Proto-Turkic/Alphabet

Hi! Welcome to the Proto-Turkic alphabet.

Alphabet
Since Proto-Turkic is a configuration language like other proto-languages, it is expressed with Latin letters.

Unlike today's Turkic languages, there are no /z/ and /š/ sounds in Proto-Turkic. Instead, there are palatalized sounds /ŕ/ and /ĺ/ whose later became /z/ and /š/ in Common Turkic, but /r/ and /l/ instead in Oghur languages. The letters ⟨J j⟩, however, are usually used over ⟨Y y⟩.

Carons
Carons on the letter ⟨č⟩ is pronounced /tʃ/ as in charge.

Macrons
Vowel letters with lines on them give the same sound as letters without, but are pronounced long.

Dots
Dots below on the letters ⟨ạ⟩ and ⟨ẹ⟩ represents a schwa /ə/ and a closed /e/, respectively.

Breves
The usage of breves on the letters ⟨ă⟩ and ⟨ĕ⟩ is unclear.

Next Lesson: Phonology