The Cyrillic alphabet, the script famously used by Russians (and others), is one of the world’s most widely used systems of writing.
The connection of this historic alphabet to the Greek language is profound and goes back centuries. The Cyrillic alphabet has been the script with which over 250 million people across Europe and Asia read, write, and communicate with the world around them.
However, have you ever wondered about its roots and origins?
The origins of the Cyrillic alphabet
Even one who is not a language expert can instantly see that the Cyrillic alphabet is different to that of English. It resembles Greek and includes elements of Latin, yet is distinctly unique.
As it turns out, the history of the Cyrillic alphabet is truly fascinating, going back to the 9th century AD, with all-important influences from the Greek language and alphabet.
In attempting to comprehend the historical context and linguistic similarities as well as modern influences and cultural significance of the impact of Greek on the development of Cyrillic, we discover a vital element of the Greek language itself, which is not widely known.
The Cyrillic alphabet is formed
The Cyrillic alphabet goes back to the Middle Ages, beginning around the 9th to 10th centuries, when it was developed by Byzantine Greeks for Slavic-speaking peoples of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church.
The new form of writing was named after Saint Cyril, a Byzantine Greek Christian missionary from Thessaloniki who, along with his brother Methodius, created this first-ever Slavic alphabet in the 860s. This was 1,200 years earlier.
The two devout Christian brothers from north of modern-day Greece aimed to translate a series of religious texts into the Slavic languages and dialects spoken across Eastern Europe of the time. This was part of an effort of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire to Christianize the entire region and therefore expand its cultural and diplomatic influence to the North.
However, the Cyrillic script as we know it today is not the same exact version as that of Cyril and Methodius. It was most likely further developed and altered by disciples in today’s Bulgaria, then becoming the official script of the First Bulgarian Empire in 893.
This version of the Cyril alphabet replaced a writing form known as the Glagolitic script, originally invented by Cyril. It was far more complex and difficult compared to the current form taught to hundreds of millions of people in Eastern European and Asian countries.
Linguistic similarities between Greek and Cyrillic scripts
Factually speaking, the Cyrillic alphabet was derived directly from the Greek script. This is more than evident when we look at the two writing systems side by side. Obviously, there have been certain changes, and additional letters were adopted from the Glagolitic alphabet for certain Slavic sounds not part of the Greek language.
Originally, the Cyrillic alphabet included all 24 letters from the Greek alphabet, along with an additional 19 letters, specifically designed for Slavic phonemes not existent in Greek. In its infant stages, Cyrillic closely resembled Greek. However, over the course of time, it evolved, particularly during later centuries, into what it is today.
Many letters in the modern Cyrillic alphabet still have direct equivalents in Greek, both in their appearance and sound. These include А, В, Е, К, М, Н, О, Р, С, Т, and Х. Some letters, however, such as Б, Г, Д, П, and Ф, look similar to their Greek counterparts but represent sounds different to those of the Greek alphabet.
Moreover, many words were borrowed from Greek by the Old Church Slavonic. This was the first Slavic literary language used by the Christian churches of the East. Some of the words have survived to this day in modern Russian and other Slavic languages showcasing the long connection between the two.
Influence on modern Cyrillic
Today, the Cyrillic alphabet in its modern form is used as the official writing system in numerous Slavic as well as non-Slavic countries. It has been adopted by many nations and adapted to over fifty languages. Russia, of course, accounts for about half of the alphabet’s 250 million users worldwide.
As is the case with every writing system, the Cyrillic alphabet has undergone linguistic reforms. The aim of these was to simplify and reduce the number of original letters so as to make it more practical for everyday use. In 1708 in Russia, Tsar Peter the Great introduced lowercase letters and Westernized certain letter forms. The purpose of this was to reduce the cultural gap between Eastern and Western parts of Europe.
Currently, Cyrillic is the third official script of the European Union with the first two being the Latin and Greek alphabets that had been used in the Union prior to the accession of Bulgaria. This Balkan nation is the only member-state of the EU that officially uses the Cyrillic alphabet.
The Cyrillic alphabet today
Beyond the official, practical, and widespread use of the Cyrillic writing system by over 250 million people, the alphabet has also been immensely culturally significant. It is an indispensable part of the identity and linguistic traditions of many Slavic nations.
This is the case even for those who have adopted the Latin alphabet in recent decades—primarily former Soviet republics such as Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. The adoption of Cyrillic many centuries ago points to the historical connection of Slavic nations to the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
In some non-Slavic countries—for instance, Mongolia and Turkic-speaking republics of the former Soviet Union—Cyrillic replaced scripts such as that of Arabic. These nations gradually converted to Russian Orthodoxy and later joined the Russian Empire and, subsequently, the Soviet Union.
In Russia, the Old Church Slavonic, written in Cyrillic, was historically used for religious services, but ultimately, the Cyrillic script became the standard.
This transition unified the alphabet for Slavic languages, as it was considered easier to learn and use compared to Glagolitic, which was viewed as a much more difficult and complex form of writing by ordinary people.
The Cyrillic alphabet, brimming with a rich history, is used by millions of people today. It is deeply connected to the Greek nation and, most precisely, its state predecessor, the Byzantine Empire.
The Cyrillic alphabet, as outlined herein, is heavily influenced by the Greek language and script and, therefore, the Greek civilization as a whole. From its origins in the 9th century to its modern-day adaptations in countries such as Russia and Bulgaria, Cyrillic has evolved significantly over the centuries. The adaptations have made the script one of the most useful writing systems in the world.
Related: The Ancient Greek Origins of Latin Alphabet
