THE ADOPTION OF THE CYRILLIC ALPHABET IN 1940 AND THE PROBLEMS OF UZBEK SCRIPT

Abstract

 This article examines the political, social, and linguistic consequences of the adoption of the Cyrillic alphabet for the Uzbek language in 1940. It analyzes the historical circumstances in which the transition from the Latin-based script to the Cyrillic-based alphabet was introduced and explores the difficulties that emerged in Uzbek orthography, phonetics, literacy instruction, and the broader development of the national language. Particular attention is paid to the incompatibility between the phonological structure of Uzbek and the graphic principles of Cyrillic script, especially in the representation of vowels, specific consonants, and native sound patterns. The article argues that the 1940 alphabet reform was not merely a technical change in writing, but a political and cultural intervention that affected linguistic identity, educational practice, and the continuity of the national literary tradition [1], [2].