Transliteration represents one writing system through another. Its purpose is not to change the language, but to give readers a consistent path into its written form.
Why consistency matters
A useful transliteration system makes its conventions visible. Readers should be able to see how letters, marks, or sounds in the source are represented in the romanized text.
Good transliteration keeps the reader close to the structure of the source.
Precision and readability need not be opposites. The best editorial choices explain what is preserved, what is normalized, and where uncertainty remains.