Recommendations for the removal of contradictions and lacunas in the effective orthography of the borrowing words

Abstract

The article analyzes the section “Spelling of words of foreign origin” in the current edi­tion of “Ukrainian Spelling”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on May 22, 2019. Attention is focused on contradictions in the transmission of the phonetic and graphic structure of borrowings in the wording of some rules. They were found primarily in the consistent non-distinction of the methods of transcribing and transliterating to convey the sound or letter structure of the prototypes of individual groups of words in the source languages of borrowing. The traditional spelling of some words also needs justification. Emphasis is placed on the need to determine the chronology, area of distri­bution, and authority of the writings to which the definitions “usually” and “according to tradition” are applied in this section. Attention was also drawn to the inaccuracy of such definitions as “imitation of the sound in the original language” or “entered into the Ukrainian language in an adapted form”, which should be replaced by precise in­structions on the use of transcription or transliteration to convey in Ukrainian writing this or that word of foreign origin. It is also emphasized the need to present in the spelling code of the language the general methodological principles of transmitting the formal structure of words of foreign origin. In such an introductory part, the definition of the concept of “words of foreign origin”, its relationship with the concepts of “borrowing”, “tracing” and others, should be given, as well as the criteria for choosing the spelling of those words, the spelling of which is difficult and requires special rules. The improvement of Ukrainian spelling in its new editions also involves a careful and thoughtful selection of examples and text illustrations. Its Ukrainian-centricity is emphasized as a reference to the system of the Ukrainian language, typological features of its nomination and predication, defining components of Ukrainian national and lin­guistic identity. Keywords: Ukrainian orthography, borrowing words, adaption, transcription, transliteration.