User:Erutuon/Russian transcription

A modified Russian transliteration system that more accurately represents pronunciation:

soft щ, ч: ć, śś
hard ш, ж: š, ž
unstressed я, е (in most cases): i, y
unstressed о (in most cases): a
palatalized consonants: ◌̦

spelling with acutes
Wiktionary transliteration
transcription indicating alveolo-palatal vs. retroflex sibilants and stressed vs. unstressed vowels
— and indicating all palatalized consonants, sometimes redundantly, with apostrophes
— with commas below

Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Пу́шкин
Aleksándr Sergéjevič Púškin
Aliksándr Sirgéivić Púškin
Al'iksándr S'irg'éiv'ić Púšk'in
Al̦iksándr Șirg̦éiv̦ić Púšk̦in

Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский
Fjódor Mihájlovič Dostojévskij
F'ódar Mihájlavić Dastajéfskij
F'ódar M'ihájlav'ić Dastajéfsk'ij
F̦ódar M̦ihájlav̦ić Dastajéfsk̦ij

Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й
Lev Nikolájevič Tolstój
L'ev N'ikaláiv'ić Talstój
L̦ev N̦ikaláiv̦ić Talstój

Алекса́ндр Порфи́рьевич Бороди́н
Aleksándr Porfír'evič Borodín
Aliksándr Parfírjivič Baradín
Al'iksándr Parf'ír'jiv'ić Barad'ín
Al̦iksándr Parf̦ír̦jiv̦ić Barad̦ín

Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев
Sergéj Sergéjevič Prokófjev
S'irg'éj S'irg'éiv'ić Prakóf'jif
Șirg̦éj Șirg̦éiv̦ić Prakóf̦jif

Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский
Pjótr Iljíč Čajkóvskij
Pjótr Iljíć Ćijkóvskij
P'jótr Il'jíć Ćijkóvsk'ij
P̦jótr Il̦jíć Ćijkóvsk̦ij

Никола́й Андре́евич Ри́мский-Ко́рсаков
Nikoláj Andréjevič Rímskij-Kórsakov
Nikaláj Andréivić Rímskij-Kórsakav
N'ikaláj Andr'éiv'ić R'ímsk'ij-Kórsakav
N̦ikaláj Andr̦éiv̦ić R̦ímsk̦ij-Kórsakav

И́горь Фёдорович Страви́нский
Igor' Fjódorovič Stravínskij
Igar' F'ódaravić Stravínskij
Igar' F'ódarav'ić Strav'ínsk'ij
Igar̦ F̦ódarav̦ić Strav̦ínsk̦ij

Алекса́ндр Иса́евич Солжени́цын
Aleksándr Isájevič Solženícyn
Aliksándr Isáivić Salžynícyn
Al'iksándr Isáiv'ić Salžyn'ícyn
Al̦iksándr Isáiv̦ić Salžyn̦ícyn

революционе́р
revoljucionér
rivaljucyanér
r'ival'ucyan'ér
r̦ival̦ucyan̦ér

Москва́ Moskvá Maskvá	Санкт-Петербу́рг Sankt-Peterbúrg Sankt-Pitirbúrg Sankt-P'it'irbúrg Sankt-P̦ițirbúrg	Екатеринбу́рг Jekaterinbúrg Jikatirinbúrg Jikat'ir'inbúrg Jikațir̦inbúrg	Новосиби́рск Novosibírsk Navasibírsk Navas'ib'írsk Navașib̦írsk	Ни́жний Но́вгород Nížnij Nóvgorod Nížnij Nóvgarad N'ížn'ij Nóvgarad N̦ížn̦ij Nóvgarad	Волгогра́д Volgográd Valgagrád	Воро́неж Vorónež Varóniž Varón'iž Varón̦iž	Новоросси́йск Novorossíjsk Navarassíjsk Navarass'íjsk Navarasșíjsk	Ярослáвль Jaroslávlʹ Jiraslávlʹ	Оймяко́н Ojmjakón Ajmikón Ajm'ikón Ajm̦ikón

Discussion

Conventional transliterations of Russian do not very accurately represent pronunciation. The biggest issues are the difference between alveolo-palatal and retroflex consonants, and stressed and unstressed vowels. People routinely pronunce unstressed о (o) in Russian as the English diaphoneme /oʊ/, not as an unstressed schwa /ə/, which would be a better rendition of the Russian. Similarly, they do not pronounce unstressed е (e) as /iː/. None of the existing transliteration systems attempt to correct this. Of course, it is not really the purpose of a transliteration, but I am surprised I have never heard of a transcription system that does this.

There is also the issue of palatalized consonants. Palatalization is mostly predictable before е, и (e, i), which are generally preceded by a palatalized consonant, but the Latin alphabet has no distinct letters for the а, о, у vs. я, ё, ю contrast (both have to be written a, o, u). It is best not to transcribe palatalization with j (ja, jo, ju /ʲa ʲo ʲu/), which should mark the semivowel /j/ (/ja, jo, ju/). The apostrophe is used in Wiktionary's transliteration, but it is rather clunky. The acute accent cannot be used for palatalized alveolars, since it is being used for alveolo-palatals. The rare palatalized ц c /tsʲ/ must be distinguished from alveolo-palatal ч (ć) /tɕ/, and palatalized с (s) [sʲ] from double alveolo-palatal щ (śś) /ɕː/. So I used under-commas or cedillas for palatalized consonants in the fourth transliteration. It looks odd.