Do not read an old text as modern Bulgarian with spelling mistakes. The Old Bulgarian literary language of the ninth–eleventh centuries is attested in Glagolitic and Cyrillic. Constantine-Cyril created Glagolitic; Cyrillic developed later in the Old Bulgarian literary milieu. Language, alphabet and spelling are distinct.
The transition towards modern Bulgarian includes gradual reduction of cases, development of a postposed article and replacement of the infinitive with "да"
constructions. This did not happen through one reform. In "на брата"
, a preposition expresses the relationship; "дома"
, "боже"
and "кому"
preserve different traces of older forms.
The reforms of 1921 and 1945 concern writing; they did not introduce analytical grammar. In 1945, "ѣ" and "ѫ" left the alphabet and word-final "ъ"
and "ь" ceased to be written.
Separate the original transcription from the modernised version. Explain archaisms in context. A loanword is not automatically incorrect: origin and present-day usage are different questions.
| похват / белег | пример / прочит |
|---|---|
| стара буква | «ѣ» — ят; днес различни съответствия |
| стара буква | «ѫ» — голяма носовка |
| падежна следа | кому |
| звателна форма | брате |
| съвременна конструкция | Искам да чета. |
Examples
Езикът се променя постепенно, а правописът се урежда с правила.
Language changes gradually, whereas spelling is regulated by rules.
В стария запис «ѣ» е буква, която днес не използваме.
In the old spelling, "ѣ" is a letter we no longer use.
Във формата «кому» има следа от старо падежно изменение.
The form "кому"
preserves a trace of old case inflection.
Съвременният израз «Искам да чета» съдържа да-конструкция.
The modern expression "Искам да чета"
contains a "да"
construction.
Осъвремененият правопис не превръща архаичната дума в съвременна.
Modernising the spelling does not turn an archaic word into a modern one.
For speakers of your language
Similarities with English in prepositional structures do not imply the same historical development. Bulgarian retains a rich verbal system.
Quick quiz
Which statement distinguishes alphabet from language?
Един език може да се записва с различни азбуки.
Written symbols and the language system are not the same thing.Which example expresses a relationship analytically?
на брата
The preposition"на"marks the relationship.
What was removed from spelling in 1945?
Краесловните «ъ» и «ь».
They cease to be written word-finally;"ъ"remains in the alphabet.
Which note distinguishes origin from usage?
Думата е заета, но днес е книжовна.
Borrowed origin alone does not determine present-day status.The loss of cases was not introduced by the spelling reform of 1945.
True
The grammatical changes developed centuries before that reform.