Your mission? Walk to the store. The one with signs that say “HOBO!” Funny, many stores in Bulgaria display that word. Why? You’re learning a second language, but hobo is nowhere in your phrasebook.

Someone tells you, “Bilingual signs are everywhere.” So off you go, innocent as the day you were born. Sure enough, you find a sign with two versions of a street name.

Breakthrough? Nope. Because the sign isn’t actually bilingual. You’re looking at two distinct alphabets showcasing one common language.

Oh sure, the Roman script looks familiar because, it’s used for English. You can even sound it out: Ulitsa Sveti Kiril I Metodiy. But the language is Bulgarian.

And that other script? Кирил И Методий ул. That’s Cyrillic. If it were in English it would say Saints Cyril and Methodius Street.

Surprising Cyrillic

Oh, I see: Sometimes learning a second language means learning a second alphabet.

What to do? Stick to GPS? Staring at your phone while crossing city streets seems unwise.

It promotes a double standard: “When people come to our English-speaking country they should learn the language, and when we go to their non-English speaking countries we should . . . uh, be able to count on others speaking English.”

When in Bulgaria . . .

You could copy street names in Roman script and show them to locals while looking pathetic and finger-miming the act of walking. Thing is, Roman script in Bulgaria, like many other Balkan countries, is a relatively recent phenomenon. It’s a linguistic standardization linked to membership of the European Union.

So, unless you’re showing your note to Sofia’s millennials—many of whom speak three or more languages—you’ll find that Roman script is as unfamiliar to many locals as Cyrillic is to you.

In a pinch, there are translation apps. But good luck forging authentic human connections as you stand jabbing the keypad of a device while holding up the line at a café.

Language Geeks and Greeks

Sorry, no. According to Bulgarian scholars, Bulgaria introduced Cyrillic, not Russia.

He was from Thessaloniki, which today is part of Greece, but was then part of the Bulgarian Empire. Cyril and his kid brother Methodius were monks who liked monkeying around with language.

And so these two Greek Bulgarians (or Bulgarian Greeks) invented the Glagolitic alphabet.

So Many Alphabets, So Little Time

Now I know what you’re thinking: Aha! Glagolitic must have been the first Slavic alphabet! And you’d be right.

The whole thing was modeled on Ancient Greek. In 850 A.D., there was plenty of Ancient Greek left over just waiting for hotshots like Cyril and Methodius to put it to good use.

Having set up future generations of Greek and Bulgarian scholars with topics for debate, Cyril and Methodius passed mischievously away. Oh, those wacky monks.

In the 10th century, the C&M Brothers’ linguistic start-up was replaced by another evolution of the Bulgarian alphabet. This is the alphabet that scholars named after both brothers—oops sorry, fella—just Cyril.

Today, Cyrillic features in more than 50 languages spoken by over 250 million people in Eurasia. Also in Chicago, home to the largest Balkan community outside of the Balkans.

Getting from A to Ж

Let’s begin. There are 30 pairs of letters in the Cyrillic alphabet. Some look and sound a lot like letters in the Roman alphabet: A as in palm, E as in best, O as in order.

And I haven’t even mentioned Д (not to be confused with Л). Or Щ (not to be confused with Ш).

Magical Cyrillic

Okay, just dip your toe in. You’d be surprised what a difference even a handful of letters can make. Consider it your magic decoder ring.

Remember: Many letters, including K, A, and E, made it from Cyrillic into Roman unchanged.

Now, look at this letter: Ф. It sounds like PH in Phone. Knowing that, you can decipher this:

Hooked on Cyrillic

But those are cognates, you say. What about words that are All-Bulgarian-All-the-Time?

Does Aптека mean “antique”? Look again, knowing that п (Cyrillic) = P (Roman).

Roman lettering makes it APTEKA, which means “Pharmacy.” Handy to know when you have a headache and a 17th century vase just won’t help.

As for HOBO, many a tourist out shopping for souvenirs has misinterpreted it—because they mistook the letters for Roman. But—say it with me —they’re Cyrillic.

Seriously, Nobody in Bulgaria Is Calling You a Hobo

In short, the Bulgarian word HOBO (Cyrillic) is NOVO (Roman), which literally means NEW. As in, “Sale! Buy now!”

Sold on learning a second language? Then consider learning a second alphabet. From Bulgaria to Greece, Eurasia to Chicago, Cyrillic is as easy as АБЦ.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

$\"A$

Not all who wander Bulgarian streets are lost, just the non-Bulgarians.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

When Learning a Second Language
\nMeans Learning a Second Alphabet<\/h2>\n
Your mission? Walk to the store. The one with signs that say \u201cHOBO!\u201d Funny, many\u00a0stores in Bulgaria display that word. Why?\u00a0You\u2019re learning a second language, but hobo<\/i>\u00a0is nowhere in your phrasebook.<\/p>\n
Even more mystifying to an English speaker? Bulgarian\u00a0maps.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Should I turn \u043d\u0430\u043b\u044f\u0432\u043e<\/strong> or \u043d\u0430\u0434\u044f\u0441\u043d\u043e<\/strong>? And which is which?<\/p><\/div>\n
Someone tells you, “Bilingual signs are everywhere.” So off you go, innocent as the day you were born. Sure enough, you find a sign with\u00a0two versions of a\u00a0street name.<\/p>\n
Breakthrough? Nope. Because\u00a0the sign isn’t actually\u00a0bilingual. You’re looking at two distinct alphabets showcasing one common language.<\/p>\n
Oh sure, the Roman script looks<\/em> familiar\u00a0because, it’s used for\u00a0English.\u00a0You can even sound it out:\u00a0Ulitsa Sveti Kiril I Metodiy.\u00a0<\/strong>But the language<\/em> is Bulgarian.<\/p>\n
And that other script? \u00a0\u041a\u0438\u0440\u0438\u043b \u0418 \u041c\u0435\u0442\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0439 \u0443\u043b<\/strong>. <\/em>That’s Cyrillic. If it were in English it would say Saints Cyril and Methodius Street.<\/p>\n
You don’t just have a language barrier\u2014you have an alphabet barrier.<\/p>\n
$\"Bulgarian$
Do I “ask for it by name” or keep pointing
at the cute horsey on the menu?
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Surprising Cyrillic<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Oh, I see<\/strong>: Sometimes learning a second language means learning a second alphabet.<\/p>\n
What to do? Stick to GPS? Staring at your phone while crossing city streets seems unwise.<\/p>\n
Brazen it out? Seek directions by speaking only English? \u00a0Also\u00a0problematic.<\/p>\n
It promotes a double standard:\u00a0 \u201cWhen people come to our<\/em> English-speaking country they should learn the language, and when we go to their<\/em> non-English speaking countries we should . . . uh, <\/em>be able to count on others\u00a0speaking English.\u201d<\/p>\n
$\"Decorative$
The plays of \u0428\u0435\u043a\u0441\u043f\u0438\u0440<\/strong> are popular worldwide, including in Bulgaria.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
When in Bulgaria . . .<\/strong><\/h4>\n
You could copy street names in Roman script and show them to locals while looking pathetic\u00a0and finger-miming the act of walking.\u00a0Thing is, Roman script in Bulgaria, like many other Balkan countries, is a relatively recent phenomenon. It\u2019s a linguistic standardization linked to membership of the European Union.<\/p>\n
So, unless you\u2019re showing your note to Sofia\u2019s millennials\u2014many of whom speak three or more<\/em> languages\u2014you\u2019ll find that Roman script is as unfamiliar to many locals as Cyrillic is to you.<\/p>\n
In a pinch, there are\u00a0translation apps. But good luck forging authentic human connections as you stand jabbing the keypad of a device while holding up the line at a caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
My friend, it\u2019s time to learn a little Cyrillic.<\/p>\n
Language Geeks and Greeks<\/strong><\/h4>\n
$\"Zahari$
Men of letters: Cyril and Methodius with\u00a0alphabet.
Mural by Zahari Zograf (1848)<\/p><\/div>\n
First, meet Cyril. St. Cyril, to be precise.<\/p>\n
Cyril must be the Russian fellow who invented the Cyrillic alphabet, right?<\/em><\/p>\n
Sorry, no. According to Bulgarian scholars, Bulgaria introduced Cyrillic, not Russia.<\/p>\n
So, Cyril the Bulgarian invented Cyrillic?<\/em><\/p>\n
If only it were that simple.<\/p>\n
He\u00a0was from\u00a0Thessaloniki, which today is part of Greece, but was then\u00a0part of the\u00a0Bulgarian Empire. Cyril\u00a0\u00a0and his kid brother Methodius were monks who liked\u00a0monkeying around with language.<\/p>\n
And so\u00a0these\u00a0two\u00a0Greek Bulgarians (or Bulgarian Greeks) invented the Glagolitic alphabet.<\/p>\n
So Many Alphabets, So Little Time<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Now I know what you\u2019re thinking: \u00a0Aha! Glagolitic must have been the first Slavic alphabet!<\/em> And you\u2019d be right.<\/p>\n
The whole thing was modeled on Ancient Greek. In 850 A.D., there was plenty of Ancient Greek left over just waiting for hotshots like Cyril and Methodius to put it to good use.<\/p>\n
$\"The$
Ancient Greek, a pillar of the (language) community.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Having set up future generations of Greek and Bulgarian scholars with topics for debate, Cyril and Methodius passed mischievously away. Oh, those wacky monks.<\/p>\n
In the 10th century, the C&M Brothers\u2019 linguistic start-up was replaced by another evolution of the Bulgarian alphabet. This is the alphabet that scholars named after both brothers\u2014oops sorry, fella\u2014just Cyril.<\/p>\n
Alas, there was no Methodius to their fad-ness.<\/p>\n
Today, Cyrillic features in more than 50 languages spoken by over 250 million people in Eurasia. Also in Chicago, home to the largest Balkan community outside of the Balkans.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Communication has changed with the times
in Bulgaria, but Cyrillic is still going strong.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Getting from A to<\/strong> \u0416<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Let\u2019s begin. There are 30 pairs of letters in the Cyrillic alphabet. Some look and sound a lot like letters in the Roman alphabet: A<\/strong> as in palm<\/em>, E<\/strong> as in best<\/em>, O<\/strong> as in order<\/em>.<\/p>\n
Then you have trickster letters, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CYRILLIC<\/strong><\/td>\n SOUNDS LIKE<\/strong><\/td>\n AS IN<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H<\/td>\n N<\/td>\n No <\/em>way!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
B<\/td>\n V<\/td>\n Very <\/em>confusing!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/td>\n R<\/td>\n Reeeally?<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C<\/td>\n S<\/td>\n Seriously?<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
And I haven\u2019t even mentioned \u0414<\/strong>\u00a0(not to be confused with\u00a0\u041b<\/strong>). Or \u0429<\/strong> (not to be confused with \u0428<\/strong>).<\/p>\n
$\"Decorative$
One\u00a0way to decipher\u00a0two alphabets?
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Magical Cyrillic <\/strong><\/h4>\n
Okay, just dip your toe in. You\u2019d be surprised what a difference even a handful of letters can make. Consider\u00a0it your magic decoder ring.<\/p>\n
Remember: Many letters, including\u00a0K<\/strong>, A, <\/strong>and E, <\/strong>made it from Cyrillic into Roman unchanged.<\/p>\n
Now, look at this letter:\u00a0 \u0424<\/strong>. It sounds like PH<\/strong> in Phone<\/em>. Knowing that, you can decipher this:<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Okay, so the visual cues help, too.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Next, check out these two\u00a0signs.<\/p>\n
$\"Bulgarian$
“These little town \u043e\u0431\u0443\u0432\u043a\u0438<\/strong> are longing to \u043e\u0442\u043a\u043b\u043e\u043d\u044f\u0432\u0430\u0442<\/strong>…”
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
You\u2019ve learned \u0424<\/strong>, so you can read the sign on the green post.<\/p>\n
Now check out the sign on the right. Remember: \u00a0P <\/strong>(Cyrillic) = R<\/strong> (Roman).<\/p>\n
Hooked on Cyrillic<\/strong><\/h4>\n
But those are\u00a0cognates, you say. \u00a0What about words that are All-Bulgarian-All-the-Time?<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Shop till ya \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043f\u0430\u0434\u043d\u0435<\/strong>!
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Does A\u043f\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0430\u00a0mean \u201cantique\u201d? Look again, knowing that\u00a0\u043f<\/strong>\u00a0(Cyrillic) = P<\/strong> (Roman).<\/p>\n
Roman lettering\u00a0makes it\u00a0APTEKA<\/em>, which means \u201cPharmacy.\u201d Handy to know when you have a headache and a 17th century vase just won\u2019t help.<\/p>\n
As for HOBO<\/em>, many a tourist out shopping for souvenirs has misinterpreted it\u2014because they mistook the letters for Roman. But\u2014say it with me \u2014they’re Cyrillic.<\/p>\n
Seriously, Nobody in Bulgaria Is Calling You a Hobo<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Remember:<\/p>\n
\n
H<\/strong> (Cyrillic) = N <\/strong>(Roman)<\/li>\n
O<\/strong> is O<\/strong> in both alphabets<\/li>\n
B<\/strong> (Cyrillic) = V<\/strong> (Roman)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In short, the Bulgarian word\u00a0HOBO<\/em> (Cyrillic) is NOVO<\/em> (Roman), which literally means NEW. As in, “Sale! Buy now!”<\/p>\n
Sold on learning a second language? Then consider learning a second alphabet. From Bulgaria<\/a> to Greece, Eurasia to Chicago, Cyrillic is as easy as \u0410\u0411\u0426.<\/p>\n
Comment<\/a> on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":27714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[189,519,527,102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bilingual-language","category-bulgaria-mappoints","category-greece-mappoints","category-culture-language"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27684"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40931,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27684\/revisions\/40931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

CYRILLIC	SOUNDS LIKE	AS IN
H	N	No way!
B	V	Very confusing!
P	R	Reeeally?
C	S	Seriously?

When Learning a Second Language
Means Learning a Second Alphabet

Surprising Cyrillic

When in Bulgaria . . .

Language Geeks and Greeks

So Many Alphabets, So Little Time

Getting from A to Ж

Magical Cyrillic

Hooked on Cyrillic

Seriously, Nobody in Bulgaria Is Calling You a Hobo

CYRILLIC<\/strong><\/td>\n	SOUNDS LIKE<\/strong><\/td>\n	AS IN<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H<\/td>\n	N<\/td>\n	No <\/em>way!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
B<\/td>\n	V<\/td>\n	Very <\/em>confusing!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/td>\n	R<\/td>\n	Reeeally?<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C<\/td>\n	S<\/td>\n	Seriously?<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n And I haven\u2019t even mentioned \u0414<\/strong>\u00a0(not to be confused with\u00a0\u041b<\/strong>). Or \u0429<\/strong> (not to be confused with \u0428<\/strong>).<\/p>\n $\"Decorative$ One\u00a0way to decipher\u00a0two alphabets? \u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n Magical Cyrillic <\/strong><\/h4>\n Okay, just dip your toe in. You\u2019d be surprised what a difference even a handful of letters can make. Consider\u00a0it your magic decoder ring.<\/p>\n Remember: Many letters, including\u00a0K<\/strong>, A, <\/strong>and E, <\/strong>made it from Cyrillic into Roman unchanged.<\/p>\n Now, look at this letter:\u00a0 \u0424<\/strong>. It sounds like PH<\/strong> in Phone<\/em>. Knowing that, you can decipher this:<\/p>\n $\"A$ Okay, so the visual cues help, too. \u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n Next, check out these two\u00a0signs.<\/p>\n $\"Bulgarian$ “These little town \u043e\u0431\u0443\u0432\u043a\u0438<\/strong> are longing to \u043e\u0442\u043a\u043b\u043e\u043d\u044f\u0432\u0430\u0442<\/strong>…” \u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n You\u2019ve learned \u0424<\/strong>, so you can read the sign on the green post.<\/p>\n Now check out the sign on the right. Remember: \u00a0P <\/strong>(Cyrillic) = R<\/strong> (Roman).<\/p>\n Hooked on Cyrillic<\/strong><\/h4>\n But those are\u00a0cognates, you say. \u00a0What about words that are All-Bulgarian-All-the-Time?<\/p>\n $\"A$ Shop till ya \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043f\u0430\u0434\u043d\u0435<\/strong>! \u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n Does A\u043f\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0430\u00a0mean \u201cantique\u201d? Look again, knowing that\u00a0\u043f<\/strong>\u00a0(Cyrillic) = P<\/strong> (Roman).<\/p>\n Roman lettering\u00a0makes it\u00a0APTEKA<\/em>, which means \u201cPharmacy.\u201d Handy to know when you have a headache and a 17th century vase just won\u2019t help.<\/p>\n As for HOBO<\/em>, many a tourist out shopping for souvenirs has misinterpreted it\u2014because they mistook the letters for Roman. But\u2014say it with me \u2014they’re Cyrillic.<\/p>\n Seriously, Nobody in Bulgaria Is Calling You a Hobo<\/strong><\/h4>\n Remember:<\/p>\n \n H<\/strong> (Cyrillic) = N <\/strong>(Roman)<\/li>\n O<\/strong> is O<\/strong> in both alphabets<\/li>\n B<\/strong> (Cyrillic) = V<\/strong> (Roman)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n In short, the Bulgarian word\u00a0HOBO<\/em> (Cyrillic) is NOVO<\/em> (Roman), which literally means NEW. As in, “Sale! Buy now!”<\/p>\n Sold on learning a second language? Then consider learning a second alphabet. From Bulgaria<\/a> to Greece, Eurasia to Chicago, Cyrillic is as easy as \u0410\u0411\u0426.<\/p>\n Comment<\/a> on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":27714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[189,519,527,102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bilingual-language","category-bulgaria-mappoints","category-greece-mappoints","category-culture-language"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27684"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40931,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27684\/revisions\/40931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

When Learning a Second Language Means Learning a Second Alphabet