Spelling of the alphabet of the Russian language. The number of letters in the alphabets of different peoples

The role of writing in the development of the entire human society cannot be overestimated. Even before the appearance of letters familiar to us, ancient people left various inscriptions on stone and rocks. At first these were drawings, then they were replaced by hieroglyphs. Finally, a letter more convenient for transmitting and understanding information appeared using letters. Centuries and millennia later, these signs-symbols helped to restore the past of many peoples. A special role in this case was played by written monuments: various codes of laws and official documents, literary works and memories of famous people.

Today, knowledge of the language is an indicator not only intellectual development person, but also determines his attitude to the country in which he was born and lives.

How it all began

In fact, the basis for the creation of the alphabet was laid by the Phoenicians at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e. They came up with consonants, which they used for a long time. Subsequently, their alphabet was borrowed and improved by the Greeks: vowels already appeared in it. This was around the 8th century BC. e. Further, the history of the alphabet of the Russian language can be reflected in the scheme: Greek letter - Latin alphabet - Slavic Cyrillic. The latter served as the basis for the creation of writing among a number of related peoples.

Formation of the Old Russian state

From the 1st century AD, the process of disintegration of the tribes that inhabited the territory of Eastern Europe and spoke the common Proto-Slavic language began. As a result, in the region of the middle Dnieper, Kievan Rus, which later became the center of a large state. It was inhabited by a part of the Eastern Slavs, who eventually developed their own special way of life and customs. The story of how the Russian alphabet appeared was further developed.

The growing and strengthening state established economic and cultural ties with other countries, primarily Western European ones. And for this, writing was needed, especially since the first Church Slavonic books began to be brought to Russia. At the same time, there is a weakening of paganism and spread throughout Europe. new religion- Christianity. It was here that an urgent need arose for the "invention" of the alphabet, thanks to which the new teaching could be conveyed to all Slavs. It was the Cyrillic alphabet, created by the "brothers of Thessalonica".

The important mission of Constantine and Methodius

In the 9th century, the sons of a noble Thessalonica Greek, on behalf of the Byzantine emperor, went to Moravia - at that time a powerful state located within the borders of modern Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Their task was to acquaint the Slavs who inhabited Eastern Europe, with the teachings of Christ and the ideas of Orthodoxy, as well as hold services in the native language of the local population. The choice fell on two brothers not by chance: they had good organizational skills, showed special diligence in their studies. In addition, both were fluent in Greek and Konstantin (shortly before his death, after being tonsured a monk, he was given a new name - Cyril, with whom he went down in history) and Methodius became the people who came up with the alphabet of the Russian language. It was perhaps the most significant result their missions in 863.

Cyrillic base

When creating the alphabet for the Slavs, the brothers used the Greek alphabet. The letters corresponding to the pronunciation in the languages ​​of these two peoples, they left unchanged. To designate the sounds of Slavic speech that were absent from the Greeks, 19 new signs were invented. As a result, the new alphabet included 43 letters, many of which subsequently entered the alphabets of the peoples who once spoke a common language.

But the story of who invented the alphabet of the Russian language does not end there. During the 9th-10th centuries, two types of alphabet were common among the Slavs: Cyrillic (it was mentioned above) and Glagolitic. The second contained a smaller number of letters - 38 or 39, their style was more complicated. In addition, the first signs were used additionally to indicate numbers.

So did Cyril invent the alphabet?

For several centuries, researchers have found it difficult to give an unambiguous answer to this question. In the "Life of Cyril" it is noted that "with the help of his brother ... and students ... he compiled the Slavic alphabet ...". If this is true, then which of the two - Cyrillic or Glagolitic - is his creation? The matter is complicated by the fact that the manuscripts made by Cyril and Methodius have not been preserved, and in later ones (related to the 9th-10th centuries) none of these alphabets is mentioned.

To understand who invented the alphabet of the Russian language, scientists have done a lot of research. In particular, they compared one and the other with the alphabets that existed even before their appearance and analyzed the results in detail. They did not come to a consensus, but most agree that Cyril most likely invented the Glagolitic alphabet, and even before his trip to Moravia. This is supported by the fact that the number of letters in it was as close as possible to phonetic composition Old Church Slavonic (designed specifically for writing). In addition, in their style, the Glagolitic letters differed to a greater extent from Greek ones and bear little resemblance to modern writing.

The Cyrillic alphabet, which became the basis for the Russian alphabet (az + beeches is the name of its first letters), could have been created by one of Konstantin's students - Kliment Okhritsky. He named it after his teacher.

The formation of the Russian alphabet

Regardless of who invented the Cyrillic alphabet, it was she who became the basis for the creation of the Russian alphabet and the modern alphabet.

In 988 Ancient Russia accepts Christianity, which significantly influenced further fate language. Since that time, the formation of their own writing begins. Gradually, the Old Russian language, the alphabet of which is based on the Cyrillic alphabet, is being improved. It was a lengthy process that ended only after 1917. Then were introduced last changes into the alphabet we use today.

How Cyrillic changed

Before the Russian alphabet acquired the form it has today, the fundamental alphabet underwent a number of changes. The most significant were the reforms in 1708-10 under Peter I and in 1917-18 after the revolution.

Initially, the Cyrillic alphabet, which was very reminiscent of the Byzantine script, had several extra, doublet, letters, for example, i=i, o=ѡ - they were most likely used to convey Bulgarian sounds. There were also various superscripts that indicated stress, aspirated pronunciation.

Before the reign of Peter I, letters denoting numbers were drawn up in a special way - it was he who introduced the Arabic account.

In the first reform (this was due to the need to draw up business papers: 7 letters were removed from the alphabet: ξ (xi), S (green) and iotized vowels, I and Y were added (they replaced the existing ones), ε (reverse). This greatly simplified alphabet, and it began to be called "civilian". In 1783, N. Karamzin added the letter Y. Finally, after 1917, 4 more letters disappeared from the Russian alphabet, and b (er) and b (er) began to denote only the hardness and softness of consonants .

The name of the letters has also completely changed. Initially, each of them was a whole word, and the whole alphabet, according to many researchers, was filled with a special meaning. This showed the mind of those who invented the alphabet. The Russian language has preserved the memory of the first names of letters in proverbs and sayings. For example, “start from the basics” - that is, from the very beginning; "Fita yes Izhitsa - the whip is approaching the lazy." They are also found in phraseological units: “to look with a verb”.

Praise to the Great Saints

The creation of the Cyrillic alphabet became the greatest event for the entire Slavic world. The introduction of writing made it possible to pass on to the descendants the accumulated experience, to tell the glorious history of the formation and development of independent states. It is no coincidence that they say: "If you want to know the truth, start with the ABC."

Centuries pass, new discoveries appear. But those who came up with the alphabet of the Russian language are remembered and revered. The proof of this is the holiday, the Day which is celebrated annually on May 24 all over the world.

Known to every bearer of Slavic culture as the creators of the alphabet. Of course, it is they who are at the origins of Slavic literacy, but are we only indebted to them for the alphabet that we still use?

Creation Slavic writing was caused by the need for Christian preaching among the Slavs. In 862 - 863 years. Prince of Moravia (one of the largest Slavic states at that time) Rostislav sent an embassy to Byzantium with a request to send missionaries to conduct worship in the Slavic language. The choice of Emperor Michael III and Patriarch Photius fell on the well-known apologist for Eastern Christianity Constantine (who later took the name Cyril during monastic tonsure) and his brother Methodius.

For about three years they worked in Moravia: they translated from Greek The Bible and liturgical texts were prepared by scribes from among the Slavs, then they went to Rome. In Rome, the brothers and their disciples were solemnly welcomed, they were allowed to serve the Liturgy in Slavic. Constantine-Cyril was destined to die in Rome (in 869), Methodius returned to Moravia, where he continued to translate.

In order to fully appreciate the feat of the "Slovenian teachers", you need to imagine what it meant to translate into a language that did not have a written language Holy Bible and liturgical books. To do this, it is enough to remember what topics and how we communicate in everyday life, and compare this with the content of the biblical text, the text of the service. In everyday life, we rarely talk about complex cultural, philosophical, ethical, religious concepts.

Spoken language by itself is not able to develop means of expressing such complex meanings. Today, arguing on abstract topics, we use what has been created for centuries in the philosophical, religious, literary tradition, i.e. purely literary tradition. The Slavic language of the 9th century did not possess this wealth.

The unwritten language of the Slavs of the 9th century had practically no means of expressing abstract concepts, and even more so theological concepts; complex grammatical and syntactic structures were little developed in it. To make the service understandable for the Slavs, the language needed the finest processing. It was necessary either to find in the Slavic language itself, or to unobtrusively bring from another (Greek became this language) everything necessary for this language to become able to convey the Gospel to people, to discover the beauty and meaning of the Orthodox service. Slavic teachers masterfully coped with this task.

By translating the Bible and liturgical texts into the Slavic language, revealing the Gospel to the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius, at the same time, gave the Slavs a book, linguistic, literary, theological culture. They gave the language of the Slavs the right and opportunity to become the language of human communication with God, the language of the Church, and then the language of great culture and literature. The significance of the feat of the brothers for the entire Orthodox Slavic world cannot truly be overestimated. But it is worth remembering the activities of the disciples of Cyril and Methodius, without whom the mission of the First Teachers could not have been completed, but who, unfortunately, remain in the shadow of their great teachers.

The mission of Cyril and Methodius met with resistance. Methodius had to endure about two years of confinement in prison, and after his death, opponents of Eastern Christianity expelled the disciples of Cyril and Methodius from Moravia. Slavic books began to be burned, services in the Slavic language were banned. Part of the expelled students went to the territory of present-day Croatia, and part to Bulgaria.

Among those who went to Bulgaria was one of the outstanding disciples of Methodius, Clement of Ohrid. It was he, according to most modern scientists, who was the creator of the alphabet, which we (albeit with minor changes) use to this day.

The fact is that there are two known Slavic alphabets: Glagolitic and Cyrillic. The verbal letters are very complex, pretentious, and bear little resemblance to the letters of any other alphabet. Apparently, the author of the Glagolitic alphabet used the elements various systems letters, including oriental ones, and he invented some symbols himself. The person capable of doing such a complex philological work was Konstantin-Kirill.

The Cyrillic alphabet was created on the basis of the Greek script, while its creator worked hard to adapt the Greek script to the Slavic phonetic system. Based on painstaking work with manuscripts, studying their linguistic features, distribution area, paleographic characteristics, the researchers came to the conclusion that the Glagolitic alphabet was created earlier than the Cyrillic alphabet, the Glagolitic alphabet, apparently, was created by Cyril, and the Cyrillic alphabet was created by the most talented student of Methodius, Kliment Ohridsky.

Clement (c. 840 - 916), who fled persecution from Moravia, was sent Bulgarian king Boris to preach in Ohrid. Here he created the largest school of Slavic writing, one of major centers Slavic culture. Translations were carried out here, original Slavic works of spiritual content (songs, hymns, lives) were compiled. Clement of Ohrid can rightly be called one of the first Slavic writers. Clement's work on teaching adults and children to read and write was also unusually extensive: according to the most conservative estimates, he introduced about 3,500 people to Slavic writing. In 893, Clement was appointed Bishop of Dremvitsa and Velica. He became one of the first Slavic church hierarchs, the first Bulgarian hierarch serving, preaching and writing in the Slavic language. According to most modern scientists, it was he who created the alphabet, which the Orthodox Slavic peoples still use.

Clement of Ohrid is glorified in the face of saints Equal-to-the-Apostles. His memory is celebrated on July 27 (Sobor of the Bulgarian Enlighteners) and on November 25.

Thus, the Proto-Slavic alphabet is a Message - a set of coding phrases that allow each sound of the language system to give an unambiguous graphic correspondence (i.e., a letter).

And now - WARNING! Consider the first three letters of the alphabet - az, beeches, lead. Az - "I". Beeches (beeches) - "letters, letters." Lead (vede) - “learned”, perfect past tense from “lead” - know, know.
Combining the acrophonic names of the first three letters of the alphabet, we get the following:
"az buki vede" - "I know the letters."

Combined into phrases and all subsequent letters of the alphabet:
A verb is a “word”, and not only spoken, but also written.
Good - "property, acquired wealth."
Yes (este) - third person singular from the verb "to be".

We read: "the verb is good" - "the word is a property."

Live - imperative mood, plural from "to live" - ​​"to live in labor, and not to vegetate."
Zelo - "zealously, with zeal" (cf. English zeal - stubborn, zealous, jealous - jealous, as well as the biblical name Zealot - "jealous"). Earth - "planet Earth and its inhabitants, earthlings."
And - the union "and".
Izhe - "those who, they are."
Kako - “like”, “like”.
Humans are "reasonable beings".

We read: “live zealously, earth, and others like you” - “live, working hard, earthlings, and as befits people.” Think - imperative mood, plural of "think, comprehend with the mind."

Nash - "our" in the usual sense.
On - "one" in the meaning of "the only one."
Chambers (peace) - "the basis (of the universe)". Wed "to rest" - "to be based on something."

We read: "think our peace" - "comprehend our universe."
Rtsy (rtsi) - imperative mood: "speak, utter, read aloud."
Wed "speech". The word is "transmitting knowledge."
Firmly - "confidently, with conviction."

We read: "Rtsy word is firm" - "carry knowledge with conviction."
Uk - the basis of knowledge, doctrine. Wed science, teach, skill, custom.
Fert, f (b) ret - “fertilizes”.
Kher - “divine, given from above” (cf. German herr - master, God, Greek “hiero” - divine, English hero - hero, and also Russian name God - Khors).

We read: “uk faret Kher” - “knowledge fertilizes the Almighty”, “knowledge is a gift of God”.
Tsy (qi, tsti) - "sharpen, penetrate, delve into, dare."
Worm (worm) - "he who sharpens, penetrates."
Sh (t) a (Sh, Sh) - “what” in the meaning of “to”.
Ъ, Ь (еръ / еръ, ъръ) are variants of one letter, meaning an indefinite short vowel close to “e”.
The variant “b” arose later from “iъ” (this is how the letter “yat” was displayed in writing until the 20th century).
Yus (yus small) - "light", old Russian "yas". In modern Russian, the root "yas" is preserved, for example, in the word "clear".
Yat (yati) - "to comprehend, to have."
“Tsy, worm, shta bra yus yati!”

It stands for “Dare, sharpen, worm, in order to comprehend the Light of Being!”.

The combination of the above phrases makes up the alphabetical Message:

“Az beeches vede. The verb is good.
Live green, earth, and like people,
think of our peace.
Rtsy word firmly - uk feret Kher.
Tsy, worm, shta bra yus yati!

And if you give this message a modern sound, it will turn out something like this:

I know letters. The letter is a treasure.
Work hard earthlings
As befits reasonable people.
Comprehend the universe!
Carry the word with conviction: Knowledge is a gift from God!
Dare, delve into, so that the Light of Existence can be comprehended!

We use letters in writing oral speech- sounds. Letters represent the sounds we make. There is no simple and direct correspondence between letters and sounds: there are letters that do not designate sounds, there are cases when a letter means two sounds, and cases when several letters mean one sound. Modern Russian has 33 letters and 42 sounds.

Kinds

Letters are vowels and consonants. Letters soft sign and solid mark do not form sounds, in Russian there are no words beginning with these letters. The Russian language is “vociferous”, in Russian words there are many vowels (o, e, i, a), voiced consonants (n, l, v, m, p). Noisy, deaf, hissing (w, h, w, u, c, f) are much less. The vowels yu, e, e are also rarely used. In a letter, instead of the letter ё, they often write the letter e without losing the meaning.

Alphabet

The following are the letters of the Russian language in alphabetical order. Showing capital and capital letters, their names are indicated. Vowels are marked in red, consonants in blue, letters ь, ъ in gray.

A a B b C c D d E f f f g f g h I i y y k k l l M m N n O P p p r s s t t u u v f x x z z z h Sh sh y y y y b

The letter L is called "el" or "el", the letter E is sometimes called "E reverse".

Numbering

Numbers of letters of the Russian alphabet in direct and reverse order: