DZINTARS SKARBOVSKIS

TRANSLITERATION OF PERSONAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES IN LATVIAN

As a professional in the field of localization and transliteration, I often receive inquiries from non-Latvian speakers about how personal and geographical names are transliterated into Latvian. Many are surprised to discover that these names can appear quite different from their English or other Latin alphabet-based counterparts. Here, I aim to provide a concise explanation of this fascinating and complex process.

The Latvian language is unique among European languages using the Latin script due to its consistent approach to transliterating proper names based on pronunciation rather than spelling. This principle, championed by Juris Alunāns in the 19th century, remains influential today. Alunāns advocated for the use of only Latvian alphabet letters and the addition of Latvian endings to foreign names. Jānis Endzelīns further supported this approach, which has since been codified into law.

Key Principles of Latvian Transliteration

1. Phonetic Transliteration: Foreign names are written as they are pronounced in Latvian.
2. Alphabet Adaptation: Only Latvian alphabet letters are used, avoiding foreign characters and letter combinations.
3. Grammatical Integration: Foreign names are adapted to fit Latvian grammatical rules, including appropriate endings (masculine or feminine).

Phonetic Transliteration

• William Shakespeare becomes Viljams Šekspīrs, ensuring the name is easily pronounceable for Latvian speakers.
• Vienna (the city) is transliterated as Vīne, reflecting its pronunciation in German rather than its original spelling (Wien).

Alphabet Adaptation

• Characters like ä, ö, ü, ß are replaced with Latvian equivalents. For example, München (Munich) becomes Minhene.
• Double consonants in foreign names are simplified. For instance, Hermann becomes Hermanis.

Grammatical Integration

• Foreign names are given Latvian grammatical endings. For example, George becomes Džordžs with the appropriate Latvian ending (masculine).
• Place names are also adapted. For example, New York becomes Ņujorka, fitting into the Latvian grammatical system.

These principles ensure that foreign names are seamlessly integrated into Latvian, preserving linguistic consistency and clarity. This approach is reflected in various legal regulations and continues to be a topic of discussion and refinement.