How to read/write your Serbian surnames
What is Serbian origin of your surname? Have you strange surname with many doubt? Is it in origin C or CH, E or I, G or H, etc?
I'l try to help you and introduce you with Serbian alphabet and basic of Serbian language. That can be very useful in your research through Balkan roots.
Serbian or Serbo-Croatian language is origin language at Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia&Hercegovina. Macedonian and Slovenian languages are very similar to Serbian, specially in alphabet and pronouncing of characters.
Serbian or Serbo-Croatian language is origin language at Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia&Hercegovina. Macedonian and Slovenian languages are very similar to Serbian, specially in alphabet and pronouncing of characters.Serbian alphabet have 30 characters and two equal writings Cyrillic and Latin. In Cyrillic each sound have unique character. In Latin is the same rule with few exceptions (just to confirm rule :-))). Other minor difference between that two is alphabet order of characters. Here I will write Latin alphabet in serbian language with explanation, but in Cyrillic alphabet order. That because I'l give you the site where you can see Cyrillic alphabet and more of that you can hear pronunciation:
Serbian alphabet have 30 characters and two equal writings Cyrillic and Latin. In Cyrillic each sound have unique character. In Latin is the same rule with few exceptions (just to confirm rule :-))). Other minor difference between that two is alphabet order of characters. Here I will write Latin alphabet in serbian language with explanation, but in Cyrillic alphabet order. That because I'l give you the site where you can see Cyrillic alphabet and more of that you can hear pronunciation:http://www.bgdconsulting.com/family/index.htm
http://www.bgdconsulting.com/family/index.htmA - read like in word f-A-ther or go at above link
B - B-ook
V - V-ery
G - G-od
D - D-avid
B - B-ook
V - V-ery
G - G-od
D - D-avid
Dj - have not sound in english; nearest is J-ubilee; usually in english transcription of serbian names substitution for that sound is letter G; example: DjORDjEVIC' - GEORGEVICH; even many Serbians mix Dj and Dz (see below) and sometimes DjAK (pupil) become DzAK (sack)
Dj - have not sound in english; nearest is J-ubilee; usually in english transcription of serbian names substitution for that sound is letter G; example: DjORDjEVIC' - GEORGEVICH; even many Serbians mix Dj and Dz (see below) and sometimes DjAK (pupil) become DzAK (sack)E - E-lephant
E - E-lephantZ" - re-G-ime; mark " have to be on top of Z; in english transcription Z" simply become Z, or sometimes G or J; in spanish become J
Z" - re-G-ime; mark " have to be on top of Z; in english transcription Z" simply become Z, or sometimes G or J; in spanish become JZ - Z-oo
Z - Z-ooI - I-t; very often in transcription become E; example: ILIC' - ELICH
I - I-t; very often in transcription become E; example: ILIC' - ELICHJ - Y-es; in transcription become Y; JERKOVIC' - YERKOVICH
J - Y-es; in transcription become Y; JERKOVIC' - YERKOVICHK - C-at; in transcription become C and even sometimes pronouncing have transformation during long time in C; KOSTIC' - COSTICH
K - C-at; in transcription become C and even sometimes pronouncing have transformation during long time in C; KOSTIC' - COSTICHL - L-ook
L - L-ookLj - have not sound in english; in transcription become L; BOLJEVIC' - BOLEVICH;
Lj - have not sound in english; in transcription become L; BOLJEVIC' - BOLEVICH;M - M-e
N - N-ot
NJ - N-ew; in transcription become N; NJEGOMIR - NEGOMIR
O - O-ff
P - P-et
R - R-oyal
S - S-tock
T - T-rim
N - N-ot
NJ - N-ew; in transcription become N; NJEGOMIR - NEGOMIR
O - O-ff
P - P-et
R - R-oyal
S - S-tock
T - T-rim
C' - mark ' have to be on top of C; that is our CH on the end of ours surname; pronouncing like very soft CH-eese; in transcription become simply C or CH; C'IRKOVIC' - CIRKOVIC or CHIRKOVICH; even many Serbians mix C' and C" (see below) like Dj and Dz
C' - mark ' have to be on top of C; that is our CH on the end of ours surname; pronouncing like very soft CH-eese; in transcription become simply C or CH; C'IRKOVIC' - CIRKOVIC or CHIRKOVICH; even many Serbians mix C' and C" (see below) like Dj and DzU - t-O; b-OO-k
F - F-oot
H - H-e;
F - F-oot
H - H-e;
C - C-entral; don't make any transformation in reading like in C-lass, in serbian language doesn't mater where is C;
C - C-entral; don't make any transformation in reading like in C-lass, in serbian language doesn't mater where is C;C" - CH-eese; mark " have to be on top of C; very often mix whit C'; C"EJOVIC' - CHEJOVICH
C" - CH-eese; mark " have to be on top of C; very often mix whit C'; C"EJOVIC' - CHEJOVICHDz - J-une; in transcription become J or G; KARADzIC' - KARAGICH
Dz - J-une; in transcription become J or G; KARADzIC' - KARAGICHS" - SH-ow; mark " have to be on top of S; in transcription become SH; PAS"IC' - PASHICH
S" - SH-ow; mark " have to be on top of S; in transcription become SH; PAS"IC' - PASHICHSerbian language have two simplest rules for reading and writing and even if you first time see something written on Serbian you can read that without knowing the meaning.
Serbian language have two simplest rules for reading and writing and even if you first time see something written on Serbian you can read that without knowing the meaning.1. READ AS IS WRITTEN!
(Try to read your surname in accordance with above explanations)
(Try to read your surname in accordance with above explanations)
2. WRITE AS YOU SPEAKING!
2. WRITE AS YOU SPEAKING!And remember ONE SOUND ONE LETTER (except Dj, Lj and Nj in Latin alphabet)!