UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES (UNGEGN)

Working Group on Romanization Systems

Resolution IX/9 (2007)

Romanization of Hebrew

The Conference,

Considering that the Third United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, held in 1977, recommended the use of the romanization system for Hebrew geographical names in its resolution III/13,

Aware that over the past fifty years there have been some changes in the pronunciation of Hebrew in Israel, resulting partly from changes in the composition of the Israeli population,

Considering that the official national authority on, inter alia, transliteration rules concerning Hebrew, namely, the Academy of the Hebrew Language, has lately decided to introduce certain changes in the romanization of Hebrew geographical names in maps and road signs which have been ratified by the government of Israel, and which have already begun to be implemented in Israel,

Recommends the introduction of certain limited amendments to the previously approved romanization system for Hebrew, as specified below:

(a) The letter ו as a consonant is romanized as V, v, instead of W, w (as a pointed vowel it remains unchanged as וֹ (O, o) or וּ (U, u));
(b) The consonant letter צ is romanized as Ts, ts, instead of Ẕ, ẕ;
(c) The consonant letter ק is romanized as K, k and not as Q, q;
(d) The letters א and ע, both represented by ', are represented only (and always) in the middle of a word, whereas in the past ע was represented also at the beginning and end of a word;
(e) The shva-na (previously romanized as sheva-na‘) is represented by e only where it is actually sounded. Example: בְּנֵי-בְּרָק Bne-Brak (previously Bene-Beraq); but גְּאוּלִים > Ge'ulim.