Hungarian scripts

Hungarian scripts are used for representing the Hungarian (Magyar) language. The official script of Hungary is the Hungarian Latin-based script, shortly Hungarian alphabet.

There are other - not official - scripts, namely, the Szekely-Hungarian Rovas and the Carpathian Basin Rovas. Especially the Szekely-Hungarian Rovas script obtained large popularity in the last decades, there are books, city border limits, web sites and other printed and handwritten materials with this script.

Hungarian (Latin-based) alphabet

• Its first relic is from the 11th century.
• Periods of use:
  • Old Hungarian orthography
    • Used from the 11th century to 1832
  • Modern Hungarian orthography
    • Used from 1832 to present-day

Szekely-Hungarian Rovas script

• Its first relic is from around 900.
• Period of use
  • Used from the 8th or 9th century.
• Popular contemporary writing as part of cultural heritage activities

Carpathian Basin Rovas script

• Its earliest relic is from the last third of the 8th century.
• Periods of use:
  • Its alleged original use between the 8th century and the 11th century
  • Revitalized in 2009

References

• Erdélyi, István (1958b): Новая руническая надпись из Венгрии [New Rovas inscriptions from Hungary]. In: Эпиграпхика Востока [Epigraphyka Vostoka], pp. 55-56 (in Russian)
• Erdélyi, István (1961): Új magyarországi rovásfelirat [New Rovas inscription of Hungary]. In: Archeológiai Értesítő [Acheological Communications], pp. 279-280 (in Hungarian)
• É. Kiss Katalin – Kiefer Ferenc – Siptár Péter (2003): Új magyar nyelvtan [New Hungarian Grammar]. Budapest: Osiris Kiadó (in Hungarian)
• Róna-Tas, András (1996): A honfoglaló magyar nép [The landtaking Hungarian nation]. Bevezetés a korai Magyar történelem ismeretébe [Introduction to the knowledge of the early Hungarian history]. Budapest: Balassi Kiadó, ISBN 963 506 106 4 (in Hungarian)
• Rovas Writing Home Page: http://rovasirashonlap.fw.hu
• Rovas Info (News Site): http://rovas.info