History and Linguistic Foundations of Alphabet Reform in Kazakhstan

Е. Маралбек, A. Kuralbay, A. A. Karshigaeva

2026

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DOI 10.55491/2411-6076-2026-3-183-197
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

The article provides an overview of the alphabets used in the territory of Kazakhstan from the 5th century BC to the present day, as well as the history of the formation, development, and transformation of Kazakh writing. Particular attention is paid to the specific linguistic stages of the national plan for the transition to the Latin script currently being implemented, with relevant data and analytical observations presented. Although the transition to the Latin alphabet is of considerable importance for the development of Kazakhstan and the future of the Kazakh language, the process, initiated after 1991, has not yet been completed. This is due to the fact that the reform involves a complex set of socio-political issues and requires the resolution of a number of linguistic problems. The study examines the current alphabet reform in Kazakhstan primarily from a linguistic perspective, while its geopolitical and social causes are also considered as extralinguistic factors. The specific stages of the transition to the Latin script include linguistic research conducted between 2017 and 2023, five officially proposed versions of the Kazakh Latin-based alphabet, as well as the spelling rules and orthographic dictionaries developed on their basis. The article analyzes the scholarly issues associated with the transition to a new Latin-based Kazakh alphabet, the linguistic difficulties that have arisen, and the topics and causes of academic debates among Kazakhstani linguists concerning the Latinization of Kazakh writing. As a result of the study, a comprehensive understanding of the linguistic essence and socio-political background of the ongoing transition to the Latin script in Kazakhstan is provided, and specific conclusions are formulated. The conclusions and issues raised in the article are also relevant to the nationally oriented standardization of the current Cyrillic-based Kazakh alphabet and its orthographic rules, as well as to identifying ways of addressing the existing challenges in this field.