Improve Kyrgyz

[jbezos]

@SpecialCharacter

This issue continues hyphenation/tex-hyphen#68 (comment).

I’m assuming lualatex, which is the recommended engine.

Here is a block for a date variant. I’ve named it tentatively Kyrgyz
(no doubt there is a better name and I just copied the
month names from Wikipedia).

[date.gregorian.Kyrgyz]
date.long = [y]-ж., [d]-[MMMM]
date.short = [d]/[M]/[yy]
months.wide.1  = Үчтүн айы
months.wide.2  = Бирдин айы
months.wide.3  = Жалган куран
months.wide.4  = Чын куран
months.wide.5  = Бугу
months.wide.6  = Кулжа
months.wide.7  = Теке
months.wide.8  = Баш Оона
months.wide.9  = Аяк Оона
months.wide.10 = Тогуздун айы
months.wide.11 = Жетинин айы
months.wide.12 = Бештин айы

The simplest way to use it is (note the name here is all lowecase):

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage[kyrgyz, provide={ calendar=.kyrgyz }]{babel}
\babelfont{rm}{NewComputerModern10}

\begin{document}

\today

\end{document}

Here is an example on how to deal with changes in spelling when hyphenating a word. Very basic and for demonstation purposes:

\documentclass{article}

% hyphenrules=+ creates an empty set of patterns
\usepackage[kyrgyz, provide={ hyphenrules=+ }]{babel}
\babelfont{rm}{NewComputerModern10}

\babelhyphenmins{1}{1}
\babelposthyphenation{kyrgyz}{ оку () я ()  }{
  { no=я, pre=-, post=йа }
}
 
\begin{document}

окуя

\hsize1pt 

окуя

\end{document}

[jbezos]

@SpecialCharacter

There is a tentative version here: https://github.com/latex3/babel/blob/main/locale/ky/babel-ky.ini.

Here is a sample file:

\documentclass{article}

\ifx\directlua\undefined  % if pdflatex
  \usepackage[T2A]{fontenc}
\fi

% Basic, all engines:
% \usepackage[kyrgyz]{babel}

% Optional, with lualatex:
\usepackage[kyrgyz, provide={transforms=iotated.hyphen}]{babel}

\ifx\directlua\undefined\else % if luatex
  \babelfont{rm}{NewComputerModern10}
\fi

\babelpatterns{ 1ё 1ю 1я н1д }

\babelhyphenmins{1}{1}

\setlength{\parindent}{0pt}

\begin{document}

\contentsname—\indexname—\figurename

\medskip

\today

\medskip

\localedate\year\month\day \par
\localedate{2026}{1}{1}    \par
\localedate{2026}{3}{3}    \par
\localedate{2026}{5}{6}    \par
\localedate{2026}{7}{9}    \par
\localedate{2026}{11}{12}  \par

\medskip

\localedate[variant=kyrgyz]\year\month\day \par
\localedate[variant=kyrgyz]{2026}{1}{1}    \par
\localedate[variant=kyrgyz]{2026}{3}{3}    \par
\localedate[variant=kyrgyz]{2026}{5}{6}    \par
\localedate[variant=kyrgyz]{2026}{7}{9}    \par
\localedate[variant=kyrgyz]{2026}{11}{12}  \par

\medskip

окуя боё коюу баянда

\hsize1pt 

окуя боё коюу баянда

\end{document}

The output with lualatex is

There are still some details to be worked out.

The transform for iotated (or iotified, which is the Unicode name) vowels is very tentative. I’d like to point out this rule can be only really automated with lualatex. With pdflatex and xelatex it can be automated only with limitations, because requires a little hack and the result is suboptimal. With pdflatex, they must be marked up by hand; with xelatex we can define some rules with the interchar mechanism, but only if they are simple. All this stuff can be sorted out once we have the hyphenation patterns in place.

Another point: I’d like a more precise name for the now called Kyrgyz date variant, because both format are, after all, Kyrgyz. Maybe traditional (although I don’t know how traditional it is).

[SpecialCharacter]

The issue that traditional is actually newer than the Russian-inherited months :)
They new months were invented after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
In Polyglossia, I called them standard vs kyrgyzmonths. In reality, the kyrgyzmonths are rarely used; I just wanted to give users the option.
I think we should add a 3rd option, a short date (25.01.2026).
EDIT: Oh, I see you already did it.

[SpecialCharacter]

I still need to look into whether a comma is needed after the year -ж., (probably not).

EDIT: Kyrgyz locale examples say no.

[SpecialCharacter]

Hyphenation and transformation are like higher maths to me. I hope I will receive the list of hyphenated words soon.

[SpecialCharacter]

Polyglossia has hyphenmins={2,2} where babel has {1,1}. Do you recommend changing them to {1,1} for consistency?

[jbezos]

@SpecialCharacter 2, 2 should be fine. The reason I was setting 1, 1 in my examples is related to the rules for the iotated letters and the transform implementing them. With 1, 1 окуя is hyphenated (in the last letter) as оку|я, which in turn can be converted to оку|йа if required. With 2, 2 this point is not found. (I’m assuming this hyphenation point is only possible in kyrgyz words, and that in loanwords, at least in principle, it’s forbidden.)

Hyphenation and transformation are like higher maths to me.

No problem. Just write your ‘wish list’.

[SpecialCharacter]

OK, hyphenmins={2,2} unless an expert tells us otherwise.

[date.gregorian]
% [date.gregorian.standard]
date.long = [y]-ж. [d]-[MMMM]

without comma.

I will make changes in the [captions] list, but I need to confirm first.

[SpecialCharacter]

[date.gregorian.Kyrgyz]
% [date.gregorian.kyrgyzmonths]
date.long = [y]-жылдын [MMMM] [d|date.day]
% (Always use the long year form.)

[jbezos]

@SpecialCharacter I’ve just pushed a new version. With the help of Gemini and some addiitional research, I’ve revised a few captions, waiting for the final version.

[SpecialCharacter]

Thanks! The same changes in date format would apply to gloss-kyrgyz.ldf.