Non-Slavic Languages in Cyrillic script


Over the last two centuries, varieties of the Cyrillic script not only have been used to write Slavic languages, such as Belarusian, Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, and Ukrainian, but have also been applied to the writing of a number of non-Slavic languages. The following list enumerates, in alphabetical order, the non-Slavic languages that have been written in Cyrillic and indicates, where known, the years in which Cyrillic was first introduced to write them (or, in some cases, the sources through which they were introduced). The alphabets of some of these languages have undergone orthographic reform over the years: in such cases, the years in which reforms were carried out are enumerated after the initial date of introduction.

Information about these languages and dates is taken from the romanization tables for more than 145 languages and dialects compiled and edited in the 1990s by Randall K. Barry of the Library of Congress. Today, these tables are available via the Cataloging Distribution Service of the Library of Congress at http://www.loc.gov/catdir/ cpso/romanization/nonslav.pdf, as well as via Cataloger’s Desktop.

Note that the romanization of Cyrillic for certain non-Slavic languages are covered separately in these languages' own tables.


For Moldovan/Moldavian, Romanian using the Cyrillic script during Soviet times, see "Moldovan" in the Combined chart for non-Slavic languages in Cyrillic script for guidance (note: copy also available at end of page).

    1. Abazin (1938)

    2. Abkhaz (1954)

    3. Adygei (1938)

    4. Altai (1845,1922,1938,1944)

    5. Avaric (1938)

    6. Azerbaijani (1940)

    7. Balkar (1936,1939)

    8. Bashkir (1939)

    9. Buriat (1939)

    10. Chechen (1862, 1908, 1938)

    11. Chukchi (1958)

    12. Chuvash (Missionary)

    13. Chuvash (1872, modified 1923, 1926, 1933, 1938)

    14. Dargwa (Uslar)

    15. Dargwa (1938)

    16. Dungan (1952)

    17. Even (1937)

    18. Evenki (1937, 1958)

    19. Gagauz-Bulgaria

    20. Gagauz-USSR. (1957)

    21. Gilyak

    22. Ingush (1938)

    23. Kabardian (1936)

    24. Kalmyk (1927, 1938, 1957)

    25. Kara-Kalpak (revised ca. 1947, 1957)

    26. Karachay (1938)

    27. Karachay-Balkar

    28. Karelian

    29. Kazakh (1940)

    30. Khakass (1893 missionary, 1924-1927, 1939)

    31. Khanty (1937)

    32. Khanty-Shuryshkary Dialect (1952)

    33. Khanty-Kazym Dialect (1952)

    34. Khanty Surgut Dialect (1952)

    35. Khanty Vakh Dialect (1952)

    36. Komi (1938)

    37. Komi (Molodtsov) (1919)

    38. Komi-Permyak (Missionary)

    39. Komi-Permyak (1938)

    40. Koryak

    41. Kumyk (1938)

    42. Kurdish (1946)

    43. Kyrgyz (1940)

    44. Lak (1864, 1938)

    45. Lezgian (1938)

    46. Lezgian (Uslar)

    47. Lithuanian

    48. Mansi (1937, 1958)

    49. Mari — Meadow Dialect (Missionary, 1870s and early Soviet, 1938)

    50. Mari — Mountain Dialect (Missionary, 1870s and early Soviet, 1938)

    51. Moldovan (Early and 1924, 1937)

    52. Mongolian (1941-1945)

    53. Mordvin — Erzya Dialect (Early missionary, Later missionary, Early Soviet & 1938)

    54. Mordvin — Moksha Dialect (Missionary, 1923, 1938)

    55. Nanai

    56. Nenets (1937, 1958)

    57. Nogai (1938)

    58. Ossetic — Digor Dialect (1938)

    59. Ossetic — Iron Dialect (1938)

    60. Romani — Bulgaria

    61. Romani — U.S.S.R

    62. Romanian (before the 1860s)

    63. Sami (Missionary, 1937)

    64. Selkup (1936)

    65. Shor (Missionary, 1927, 1938)

    66. Syriac (Modern)

    67. Tabasaran (1938)

    68. Tajik (1940)

    69. Tat

    70. Tatar (1938)

    71. Tatar — Crimea

    72. Tatar — Kryashen

    73. Turkmen (1940)

    74. Tuvinian

    75. Udekhe

    76. Udmurt (Missionary, Early Soviet, 1937)

    77. Uighur (1947)

    78. Uzbek (1940)

    79. Yakut (1819, 1851 Böhtlingk, 1839)

    80. Yuit

Azerbaijani LC romanization table (SCM local copy)

Non-Slavic Languages in Cyrillic Script LC romanization table (SCM local copy)

Romanian in Cyrillic LC romanization table (SCM local copy)

Uzbek LC romanization table (SCM local copy)

Revised: Feb. 2016