New Alphabets, Old Rules: Latinization, Legacy, and Liberation in Central Asia

Changing national alphabets is significant and controversial because of its connection to the legitimation of power in the past and present. Writing system revisions in Central Asia present intriguing variations. Latinization in Turkmenistan achieved the most notable recognition. In Uzbekistan, the government instituted some degree of Latinization, but the scope of the new alphabet remains limited. In Kazakhstan, the script change seems politically ambitious, but slow in its implementation. This article scrutinises how modern autocracies incorporate alphabetic alterations within their domestic and international legitimacy projects, places current Latinization efforts in historical context.