The Aromanian alphabet (Aromanian; Arumanian; Macedo-Romanian: Alfabetu armãnescu/rãmãnescu) is a variant of the Latin script used for writing the Aromanian language. The current version of the alphabet was suggested in 1997 at the Symposium for Standardisation of the Aromanian Writing System in Bitola, Republic of North Macedonia and revised in 1999. It was then adopted by most Aromanian writers in North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania.[1]
The alphabet consists of several letters and digraphs.[2] The Aromanian alphabet is since 1997 standardized.
| Letter | Name[3] | Pronunciation (IPA) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A, a | a | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| Ã, ã | ã | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ (sometimes) | For pronounced as /link/, "â" may be used | |
| B, b | bã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| C, c | cã | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as //k// when followed by "a", "o", "u" or a consonant; (pronounced as //x// in some dialects), pronounced as //tʃ// when followed by "e" or "i" | |
| D, d | dã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| Dh, dh | dhã | pronounced as /link/ | Used only for notation in particular accents where this phoneme is present, otherwise "d" is used | |
| Dz, dz | dzã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| E, e | e | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| F, f | fã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| G, g | gã | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as //ɡ// before "a", "o", "u" or a consonant (pronounced as //ɣ// in some dialects), pronounced as //dʒ// before "e" and "i" | |
| H, h | hã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| I, i | i | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| J, j | jã | pronounced as /link/ | ||
| K, k | ca | pronounced as /link/ | before "e" or "i" only | |
| L, l | lã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| Lj, lj | ljã | pronounced as /link/ | Found in Macedonian Latin alphabet | |
| M, m | mã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| N, n | nã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| Nj, nj | njã | pronounced as /link/ | Found in Macedonian Latin alphabet | |
| O, o | o | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| P, p | pã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| Q, q | kiu | pronounced as /link/ | Used only in foreign words – "c" is normally used instead | |
| R, r | rã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| Rr, rr | rrã | ? | Used only for notation in particular accents where this phoneme is present, otherwise "r" is used | |
| S, s | sã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| Sh, sh | shã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| T, t | tã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| Th, th | thã | pronounced as /link/ | Used only for notation in particular accents where this phoneme is present, otherwise "t" is used | |
| Ts, ts | tsã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| U, u | u | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | For pronounced as /link/, "ù" may be used | |
| V, v | vã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
| W, w | dublã vã | pronounced as /link/ | Used only in foreign words | |
| X, x | csã/gzã | pronounced as //ks//, pronounced as //ɡz// | Same pronunciation as found in English | |
| Y, y | i greacã | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as //j// before "e" and "i", pronounced as //ɣ// elsewhere | |
| Z, z | zã | pronounced as /link/ | – | |
In addition, the digraph "gh" (pronounced as /link/ before "e" and "i") is used as well.
Prior to adoption of the current writing system, Aromanian had been written using a wide variety of scripts, including Greek and Cyrillic.
With the standardisation of Romanian, a language closely related to Aromanian, and the opening of Romanian schools in the southern Balkans, the Romanian alphabet was used to write Aromanian.
In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a renewed push for creating a standard writing system. Aromanian began being taught in schools in North Macedonia, Albania, and Romania. Members of various Aromanian societies around the world held conferences every few years, all with the main goal of promoting a standard Aromanian alphabet.
Besides the standardized alphabet, there still exist other variants. Those based on the Latin alphabet often use the letters â, ă, î, ș, ț (as does Romanian) and also ḑ, ľ, ń. In Greece, Aromanian is usually written using the Greek script.