Zmiter Sauka: «Tarashkevitsa» will join banned white-red-white flags and «Pahonia»

24 October the “house of representatives” adopted the law “On rules of the Belarusian orthography and punctuation” in the first reading. What will the law change in Belarusian language? Radio Svaboda has talked with philologist Zmiter Sauka over this topic and others.

- This law will become an efficient means of stop the practice of unconsidered and as such unlawful using of so called tarashkevitsa in press, - the minister of education of Belarus Aliaksandr Radzkou declared, introducing the draft law to the “house of representatives”. Zmiter, maybe it is the aim of the adoption of the law “On rules of the Belarusian orthography and punctuation”?

- I am sure, they didn’t mean it initially. In early 1990-th some amendment were planned to make. With the changes of power, the priorities have changed, and contents of the law have changed essentially. As we see, a political component has become more important.

- The lively discussion has been holding on the pages of the news-paper “Nasha Niva”, concerning the question that people should come to unified spelling, both those who are using the official spelling and those who are using “tarashkevitsa”. What do you think of that?

- Firstly, I myself use Belarusian language professionally and according to the circumstances I use that or another standard. I suppose, the majority of people who use Belarusian every day are doing so, they temporize in one way or other. What concerns the acute categorical political decision of the “house of representatives”, it only do PR campaign to “tarashkevitsa”. As the result, one more banned symbol - “tarashkevitsa” will join the other banned symbols - white-red-white flags and “Pahonia” (the national court-of-arms).

- Is there something rational in the project?

- There are rational moments. It is that using of “ў” and spelling of some numerals will be simplified. “Ў” will be written in all cases after the vowels if it is unstressed and not a capital. The words “dzieviaty” (ninth) and “dziesiaty” (tenth) won’t be exceptions any more and will be spelled as “dziaviaty” and “dziasiaty”. The rules of syllabification will be liberalized greatly. But the commission of the Community of Belarusian Language proposed all these changes in the spelling, it is not a merit of the today’s “normalizers”. Unfortunately, the “deputies” were so self-confident not to listen to the CBL advice and didn’t agree to have parliament proceedings.