What are Romanization and Latinization?

Romanization — is the process of translating text written in a non-Latin alphabet into Latin. This is used to provide comprehensibility for those unfamiliar with the source script and can be applied to many languages, including Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and others.

Romanization is useful in international communications, learning foreign languages, creating cartographic materials, etc. Different languages may have multiple romanization systems, depending on the purpose and context of its use.

The terms "Romanization" and "Latinization" are often used interchangeably, but they can have slightly different meanings depending on the context:

Romanization <TAG1> is the process of translating text from another written script into the Latin alphabet. This does not necessarily include changes in the language itself, but only in the way it is written. Such romanization is often used to transliterate or transcribe names, geographical names, and other text for those using the Latin alphabet.

Latinization <TAG1> is the process of replacing the traditional script of the national language with the Latin alphabet. May include structural changes in language, adaptation of new spelling rules, and other profound changes in the writing system. For example, Turkish switched from using the Arabic script to the Latin alphabet in the 1920s under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, part of broader reforms in language and education.

These examples demonstrate that romanization is mainly concerned with transcription for reading, while Latinization involves deeper changes in the writing system of the language.