From Foreign to Familiar: Transliteration Challenges in the Latinization of Kazakh Exonyms

The transition of the Kazakh language from Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet, initiated as part of a broader cultural modernization strategy, has significant implications for the standardization of exonyms - foreign geographical names adapted for use in Kazakh. This article explores the phonological, orthographic, and sociolinguistic challenges that arise in this process, particularly in relation to exonyms inherited from Russian-language conventions or derived from typologically unrelated source languages. Building on transliteration principles established by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) and recent corpus-based research, the study develops a stratified model for exonym adaptation in Kazakhstan. Through the analysis of country names, urban toponyms, and natural landmarks, the article examines key linguistic factors such as phoneme inventory compatibility, semantic transparency, and morphological adaptability. A quantitative analysis of Kazakh-language corpora and map-based data reveals that Russian-influenced forms still dominate public discourse and cartographic materials, although there is an observable trend toward direct transliteration from English and other global languages. The study also considers the complexities involved in adapting exonyms from non-alphabetic writing systems, such as Chinese. Ultimately, the paper advocates for a nuanced standardization approach that balances Kazakh phonological integrity with international recognizability, recommending policy measures such as phonetic consistency, public-access digital databases, and educational support for wider implementation.