Alphabets
Numerous inscriptions in the Georgian script are found in mountainous Chechnya, but they are not necessarily in Chechen. Later the Arabic script was introduced for Chechen, along with Islam. The Chechen Arabic alphabet was first reformed during the reign of Imam Shamil, and then again in 1910, 1920, and 1922.
At the same time, the alphabet devised by Peter von Uslar, consisting of Cyrillic, Latin, and Georgian letters, was used for academic purposes. In 1911 it too was reformed but never gained popularity among the Chechens themselves.
The Latin alphabet was introduced in 1925. It was unified with Ingush in 1934, but abolished in 1938.
| A a | Ä ä | B b | C c | Č č | Ch ch | Čh čh | D d |
| E e | F f | G g | Gh gh | H h | I i | J j | K k |
| Kh kh | L l | M m | N n | Ņ ņ | O o | Ö ö | P p |
| Ph ph | Q q | Qh qh | R r | S s | Š š | T t | Th th |
| U u | Ü ü | V v | X x | Ẋ ẋ | Y y | Z z | Ž ž |
In 1938–1992, only the Cyrillic alphabet was used for Chechen.
| Cyrillic | Name | Arabic (before 1925) | Mod. Latin | Name | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| А а | а | آ /ɑː/, ا | A a | a | /ə/, /ɑː/ |
| Аь аь | аь | ا | Ä ä | ä | /æ/, /æː/ |
| Б б | бэ | ب | B b | be | /b/ |
| В в | вэ | و | V v | ve | /v/ |
| Г г | гэ | گ | G g | ge | /ɡ/ |
| ГӀ гӀ | гӀа | غ | Ġ ġ | ġa | /ɣ/ |
| Д д | дэ | د | D d | de | /d/ |
| Е е | е | ە | E e | e | /e/, /ɛː/, /je/, /ie/ |
| Ё ё | ё | یوٓ | yo | /jo/ etc. | |
| Ж ж | жэ | ج | Ƶ ƶ | ƶe | /ʒ/, /dʒ/ |
| З з | зэ | ز | Z z | ze | /z/, /dz/ |
| И и | и | ی | I i | i | /ɪ/ |
| Ий ий | یی | Iy iy | /iː/ | ||
| Й й (я, ю, е) |
доца и | ی | Y y | doca i | /j/ |
| К к | к | ک | K k | ka | /k/ |
| Кк кк | کک | Kk kk | /kː/ | ||
| Кх кх | кх | ق | Q q | qa | /q/ |
| Ккх ккх | قق | Qq qq | /qː/ | ||
| Къ къ | къа | ڨ | Q̇ q̇ | q̇a | /qʼ/ |
| КӀ кӀ | кӀа | گ (the upper stroke is under the other) | Kh kh | kha | /kʼ/ |
| Л л | лэ | ل | L l | el | /l/ |
| М м | мэ | م | M m | em | /m/ |
| Н н | нэ | ن | N n | en | /n/ |
| О о | о | ووٓ ,وٓ uo | O o | o | /o/, /ɔː/, /wo/, /uo/ |
| Ов ов | ов | وٓو | Ov ov | ov | /ɔʊ/ |
| Оь оь | оь | وٓ | Ö ö | ö | /ɥø/, /yø/ |
| П п | пэ | ف | P p | pe | /p/ |
| Пп пп | فف | Pp pp | /pː/ | ||
| ПӀ пӀ | пӀа | ڢ ـٯ | Ph ph | pha | /pʼ/ |
| Р р | рэ | ر | R r | er | /r/ |
| РхӀ рхӀ | رھ | Rh rh | /r̥/ | ||
| С с | сэ | س | S s | es | /s/ |
| Сс сс | سس | Ss ss | /sː/ | ||
| Т т | тэ | ت | T t | te | /t/ |
| Тт тт | تت | Tt tt | /tː/ | ||
| ТӀ тӀ | тӀа | ط | Th th | tha | /tʼ/ |
| У у | у | و | U u | u | /uʊ/ |
| Ув ув | وو | Uv uv | /uː/ | ||
| Уь уь | уь | و | Ü ü | ü | /y/ |
| Уьй уьй | уьй | و | Üy üy | üy | /yː/ |
| Ф ф | фэ | ف | F f | ef | /f/ |
| Х х | хэ | خ | X x | xa | /x/ |
| Хь хь | хьа | ح | Ẋ ẋ | ẋa | /ʜ/ |
| ХӀ хӀ | хӀа | ھ | H h | ha | /h/ |
| Ц ц | цэ | ڔٜ (Rā’ with two dots below) | C c | ce | /ts/ |
| ЦӀ цӀ | цӀа | ڗ | Ċ ċ | ċe | /tsʼ/ |
| Ч ч | чэ | چ | Ç ç | çe | /tʃ/ |
| ЧӀ чӀ | чӀа | ڃ | Ç̇ ç̇ | ç̇e | /tʃʼ/ |
| Ш ш | шэ | ش | Ş ş | şa | /ʃ/ |
| Щ щ | щэ | ||||
| (Ъ) ъ | чӀогӀа хьаьрк | ئ | Ə ə | ç̇oġa ẋärk | /ʔ/ |
| (Ы) ы | ы | ||||
| (Ь) ь | кӀеда хьаьрк | ||||
| Э э | э | اە | E e | e | /e/ etc. |
| Ю ю | ю | یو | yu | /ju/ etc. | |
| Юь юь | юь | یو | yü | /jy/ etc. | |
| Я я | я | یا، یآ | ya | /ja/ etc. | |
| Яь яь | яь | یا | yä | /jæ/ etc. | |
| Ӏ Ӏ | Ӏа | ع | J j | ja | /ʡ/, /ˤ/ |
The glottal stop <ъ> is often omitted when writing.
In 1992, a new Latin Chechen alphabet was introduced, but after the defeat of the secessionist government, the Cyrillic alphabet was restored.
| A a | Ä ä | B b | C c | Ċ ċ | Ç ç | Ç̇ ç̇ | D d |
| E e | F f | G g | Ġ ġ | H h | X x | Ẋ ẋ | I i |
| J j | K k | Kh kh | L l | M m | N n | Ꞑ ꞑ | O o |
| Ö ö | P p | Ph ph | Q q | Q̇ q̇ | R r | S s | Ş ş |
| T t | Th th | U u | Ü ü | V v | Y y | Z z | Ƶ ƶ |
| Ə ə |
Read more about this topic: Chechen Language