President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev reportedly signed a law on October 21 introducing significant changes to the Uzbek alphabet based on the Latin script. The newly adopted rules alter the designations of four specific letters, with the transition process designed to be implemented gradually across the country.

The signing of the legislation was publicly announced by Saida Mirziyoyeva. According to her statements, the issue of modifying the alphabet had been under discussion for many years. It is claimed that she originally proposed revising the script back on December 11, 2023, during a conference dedicated to the heritage of the Jadids.

Under the updated rules, the letters O‘ and G‘ will be replaced by Ö ö and Ğ ğ, while the traditional combinations Sh and Ch will give way to the characters Ş ş and Ç ç. Proponents of the initiative argue that these adjustments are necessitated by persistent technical difficulties encountered when using the Uzbek language within the digital ecosystem.

The authors of the reform claim that the new designations will purportedly simplify text input, information retrieval, and the overall processing of the language by various computer and software systems. However, critics point out the potential administrative and logistical hurdles of such a sweeping linguistic shift.

To mitigate public friction, officials stated that previously issued official documents, the national currency, and securities will retain their legal validity. Textbooks, commercial signboards, and directional signs are scheduled to be updated progressively as they reach the end of their operational lifespan.

Earlier reports indicated that school textbooks in Uzbekistan will begin transitioning to the revised alphabet in 2027, starting with first-grade students. The complete overhaul across all educational grade levels is officially projected to be finalized by 2031.

Source: podrobno.uz