Although Russian and Bulgarian are separate languages, they share a linguistic ancestor, allowing Russians to understand Bulgarian and vice versa. This common understanding makes communication between Russian and Bulgarian speakers easier.
Despite their same origins and exceptional mutual intelligibility, Russian and Bulgarian have distinct linguistic characteristics. This article explores the key differences as well as similarities between these two Slavic languages.
Who Speaks What And Where?
Russian: Russian stands as one of the fastest-growing languages globally, boasting over 250 million native speakers. It holds official status not only in Russia but also in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Beyond national borders, native Russian speakers are scattered across former Soviet republics, including Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Russian language resonates worldwide, with communities in Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, China, the US, Israel, and even Bulgaria.
Bulgarian: In contrast, Bulgarian serves as the official language solely in Bulgaria, with an estimated 8 million native speakers. Recognized Bulgarian minorities extend into Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia, Albania, and Romania. Sizeable Bulgarian communities thrive in Spain, Germany, Austria, the US, and the UK. However, demographic challenges in Bulgaria raise concerns about the language’s continuity, with some experts predicting the possibility of its extinction by 2100.
A Glimpse into History
Bulgarian’s Linguistic Milestones:
Bulgarian holds a unique historical distinction as the first Slavic language to adopt a writing system, notably the Cyrillic alphabet. The language’s evolution unfolds across four main periods:
- Prehistoric Period (7th – 8th century): Initiated by the migration of Slavonic tribes to the Balkans, this era witnessed the transition from the extinct Bulgar language to Old Church Slavonic. Saints Cyril and Methodius played a pivotal role in creating the Cyrillic alphabet based on Greek, with additions to represent Slavic sounds.
- Old Bulgarian Period (9th – 11th century): Saints Cyril and Methodius, along with their disciples, translated literature into Old Church Slavonic, a literary norm of Common Slavic from which Bulgarian emerged.
- Middle Bulgarian Period (12th – 15th century): This period saw the establishment of a new literary norm, influenced by neighbouring languages and shaped during the 500-year Ottoman rule.
- Modern Bulgarian (16th – present): Significant changes during the 18th and 19th centuries led to the standardization of the language. While influenced by Russia, the World Wars prompted a shift from Russian loanwords to native Bulgarian terms.
Russian’s Linguistic Evolution:
The migration of Slavic tribes in the 6th century set the stage for the emergence of Eastern Slavic, from which Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian originated. Russia’s journey through time includes:
- Pre-10th Century: Three main Slavonic language groups were established: Western, Eastern, and Southern.
- 10th Century: The Eastern Slavic language, the precursor to modern Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian, utilized the Cyrillic alphabet.
- 18th Century: Reforms under Peter the Great and subsequent changes in 1918 led to the simplification and standardization of the Russian language.
- Modern Standard Russian: Derived from the Middle style, as identified by M. L. Lomonosov, the language evolved to express the educated spoken norm.
Differences & Similarities Of Russian And Bulgarian
Despite the influences that the Russian language has had on Bulgarian, the two languages exhibit distinct differences. One notable contrast is the complexity of the Russian language, which maintains a more intricate structure. In contrast, Bulgarian has largely abandoned case declension.
Another is seen in the presence of infinitive forms in Russian verbs, such as “ходить” (to walk), while Bulgarian verbs lack an infinitive form. Plus, Bulgarian, being a synthetic language, places the definite article after the noun or adjective, a feature absent in the Russian language, which lacks a definite article altogether.
In terms of addressing individuals, Russian includes the father’s name alongside the person’s name, creating a specific mode of address. Bulgarian, however, does not use this practice.
Moreover, the age of the languages plays a role, with Bulgarian being older than Russian. As a result, Bulgarian retains Old Slavonic personal pronouns, such as “аз, ти, той, тя, то, ние, вие, те,” while Russian has adopted more modern forms like “я, ты, он, она, оно, мы, вы, они.”
Russian’s vocabulary has been influenced by German and French, while Bulgarian has traces of Turkish, Romanian, and Greek influence. Russian has retained more vocabulary from Old Slavonic, reflecting the language’s historical roots. Despite these differences, both languages share the use of the Cyrillic alphabet.
The use of the Cyrillic alphabet is the most noticeable similarity between Russian and Bulgarian. It should be noted, however, that each language has its own sound system and pronunciation, resulting in tiny changes in the representation of certain letters.
Note :Also note there are different types of translation for different countries such as NAATI translation and USCIS translation .
Final Thoughts!
Russian and Bulgarian people have long had friendly relations, with mutual respect for each other’s cultures and traditions.
While both languages have a shared linguistic ancestry, they have distinct characteristics. Russian grammar is complex and complicated, but Bulgarian grammar is basic and streamlined.
Despite their geographical separation, these two Slavic languages have had significant impacts on one another. Understanding the other language is typically improved by being familiar with the first.