Orthographic Norm and Linguistic Consciousness in the Kazakh Language: A Survey-Based Study of User Acceptance of Competing Variants

This article examines the acceptance of competing orthographic variants in the Kazakh language and discusses their relationship to language norms. The study aims to determine the extent to which language users support orthographic variants proposed by scholars who have criticized the current orthographic dictionary and to explore attitudes toward orthographic norms. The research is based on orthographic variants discussed in the works of O. Zhubay, A. Salkynbai, and B. Kapalbek. Data were collected through a Google Forms survey involving 92 respondents. The questionnaire included 30 pairs of competing orthographic variants and 12 statements designed to assess attitudes toward orthography. The data were analyzed using the R statistical software package. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, Welch’s t-test, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were employed. The results indicate that variants such as birdeñe (“бірдеңе”), alai-dülei (“алай-дүлей”), erkek-shora (“еркек-шора”), jeku (“жеку”), ärtis (“әртіс”), and jädigöi (“жәдігөй”) received relatively high levels of support. At the same time, variants such as juyq arada (“жуық арада”), aita ğoi (“айта ғой”), and atbeket (“атбекет”) were preferred over the alternatives proposed by the authors. These findings suggest that the acceptance of orthographic norms depends not only on linguistic principles but also on established language use. A significant negative correlation was found between age and support for the author-proposed variants (r = –0.399, p < .001), while professional background showed no significant effect. The study highlights the importance of considering both linguistic theory and language users’ perceptions in the codification of orthographic norms.