Chinese Character Transcription Systems

Latin

• Hanyu Pinyin (commonly known simply as Pinyin ) is a universal Latin transcription of Chinese characters, which is currently used as the main one in dictionaries, documents, computer technologies. Developed in China in 1958, finally approved by the government in 1979. Most widely used internationally, including at the UN .
• The Wade – Giles Transcriptional System — a transcription system developed in the 19th century that has long been the most popular in English-speaking countries. In China, it was supplanted by the Pinyin system.
• Goyu Lomazi - developed by Chinese linguists at the beginning of the 20th century, as an alternative to the Wade-Giles system. The designation of tones in each syllable was given by the choice of letters, and not by diacritics. Currently almost never used.
• Mandarin Phonetic Symbols II - created by Taiwanese linguists in 1984 on the basis of Goyu Lomatszy and Wade - Giles. Despite its official status in Taiwan, it has never had much use there outside of literature published by government agencies. Currently almost out of use.
• Tongyun Pinyin is the Taiwanese analogue of the "mainland" Hanyu Pinyin system. Although it has had an official role on the island since 2002, even there it coexists with other systems.
• Yale Romanization Systems - Developed by Yale University . The Yale Romanization of Putonghua was created during World War II by order of the military, and is now supplanted by the Pinyin system. The Yale romanization of the Cantonese appeared in 1970 and is still in use.
• The Legg transcription system is an obsolete system used by James Legg in his English translations of Chinese classical philosophical works
• Morrison's transcription is an outdated system that first appeared in R. Morrison's A Dictionary of the Chinese Language (Shanghai, 1879).
• Williams' transcription is an outdated system, first used in the Williams SW dictionary “A Syllabic Dictionary of the Chinese Language” (Shanghai, 1874).
• Buller's transcription - deprecated, for the first time in the Baller FW dictionary "An Analytical Chinese-English Dictionary, Compiled for the China Inland Mission" (Shanghai, 1900)
• Matirah transcription is outdated, for the first time in the manual Mateer S. W. “A Short Course of Primary Lessons in Mandarin” (Shanghai, 1904). Used in publications of the American Presbyterian Mission.

In addition to the listed transcription systems of Chinese words, others were used in English literature, which were used mainly only in the works of the authors themselves: Edkins (J. Edkins, 1857), Meyers (WF Mayers, 1874), Muller (FM Muller, 1882), De Groot (JJM De Groot, 1892-1910), Liman (S. Leaman, 1897), the Chinese Education Association (Educational Association of China - EAC, 1904), Gardner (G S. Gardner, 1931), Karlgren (V. Karlgren, 1940 ), Nidema (J. Needham, 1954).

Cyrillic

• The Palladium transcription system is a system for transcribing Chinese characters into Russian, created in the 19th century by Russian Sinists. It is widely used in dictionaries published in pre-revolutionary Russia, the USSR, and the Russian Federation; standard transcription for Chinese names and geographical names in Russian-language literature.
• Wikipedia: The transcription of Cantonese words is a system designed to translate Cantonese words (primarily in Hong Kong ) into Russian.
• Russian-Chinese transliteration (Russian names are their own Chinese characters) - you can write the name, surname, middle name, the name of something in Chinese characters (in Chinese).

Others

• Xiaoerjing , abbr. Xiaojing, 小 经 is a transcriptional system for writing Chinese in Arabic letters , used by Chinese Muslims. Currently not common.
• Tulergi Hergen - standardized along with the reform of the Manchu script in 1632.
• Nu-shu is a phonetic syllabic used by the women of Jianyun County in the southern Chinese province of Hunan .
• Zhuyin (bopomofo) - was developed in 1912 in China, the final version was adopted in 1930. Currently widely used in Taiwan , mainly in educational literature and for entering Chinese text into a computer or telephone. In China, it has been supplanted by the Pinyin system.

At the beginning of the 19th century, attempts were made to replace the hieroglyphs with alphabetical writing.

• Chinese Romanized Alphabet - Designed by Chinese linguists in 1926 to move from hieroglyphic writing to alphabetical writing. To indicate tones, an addition of additional letters to the syllable was used. Not received practical development. Served as the basis for creating the Zhuang language alphabet.
• Chinese Latinized alphabet - was developed in the USSR for Chinese people living in the Soviet Union. Ceased to be used in the late 30s.