Pashkevich vs. Paszkiewicz vs. Paskievic (Lacinka)

[Uladzimir Katkouski]

> My bigger concern, though, is on the
> politcs on names transliteration: (English vs.
> Polish vs. imaginary
> Belaruskaya latinka on which State Dep. seems to
> insist in all its
> publications on Belarus, though it's hardly used by
> native speakers).


1) Lacinka is not imaginary. It's quite real.
* http://www.lacinka.com/
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacinka
* http://www.pravapis.org/art_lac1.asp

And I have the impression that from a total and
complete oblivion it's making a comeback (slowly, but
surely). Just one example, the most famous rock band
of Belarus, N.R.M., uses Lacinka on all its leaflets,
on their CDs and on their posters.

2) Kudos to US State department for this wise
decision. This is the most appropriate way, because
(a) US Congress transliteration from Cyrillic does not
suit Belarusan very well, (b) we do have Lacinka
tradition, (c) it is also in line with similar
traditions, for example, in Serbian.

3) Authorities of Lukashenka's Belarus also
acknowledged our Lacinka for the first time, very
recently, in 2003. There is an official spelling guide
of geographic places in Belarus, published in 2003,
and endorsed by the geodesical committee of the
Cabinet of ministers of the Republic of Belarus, that
uses proper Lacinka names in it, alongside Cyrillics.

Here's what Mikola Paczkajeu wrote to me about that
publication:

---

Vydańnie, ab jakim idziecca - "Nazvy nasielenych
punktaŭ Respubliki Biełaruś: Min.
vobł.: Narmat. davied./ I.A.Haronienka i
inš.. Mn. 2003."

Na im paznačana: "Zacvierdžana Kamitetam pa
ziamielnych resursach, gieadezii ŭ kartahrafii
pry Saviecie Ministraŭ Respubliki
Biełaruś u jakasci narmatyŭnaha
vydannia, pryznačanaha dla vykarystannia
respublikanskimi organami dziaržaŭnaha
kiravannia, jurydyčnymi i fizičnymi asobami
Respubliki Biełaruś".

Daviednik padaje biełaruskija i rasiejskija
nazvy, i ŭ jakaści "transliteracyi litarami
łacinskaha ałfavita" - "klasyčnuju"
biełaruskuju łacinku.

U jakaści dakumanta, u jakim vykładzieny
hety samy aficyjny sposab "transliteracyi litarami
łacinskaha ałfavita", spasyłajecca na
"Instrukcyju pa transliteracyi hieahrafičnych
nazvaŭ Respubliki Biełaruś litarami
łacinskaha ałfavita" apublikavanaha ŭ
"Nacyjanalnym rejestry pravavych aktaŭ
Resp.Biełaruś 30.11.2000 h. ¹ 8/4488"

(Pry maim paraŭnańni, praŭda,
akazałasia, što ŭ knižcy 2003 hodu
ŭžavajecca "ł-z-kreskaj", a ŭ
instrukcyi 2000 hodu jaho nie było).

Knižka pradajecca (pradavałasia) ŭ
kniharniach Miensku svabodna.


---

Regards,
Uladzimir Katkouski

PS. In case you need to convert Belarusan cyrillic
text into Lacinka, here's an online tool for that:
http://www.pravapis.org/latin.asp





		
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