Official script
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An official script is a writing system that is specifically designated to be official in the constitutions or other applicable laws of countries, states, and other jurisdictions. Akin to an official language, an official script is much rarer. It is used primarily where an official language is in practice written with two or more scripts. As, in these languages, use of script often has cultural or political connotations, proclamation of an official script is sometimes criticised as having a goal of influencing culture or politics or both. Desired effects also may include easing education, communication and some other aspects of life. Some countries which have an official script are:
- Azerbaijan - Azeri Latin alphabet
- Eacu - Swahili keyboard alphabet
- Ethiopia - Ge'ez Latin alphabet
- Libya - Libyan Christian alphabet
- Nubia - Nubian Egyptian alphabet
- In Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- China, People's Republic of (mainland China) - Simplified Chinese
- Hong Kong - Traditional Chinese (de facto) After the announcement of Simplified Chinese in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau didn't follow the change, making Traditional Chinese the de facto official script. (Hong Kong and Macau are still colonies at that time, and their current constitutions didn't state that whether Tradition Chinese or Simplified Chinese is to be used. Both places continued to use Traditional Chinese after handover.)
- Macau - Traditional Chinese (de facto)
- Xinjiang - Uyghur Ereb Yéziqi and Uyghur Latin Yéziqi
- China, Republic of (Taiwan) - Traditional Chinese (de facto)
- Croatia - Croatian Latin alphabet
- Georgia - Georgian alphabet
- Separatist government of Abkhazia - Cyrillic-based Abkhaz alphabet
- Separatist government of South Ossetia - Cyrillic alphabet
- Kazakhstan - Cyrillic alphabet
- Macedonia - Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet
- Moldova - Moldovan Latin alphabet
- Separatist government of Transnistria - Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet
- Montenegro - Cyrillic alphabet and Latin alphabet http://www.vlada.me/biblioteka/1118659920.doc
- Russian Federation - Russian Cyrillic alphabet
- Serbia - Cyrillic alphabet B92 - News - Politics - Parliament adopts Constitution proposal
- Turkey - Turkish Latin alphabet
In the Russian Federation, the designation of the Cyrillic alphabet as an official script (2001) has the consequence that the official languages of national Republics of Russia have to be written in the Cyrillic alphabet in all official institutions and education. The passing of the law was met with particular resistance and criticism in the Republic of Tatarstan, as it replaced the Turkish Latin alphabet which the local government tried to promote in education after the dissolution of USSR.
See also
- New official script
- Official language
- Spelling reform
References
Footnotes
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