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Glite Dictionary
Old Bulgarian language

Old Bulgarian language

9.9
A first Slavic written language used to translate the Bible and church texts in the Middle Ages
  • noun
  • Literature
translation icon : idioma búlgaro antiguo
  • The Bible was first translated into the Old Bulgarian language in the ninth century.

Examples

  • The Old Bulgarian language played a key role in the spread of Christianity among Slavic peoples.

  • Linguists study texts written in Old Bulgarian language to better understand early Slavic cultures.

  • The Old Bulgarian language was crucial for Slavic literature.

  • Many scholars study the Old Bulgarian language today.

  • Linguists study texts written in Old Bulgarian language to better understand early Slavic cultures.

  • The Old Bulgarian language played a key role in the spread of Christianity among Slavic peoples.

  • The Bible was first translated into the Old Bulgarian language in the ninth century.

Synonyms

Old Bulgarian
vsOld Bulgarian language
  • Literature
9.9

A very old Slavic language used in the 9th–11th centuries for early Bible translations

is used more broadly across the medieval period beyond that early span
Old Church Slavonic
vsOld Bulgarian language
  • Literature
9.9

An early Slavic language used in the ninth century to translate the Bible and other church texts

is the medieval Slavic literary form used by Slavs over centuries
Old Church Slavic
vsOld Bulgarian language
  • Literature
9.9

An old written Slavic language used to translate the Bible for early Christians in the ninth century

is focused on translating the Bible for medieval Slavic peoples
Church Slavic language
vsOld Bulgarian language
  • Literature
9.9

A Slavic language used in Orthodox church services, based on Old Church Slavonic from the 9th century

originates as the early Bible translation language rather than later liturgy
Church Slavic
vsOld Bulgarian language
  • Literature
9.9

A literary Slavic language that Orthodox churches use for worship and Bible translation

is the broader medieval literary language used beyond liturgy

Surface Forms

Old Bulgarian language singular
Old Bulgarian languages plural

Morphology

old + Bulgarian + language

The phrase is fully compositional: 'old' (historical) + 'Bulgarian' + 'language' straightforwardly yields the idea of a historical form of the Bulgarian language. This pattern (e.g. 'Old English', 'Old French') is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will understand the basic meaning even if they lack specialist historical detail.

Etymology

Old Bulgarian language got its name because the first Slavic books and the Bible were written in Bulgaria in the 9th century. People called that early written speech Old and Bulgarian, so today the name means the first Slavic 'written language' used across the Middle Ages.