouth and vocal cords start to form the beginning sounds of the next word before the last sound has been...
, it is not a true digraph. An example is in the word мужчина ("man"), pronounced muɕˈɕinə.http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/мужчина Other sequences with the same result are ⟨сч⟩, ⟨шч⟩, ⟨зщ⟩, and ⟨сщ⟩.
⟨жь⟩ is used in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
to write the palatalized
Palatalization
In linguistics, palatalization , also palatization, may refer to two different processes by which a sound, usually a consonant, comes to be produced with the tongue in a position in the mouth near the palate....
sound ʑ. ⟨ь⟩ is commonly used for palatalized consonants like [ʑ] in other languages such as Abkhaz
Abkhaz language
Abkhaz is a Northwest Caucasian language spoken mainly by the Abkhaz people. It is the official language of Abkhazia where around 100,000 people speak it. Furthermore, it is spoken by thousands of members of the Abkhazian diaspora in Turkey, Georgia's autonomous republic of Adjara, Syria, Jordan...
, where ⟨жь⟩ would not be considered a digraph, but this is not the case in Kabardian.
З
⟨зж⟩ is a sequence of letters used in Russian to write the uncommon sound ʑ, the same value as the digraph ⟨жж⟩. However, since the sound value of ⟨зж⟩ is a predictable effect of assimilationAssimilation (linguistics)
Assimilation is a common phonological process by which the sound of the ending of one word blends into the sound of the beginning of the following word. This occurs when the parts of the mouth and vocal cords start to form the beginning sounds of the next word before the last sound has been...
, it is not a true digraph like ⟨жж⟩.
К
⟨ку⟩ is used in KabardianKabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
to write the sound kʷ. A sequence ⟨ку⟩ with this sound value is found in several languages where ⟨у⟩ is used for labialization, but in Kabardian its value is not so predictable, as plain ⟨к⟩ is only found in foreign loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s.
⟨кх⟩ is used in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
to write the sound q and in Ingush
Ingush language
Ingush is a language spoken by about 413,000 people , known as the Ingush, across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kazakhstan and Russia. In Ingush, the language is called ГІалгІай Ğalğaj .-Classification:...
for qχ.
⟨къ⟩ is used with different values in various languages. In Avar
Avar language
The modern Avar language belongs to the Avar–Andic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family....
, it is used to write the "tense" ejective sound [qːʼ]; in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
, Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
, and Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
it is plain ejective qʼ; in Ingush
Ingush language
Ingush is a language spoken by about 413,000 people , known as the Ingush, across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kazakhstan and Russia. In Ingush, the language is called ГІалгІай Ğalğaj .-Classification:...
and Karachay-Balkar
Karachay-Balkar language
The Karachay-Balkar language is a Turkic language spoken by the Karachays and Balkars. It is divided into two dialects: Karachay-Baksan-Chegem which pronounces two phonemes as and , and Balkar, which pronounces the corresponding phonemes as and .- Alphabet :Modern Karachay-Balkar Cyrillic...
it is plain q (Ingush does not have ejective consonant
Ejective consonant
In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspirated or tenuis consonants...
s); and in Tabasaran
Tabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
it is [qʰː] (⟨К⟩ is kʰ). It is used for word-final q in Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
. ⟨Къ⟩ also occurs in Ossetian for kʼ, but there it is not a true digraph, as ⟨ъ⟩ is used as a predictable mark of ejective consonants.
⟨кь⟩ is used in Avar
Avar language
The modern Avar language belongs to the Avar–Andic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family....
to write the "tense" ejective sound [tɬːʼ], in Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
to write k ([kʟ̝̊]), and in Tabasaran
Tabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
to write qʼ. In Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
, it is used word-finally for k.
⟨кӀ⟩ is used in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
to write the ejective consonant
Ejective consonant
In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspirated or tenuis consonants...
sound [kʼʲ]. ⟨КӀ⟩ is commonly used for ejective
Ejective consonant
In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspirated or tenuis consonants...
kʼ in the languages of the Caucasus
Languages of the Caucasus
The languages of the Caucasus are a large and extremely varied array of languages spoken by more than ten million people in and around the Caucasus Mountains, which lie between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea....
, though as a predictable sequence of ⟨к⟩ and the ejective marker ⟨Ӏ⟩, not a true digraph. However, in Kabardian there is no plain ⟨к⟩ apart from foreign loan words, and palatalized
Palatalization
In linguistics, palatalization , also palatization, may refer to two different processes by which a sound, usually a consonant, comes to be produced with the tongue in a position in the mouth near the palate....
ʲ is written ⟨ч⟩.
⟨кхъ⟩ is used in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
to write the sound q. It is not predictable from ⟨къ⟩, which is the ejective homologue qʼ.
⟨кӀу⟩ is used in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
to write the sound [kʷʼ]. It is actually a regular sequence of ⟨к⟩ for [k], ⟨Ӏ⟩ for ejective consonant
Ejective consonant
In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspirated or tenuis consonants...
s, and ⟨у⟩ for labialization. However, it is not predictable from the digraph ⟨кӀ⟩, which stands for palatalized [kʲʼ], not plain kʼ.
Л
⟨лъ⟩ is used in KabardianKabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
and Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
to write the sound ɬ (cf. ⟨л⟩ for [ɮ] in Kabardian and for [l] in Archi) and in Avar
Avar language
The modern Avar language belongs to the Avar–Andic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family....
for the "tense" sound [tɬː] (cf. ⟨л⟩ for [l]).
⟨лӀ⟩ is used in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
to write the sound ʼ and in Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
to write kʼ ([kʟ̝̊ʼ])
⟨л’⟩ is used in Khanty
Khanty language
Khanty or Xanty language, also known previously as the Ostyak language, is a language of the Khant peoples. It is spoken in Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous okrugs, as well as in Aleksandrovsky and Kargosoksky districts of Tomsk Oblast in Russia...
to write the sound ɬ.
⟨лх⟩ is used in Moksha
Moksha language
The Moksha language is a member of the Finno-Volgaic subdivision of the Uralic languages with about 500,000 native speakers. Moksha is the majority language in the western part of Mordovia....
to write the sound l̥.
Н
⟨нг⟩ is used in UzbekUzbek language
Uzbek is a Turkic language and the official language of Uzbekistan. It has about 25.5 million native speakers, and it is spoken by the Uzbeks in Uzbekistan and elsewhere in Central Asia...
and Karachay-Balkar
Karachay-Balkar language
The Karachay-Balkar language is a Turkic language spoken by the Karachays and Balkars. It is divided into two dialects: Karachay-Baksan-Chegem which pronounces two phonemes as and , and Balkar, which pronounces the corresponding phonemes as and .- Alphabet :Modern Karachay-Balkar Cyrillic...
to write the sound ŋ. It is a transliteration of the Roman digraph ng.
⟨нь⟩ is used when cyrillicizing Mandarin Chinese to write the sound n at the end of a syllable. It is equivalent to pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
n. (The letter н at the end of a syllable represents ŋ, pinyin ng.) Нь is also used in Yakut for the sound ɲ. This is a digraph rather than a predictable sequence in Yakut, which does not otherwise have the letter ь.
О
⟨он⟩ is used in DunganDungan language
The Dungan language is a Sinitic language spoken by the Dungan of Central Asia, an ethnic group related to the Hui people of China.-History:...
to write the sound aŋ. Cf. Ан (digraph).
⟨оь⟩ is used in various languages of the Caucasus to write the sound ø, including Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
, Ingush
Ingush language
Ingush is a language spoken by about 413,000 people , known as the Ingush, across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kazakhstan and Russia. In Ingush, the language is called ГІалгІай Ğalğaj .-Classification:...
, Kumyk
Kumyk language
Kumyk is a Turkic language, spoken by about 365,000 speakers in the Dagestan republic of Russian Federation....
, Nogai
Nogai language
Nogai , is a Turkic language spoken in southwestern Russia. Three distinct dialects are recognized: Qara-Nogay , spoken in Dagestan; Nogai Proper, in Stavropol; and Aqnogay , by the Kuban River, its tributaries in Karachay-Cherkessia, and in the Mineralnye Vody District...
, and various Dagestanian languages.
Р
⟨рх⟩ is used in MokshaMoksha language
The Moksha language is a member of the Finno-Volgaic subdivision of the Uralic languages with about 500,000 native speakers. Moksha is the majority language in the western part of Mordovia....
to write the sound r̥.
⟨рхӀ⟩ is used in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
to write the sound r̥.
С
⟨сж⟩ is a sequence of letters used in Russian to write the uncommon sound ʑ, the same value as the digraphDigraph (orthography)
A digraph or digram is a pair of characters used to write one phoneme or a sequence of phonemes that does not correspond to the normal values of the two characters combined...
жж. However, since the sound value of сж is a predictable effect of assimilation
Assimilation (linguistics)
Assimilation is a common phonological process by which the sound of the ending of one word blends into the sound of the beginning of the following word. This occurs when the parts of the mouth and vocal cords start to form the beginning sounds of the next word before the last sound has been...
, it is not a true digraph like жж.
Т
⟨тш⟩ is used in KomiKomi language
The Komi language is a Finno-Permic language spoken by the Komi peoples in the northeastern European part of Russia. Komi is one of the two members of the Permic subgroup of the Finno-Ugric branch...
to write the sound tʃ. (The letter ч is ʲ.)
У
⟨уь⟩ is used in various languages of the Caucasus to write the sound y, including ChechenChechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
, Ingush
Ingush language
Ingush is a language spoken by about 413,000 people , known as the Ingush, across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kazakhstan and Russia. In Ingush, the language is called ГІалгІай Ğalğaj .-Classification:...
, Kumyk
Kumyk language
Kumyk is a Turkic language, spoken by about 365,000 speakers in the Dagestan republic of Russian Federation....
, Nogai
Nogai language
Nogai , is a Turkic language spoken in southwestern Russia. Three distinct dialects are recognized: Qara-Nogay , spoken in Dagestan; Nogai Proper, in Stavropol; and Aqnogay , by the Kuban River, its tributaries in Karachay-Cherkessia, and in the Mineralnye Vody District...
, and various Dagestanian languages such as Tabasaran
Tabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
.
Ү
⟨үй⟩ is used in TurkmenTurkmen language
Turkmen is the national language of Turkmenistan...
to write the sound yː. It is the long version of the vowel ү.
Х
⟨хъ⟩ is used in various languages of the Caucasus. In ? language it is used to write the "tense" sound [qː], in TabasaranTabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
for qʰ, in Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
and Ossetian for q, and in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
for χ.
⟨хь⟩ is used in various languages of the Caucasus. In Avar
Avar language
The modern Avar language belongs to the Avar–Andic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family....
, Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
, and Tabasaran
Tabasaran language
Tabasaran is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Lezgic branch. It is spoken by the Tabasaran people in southern part of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. There are two main dialects: North and South Tabasaran. It has a literary language based on the Southern dialect, one of six in the Dagestan...
it is used to write the sound x; in Kabardian
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
and Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
for ħ; and in Ingush
Ingush language
Ingush is a language spoken by about 413,000 people , known as the Ingush, across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kazakhstan and Russia. In Ingush, the language is called ГІалгІай Ğalğaj .-Classification:...
to write ç.
⟨хӀ⟩ is used in a few languages of the Caucasus to write a guttural sound further back than ⟨хь⟩. In Avar
Avar language
The modern Avar language belongs to the Avar–Andic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family....
and Archi
Archi language
Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages...
it is used for ħ, and in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
for h.
Ц
⟨цз⟩ is used when cyrillicizing Mandarin Chinese to write the sounds ts and tɕ. It is equivalent to pinyinPinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
z and-before a iotated vowel-j.
Ч
⟨чж⟩ is used when cyrillicizing Mandarin Chinese to write the sound tʂ. It is equivalent to pinyinPinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
zh.
⟨ч’⟩ is used in Khanty
Khanty language
Khanty or Xanty language, also known previously as the Ostyak language, is a language of the Khant peoples. It is spoken in Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous okrugs, as well as in Aleksandrovsky and Kargosoksky districts of Tomsk Oblast in Russia...
.
Ю
⟨юй⟩ is used when cyrillicizing Mandarin Chinese to write the syllable y. It is equivalent to pinyinPinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
yu.
⟨юь⟩ is used in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
to write the sound jy.
Я
⟨ян⟩ is used in DunganDungan language
The Dungan language is a Sinitic language spoken by the Dungan of Central Asia, an ethnic group related to the Hui people of China.-History:...
to write the nasalized vowel jæ̃.
⟨яь⟩ is used in Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
to write the sound ja.