Tarashkevica

Tarashkevica is a variant of the Belarusian orthography. It is also known as the "Lasciewiczian" or "Łacinka" orthography. This system uses the Latin alphabet to write the Belarusian language. Its development began in the late 19th century and it gained prominence in the early 20th century. Tarashkevica was officially recognized for a period, but it eventually fell out of common use, largely supplanted by the Cyrillic alphabet-based orthography.

Despite its decline in official status, Tarashkevica has seen a resurgence in recent decades, particularly among Belarusian diaspora communities and those seeking to differentiate from Russian influence. It is often used in online contexts, in artistic endeavors, and by linguistic activists. The orthography aims to represent Belarusian pronunciation as accurately as possible using Latin letters, employing digraphs and specific letter combinations to capture sounds not directly represented by standard Latin characters. There have been some modern adaptations and proposals for further standardization of the Tarashkevica system to address evolving linguistic norms and practical usage. The debate over its use continues, with proponents highlighting its historical significance and distinctiveness, while others advocate for the greater practicality and widespread recognition of the Cyrillic script.