The Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan at its plenary session on July 7 adopted and sent to the Senate a bill amending the Law 'On the Introduction of the Uzbek Alphabet Based on Latin Script'.
The bill proposes that the Uzbek Latin alphabet consist of 28 letters and one apostrophe mark, replacing the current 26 letters and three digraphs. The usage of certain letters is also clarified.
During discussions, deputies made several proposals to ensure the effective and gradual implementation of the law. Specifically, the validity of documents, national currency, and securities issued before the law takes effect will be preserved, and the use of symbols, signs, and attributes of state bodies and organizations will be allowed for a specified transition period.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree in 2020 on measures to further develop the Uzbek language and improve language policy. In 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution on ensuring a full phased transition to the Latin-based Uzbek alphabet. These documents laid the groundwork for alphabet reform, and a working group was established.
In September 2023, the working group presented a draft of the new alphabet, proposing changes to four letters: 'O‘ o‘' to 'Õ õ', 'G‘ g‘' to 'Ğ ğ', 'Sh sh' to 'Ş ş', and 'Ch ch' to 'C c'.
Working group member Yorqin Odilov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Uzbek Language, Literature, and Folklore, explained that replacing 'O‘ o‘' with 'Õ õ' would improve readability and reduce spelling errors. He noted that typing 'O‘ o‘' on a keyboard requires two keystrokes, and people often mistakenly use the wrong apostrophe. Saida Mirziyoyeva had previously highlighted the inconsistent spelling of the word 'O‘zbekiston'. The new letter 'Õ õ' is planned to be placed on the '[' key.
The replacement of 'G‘ g‘' with 'Ğ ğ' is also aimed at simplifying keyboard input. This form was used in 1993-1995. 'Ğ ğ' would be placed on the ']' key.
For 'Ch', the proposal is to use 'C' (pronounced as 'Ch'). This letter was used in the alphabet from 1929 to 1940 to represent the 'Ch' sound. Odilov believes this form will be better accepted by the public, as the current 'Ch' already contains the letter 'S'.
For 'Sh', the proposal is 'Ş ş', which was used in all previous versions of the Latin alphabet except the current one. 'Ş ş' is characteristic of Turkic scripts. On the keyboard, it could be placed on the 'W' key.
Source: www.gazeta.uz