Roman to Urdu Transliteration using word list Tafseer Ahmed Universitaet Konstanz [email protected] Abstract script is widely used when there comes a need of a language for the informal communication over internet. The paper discusses transliteration of Urdu words Unlike Urdu script, the roman script for Urdu does from roman script to Urdu script. We propose a word not have any standard for spelling the words. A word list based approach that gives a better transliteration can be written in various forms not only by distinct to the Persio-Arabic letters that have same or similar writers but also by the same writer at different sound but are written as different letter in Urdu script. occasions. Specially, there is no one to one mapping We give a rule based system for roman to Urdu between Urdu letters for vowel sounds and the transliteration. As the roman script for Urdu does not corresponding roman letters. The support of Urdu follow any standard and a single word can be written script on the computers is getting better by the usage of in multiple ways, the proposed rule based system Unicode character set and Open Type fonts. The covers the different ways of writing and give the best availability of Urdu script support demands for roman possible Urdu transliteration based on word list and to Urdu transliterator that can convert the text written roman to Urdu script mapping rules. in roman Urdu into proper Urdu script. This paper focuses on the issues related to the 1. Introduction transliteration of Urdu text from roman script to Urdu script. In the paper we have analyzed roman Urdu data Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language that uses extended and identified different spelling rules of roman Urdu. Persio-Arabic script. As Urdu has many sounds that are We give an algorithm that can transliterate roman word not present in Persian and Arabic, the Persio-Arabic written by using different spellings to Urdu script using script is modified to cover Urdu text too. An example a word list. (do chasmi hay) ”ه“ of extension is the Urdu character that represents the aspiration. Similarly, a symbol for 2. Issues in Roman-Urdu Transliteration is introduced in Urdu by extending the ”ڈ“ retroflex We do not find any detailed analysis of automatic .”د“ symbol of dental Urdu has borrowed significant number of words transliteration of Urdu text in Roman script to Urdu from Arabic and Persian glossary. The borrowed words script. The mapping of English and Urdu characters is are written faithfully in Urdu as those are written in its discussed earlier [1]. Transliteration of English words original language. But Urdu speakers do not pronounce (written in roman script) into Urdu script is also the words in the same way as they are pronounced by discussed [2]. an Arab or Persian person. For example, an Arabic The roman script for Urdu does not follow any standard. In this study, we analyzed roman text ,”ع“ and Ain ”ا“ speaker can differentiate between Alif but for an Urdu speaker both have the same sound. As available at different websites and jotted down the we will see in next section, it causes many problems in spelling rules and issues that are commonly found in roman to English transliteration. roman Urdu script. The roman script is not an official standard for Roman to Urdu transliteration cannot be writing Urdu text, but it is widely used. The reason is implemented by simple one to one replacement of influence of English language in Urdu speaking characters. There are many problems in this regard. community. English is widely used in offices, business The following discussion lists the issues that create circle and education sector. English is also the default problem in roman to Urdu transliteration. language of user interfaces of computers. Any person can install Urdu support on the computer and can write email and use chat applications in Urdu, but roman -chooti) ”ﯼ“ ”ء“ ,(chooti-ye) ”ﯼ“ Multiple Urdu letters for roman .2.1 y consonants (hamza) ye) ”ض“ ,(zay) ”ز“ ,(zaal) ”ذ“ (zay) ”ز“ ”ژ“ ,(zuay) ”ظ“ ,(Roman script does not have characters for all z (zuaad consonants that are used in Urdu script. An Urdu (jay) -noon) ”ں“ ,(noon) ”ن“ (noon) ”ن“ speaker uses a single roman character for more than N (ghunna ﺁم common’ and‘ ﻋﺎم one Urdu characters. Both ‘mango’ are written as aam in roman script. The same sound Persio-Arabic characters are not the only The above table shows that the roman letter ‘h’ do) ”ه“ gol_hay) and) ”ﮦ“ ,(hay) ”ح“ problem in roman to Urdu mapping. Different letters marks Urdu (or letter sequences) for different Urdu consonant can chasmi hay). When it comes after an aspiratable consonants like ‘b’, ‘p’ or ‘k’, it represents aspiration ”چ“ (map to single roman equivalent. Urdu letter(s qaf) is) ”ق“ chay-do_chasmi_hay) both are i.e. do chashmi hay. The Urdu letter) ” ﭼﻪ“ chay) and) thief’ and written as Roman ‘q’. Occasionally, it can be written as‘ ﭼﻮر written as ch in roman script as in chor ,knife’. ‘k’ according to the choice of the writer. Similarly‘ ﭼﻬﺮ ﯼ churi Table 1 gives the list of same sound Urdu characters frequently used mapping of all roman characters to and corresponding roman characters. The first column Urdu characters is listed in the above table. of the table has a roman character or character sequence. The second column has all the Urdu letters 2.2. Multiple roman letters for Urdu vowels that are used as equivalent of the roman character in the previous column. The last column has the most Representation of vowels in roman Urdu is a frequently used Urdu character against each roman complex issue. In roman Urdu, the same character can character(s). These characters can be used as the be used for both short and long vowel. For example, ‘a’ call’ as‘ ﺑﺎﻧﮓ war’ and bang‘ ﺟﻨﮓ default transliteration for the roman character(s) is used in jang specified in front of the each equivalent symbol. short and long vowel respectively. An Urdu vowel can be represented by more than one roman letters/ letter can also be written as ﺑﺎﻧﮓ ,Table 1: List of roman characters that has multiple sequences. For example equivalent characters ‘baang’. Hence long ‘a' sound can be expressed either by ‘a’ or ‘aa’. Most Like many other issues, roman Urdu inherits this Roman common Equivalent Urdu letters problem from roman orthography of English. In letter(s) Urdu English script, a roman vowel character can map to equivalent different vowel sounds e.g. ‘a’ maps to short vowel in ”ء“ ,(ain) ”ع“ ,(alif) ”ا“ alif) the English word ‘about’ and to long vowel in the word) ”ا“ a .’alif_mad) ‘father) ”ﺁ“ ,(hamza) chay- Table 2 gives the list of roman characters used for) ”ﭼﻪ “ ,(chay) ”چ“ (chay) ”چ“ ch do_chasmi_hay) vowel sounds and the corresponding Urdu characters. (ddaal) ”ڈ“ , (daal) ”د“ (daal) ”د“ d Table 2: Roman letters for Urdu Vowels -gaaf) ”ﮔﻪ“ ,(ghain) ”غ“ (ghain) ”غ“ gh dochasmi) Urdu letter Roman Equivalents hay_gol), Zabar a) ”ﮦ“ ,(hay) ”ح“ (hay_gol) ”ﮦ“ h hay_dochasmi) Zer i) ”ه“ kaf- Paish u) ”ﮐﻪ“ , (khay) ”خ“ (khay) ”خ“ kh a, aa ا dochasmi) alif ai , ay, ei, e ے qaaf) bari-ye) ”ق“ ,(kaaf) ”ﮎ“ (kaaf) ”ﮎ“ K ee, ey, i , ie ﯼ chooti ye (rray) ”ڑ“ ,(ray) ”ر“ oo, au, ou, o, u و ray vao ”ر“ R ”ص“ ,(seen) ”س“ ,(say) ”ث“ seen) The first three vowels (written in italics) in the) ”س“ s (suad) above table are short vowels and are not written in .Urdu script ”ٹ“ ,(tuay) ”ط“ ,(tay) ”ت“ (tay) ”ت“ T (ttay) 2.3. Y behaves as consonant as well as vowel In Urdu script, a vowel cannot occur at the start of a ”ء“ ain) or) ”ع“ ,(alif) ”ا“ The roman letter ‘y’ represents Urdu consonant ye. syllable without having an belief’, ‘y’ is used as a (hamza) before it. Alif or Ain occurs at the start of the‘ ﻦﻴﻘﻳ In Urdu word yaqeen consonant. But ‘y’ is part of vowel sequences too, as word. For example, both the roman words ‘alag’ and is’ has ‘adal’ have two (short vowel) a’s which are equivalent‘ ﮨﮯ can be seen in table 2. For example hay ,bari ye). to Urdu diacritic mark “َ” (zabar). In the Urdu script) ”ے“ roman letter sequence ‘ay’ for Urdu This implies that it is ambiguous during transliteration the second (in the middle of the word) short vowel ‘a’ whether this particular instance of ‘y’ is a consonant or will be written as zabar, but the first zabar must be part of the vowel sequence. As ‘y’ is part of only two preceded by a consonant. The original Urdu ﻋﺪل separate’ and‘ اﻟﮓ vowel sequences (‘ay’ and ‘ey’), it acts as a vowel only transcription of these words is if it follows ‘a’ or ‘e’. In all the other contexts, it acts ‘justice’ respectively. ”ا“ alif-mad) is equivalent to two) ”ﺁ“ as a consonant. Urdu letter The consonant ‘y’ does not always map on ye. It (alif-s). The long vowel ‘aa’ at the start of a roman hamza) in certain contexts. When word is equivalent to either alif-mad or ain - alif as) ”ء“ maps on .are written as ‘aam’ in roman Urdu ﻋﺎم and ﺁم followed by ‘i’, ‘e’, ‘o’, it can represent Urdu hamza both they) went’ The rule for the vowel at the start is not applied on)‘ ﮔﺌﮯ she) went’, gaye)‘ ﮔﺊ too as in gayi ,you) go’. Hence the consonant ‘y’ that ‘a’ vowel sound only.