Romanian Cyrillic alphabet

Romanian Cyrillic
Romanian Cyrillic;
Script type	Alphabet
Time period	16th–19th centuries
Languages	Romanian
Related scripts
Parent systems	Phoenician alphabet Greek alphabet Glagolitic alphabet Cyrillic Romanian Cyrillic; ; ; ;
Sister systems	Early Cyrillic alphabet
	This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

The Romanian Cyrillic alphabet is the Cyrillic alphabet used to write the Romanian language before 1860–1862, when it was officially replaced by a Latin-based Romanian alphabet. Cyrillic remained in occasional use until the 1920s (mostly in Bessarabia).^[1] It is not the same as the Russian-based Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet used in the Moldavian ASSR since 1926, and then in the Moldavian SSR between 1940 and 1989 (except 1941-44).

Between its discarding and the full adoption of the Latin alphabet, a so-called transitional alphabet was in place for a few years (it combined Cyrillic and Latin letters, and included some of the Latin letters with diacritics which came to be used in Romanian spelling).^[2]

Table of correspondence

The Romanian Cyrillic alphabet was close to the contemporary version of the Early Cyrillic alphabet of the Old Church Slavonic liturgical language.

Letter	Numerical Value	Romanian Latin Equivalent	Transitional Alphabet	Moldovan Cyrillic Equivalent	Phoneme	Name in Romanian^[3]
А а	1	a	A a	а	/a/	Az
Б Б		b	Б Б	б	/b/	Buche
В в	2	v	В в	в	/v/	Vede
Г г	3	g, gh	G g	г	/ɡ/	Glagol
Д д	4	d	D d	д	/d/	Dobru
Є є, Е e^[4]	5	e	E e	е	/e/	Est
Ж ж		j	Ж ж	ж	/ʒ/	Juvete
Ѕ ѕ	6	dz	Ḑ ḑ	дз	/d͡z/	Zalu
З з	7	z	Z z	з	/z/	Zemle
И и	8	i	I i	и	/i/	Ije
Й й^[5]		i	Ĭ ĭ	й	/j/, /ʲ/
І і^[6]	10	i	I i	и	/i/	I
К к	20	c, ch	K k	к	/k/	Kaku
Л л	30	l	L l	л	/l/	Liude
М м	40	m	M m	м	/m/	Mislete
Н н	50	n	N n	н	/n/	Naș
Ѻ Ѻ, О o^[4]	70	o	O o	о	/o̯/	On
П п	80	p	П п	п	/p/	Pocoi
Р р	100	r	Р р	р	/r/	Râță
С с	200	s	S s	с	/s/	Slovă
Т т	300	t	T t	т	/t/	Tferdu
Ѹ ѹ, ОУ оу^[4]	400	u	Ꙋ ꙋ^[7] (Ȣ, ȣ, ɣ)	у	/u/	Upsilon
Ѹ Ȣ, У Ȣ^[4]		u	Ꙋ ꙋ (Ȣ, ȣ, ɣ)	у	/u/	Ucu
Ф ф	500	f	F f	ф	/f/	Fârta
Х х	600	h	Х х	х	/h/	Heru
Ѡ ѡ^[8]	800	o	O o	о	/o/	Omega
Щ щ		șt	Щ щ	шт	/ʃt/	Ștea
Ц ц	900	ț	Ц ц	ц	/t͡s/	Ți
Ч ч	90	c (before e, i)	Ч ч	ч	/t͡ʃ/	Cervu
Ш ш		ș	Ш ш	ш	/ʃ/	Șa
Ъ ъ		ă, ŭ^[9]	Ъ ъ	э	/ə/	Ier
Ы ы		â, î, ĭ, ŭ^[9]	Î î	ы	/ɨ/	Ieri
Ь ь		ă, ŭ, ĭ^[9]	Ꙋ̆ ꙋ̆	ь	—
Ѣ ѣ		ea	Ea ea	я	/e̯a/	Eati(u)
Ю ю		iu	Ĭꙋ ĭꙋ	ю	/ju/	Io / Iu
Ꙗ ꙗ, IA^[4]		ia	Ĭa ĭa	иа	/ja/	Ia
Ѥ ѥ, IE^[4]		ie	Ĭe ĭe	ие	/je/
Ѧ ѧ		ĭa, ea^[9]	Ĭa ĭa, Ea ea	я	/ja/	Ia
Ѫ ѫ		î	Î î	ы	/ɨ/
Ѯ ѯ^[10]	60	x	Ks ks	кс	/ks/	Csi
Ѱ ѱ^[10]	700	ps	Пs пs	пс	/ps/	Psi
Ѳ ѳ^[10]	9	th, ft	T t, Ft ft	т, фт	/t/ and approx. /θ/ or /f/	Thita
Ѵ ѵ^[10]	400	i, u	I i; Ꙋ ꙋ	и, у	/i/, /y/, /v/
Ꙟ ꙟ, ↑ ↑		în îm	În în Îm îm	ын, ым	/ɨn/, /ɨm/	În
Џ џ		g (before e, i)	Џ џ	ӂ	/d͡ʒ/	Gea

Unregulated transitional alphabets

Starting with the 1830s and ending with the official adoption of the Latin alphabet, there were no regulations for writing Romanian, and various alphabets using Cyrillic and Latin letters, besides the mid-transitional version in the table above, were used, sometimes two or more of them in a single book. The following table shows some of the many alphabets used in print.

Pre-1830	1833^[11]	1838^[12]	1846 (1),^[13] 1848^[14]	1846 (2)^[15]	1858^[16]	1860^[17]
А а	А а	А а	А а	А а	A a	A a
Б б	Б б	Б б	Б б	Б б	B b	Б б
В в	В в	В в	В в	В в	V v	В в
Г г	Г г	Г г	Г г	Г г	G g	Г г
Д д	Д д	Д д	D d	Д д	D d	D d
Є є, Е e	Є є	Є є	E e	Ε ε	E e	E e
Ж ж	Ж ж	Ж ж	Ж ж	Ж ж	J j	Ж ж
Ѕ ѕ	Ѕ ѕ	Дз дз	Ḑ ḑ	Дз дз	Dz dz	Dz dz
З з	З з	З з	Z z	З з	Z z	Z z
И и	И и	I i	I i	І і	I i	I i
І і	Ї ї	I i	I i	І і	I i	I i
К к	К к	К к	K k	К к	K k	K k
Л л	Л л	Л л	Л л	Л л	L l	L l
М м	М м	М м	M m	М м	M m	M m
Н н	Н н	Н н	N n	Ⲛ ⲛ	N n	N n
Ѻ Ѻ, О o	О о	О о	O o	О о	О о	O о
П п	П п	П п	П п	П п	П п	П п
Р р	Р р	Р р	Р р	Р р	R r	Р р
С с	С с	С с	S s	С с	S s	S s
Т т	Т т	Т т	T t	Т т	T t	T t
Ѹ ѹ	У у (initial), Ꙋ ꙋ (mid and final)	Ꙋ ꙋ	Ꙋ ꙋ	Ꙋ ꙋ	Ꙋ ꙋ	Ꙋ ꙋ
Ꙋ, ȣ	У у (initial), Ꙋ ꙋ (mid and final)	Ꙋ ꙋ	Ꙋ ꙋ	Ꙋ ꙋ	Ꙋ ꙋ	Ꙋ ꙋ
Ф ф	Ф ф	Ф ф	Ф ф	Ф ф	F f	Ф ф
Х х	Х х	Х х	Х х	Х х	Х х	Х х
Ѡ ѡ	Ѡ ѡ ("(-)лѡр" only)	О о	O o	О о	О о	О о
Щ щ	Щ щ	Щ щ	Щ щ	Шт шт	Шt шt	Шt шt
Ц ц	Ц ц	Ц ц	Ц ц	Ц ц	Ц ц	Ц ц
Ч ч	Ч ч	Ч ч	Ч ч	Ч ч	Ч ч	Ч ч
Ш ш	Ш ш	Ш ш	Ш ш	Ш ш	Ш ш	Ш ш
Ъ ъ	Ъ ъ	Ъ ъ	Ъ ъ	Ъ ъ	Ъ ъ	Ъ ъ
Ы ы	Ꙟ ꙟ (initial), Ѫ ѫ (mid and final)	Ꙟ ꙟ (initial), Ѫ ѫ (mid and final)	Ꙟ ꙟ	Ꙟ ꙟ	Î î	Î î
Ѣ ѣ	Ѣ ѣ	Ѣ ѣ	Ea ea	Εа εа (ligature – small letter only)	Ea ea	Ea ea
Ю ю	Ю ю	IꙊ iꙋ (ligature)	IꙊ Iꙋ iꙋ (ligature)	IꙊ Iꙋ іꙋ (ligature – small letter only)	IꙊ iꙋ (ligature)	Ĭꙋ ĭꙋ
Ꙗ ꙗ	Ꙗ ꙗ (initial), Ѧ ѧ (mid and final)	Ꙗ ꙗ	Ꙗ Iа (ligature) ꙗ	IА Iа ꙗ	Ĭa ĭa	Ĭa ĭa
Ѥ ѥ	Йє йє	Ĭe ĭe	Ĭe ĭe	Ĭε ĭε	Ĭe ĭe	Ĭe ĭe
Ѧ ѧ	Ꙗ ꙗ (initial), Ѧ ѧ (mid and final)	Ꙗ ꙗ	Ꙗ Iа (ligature) ꙗ	IА Iа ꙗ	Ĭa ĭa	Ĭa ĭa
Ѫ ѫ	Ꙟ ꙟ (initial), Ѫ ѫ (mid and final)	Ꙟ ꙟ (initial), Ѫ ѫ (mid and final)	Ꙟ ꙟ	Ꙟ ꙟ	Î î	Î î
Ѯ ѯ	Кс кс	Кс кс	Ks ks	Кс кс	Ks ks	Ks ks
Ѱ ѱ^[10]	Пс пс	Пс пс	Пs пs	Пс пс	Пs пs	Пs пs
Ѳ ѳ^[10]	Т т	Т т	T t	Ѳ ѳ	T t	T t
Ѵ ѵ^[10]	И, Ꙋ	I, Ꙋ	I, Ꙋ	І, Ꙋ	I, Ꙋ	I, Ꙋ
Ꙟ ꙟ	Ꙟн ꙟн Ꙟм ꙟм	Ꙟн ꙟн Ꙟм ꙟм	Ꙟн ꙟн Ꙟм ꙟм	Ꙟⲛ ꙟⲛ Ꙟм ꙟм	În în Îm îm	În în Îm îm
Џ џ	Џ џ	Џ џ	Џ џ	Џ џ	Џ џ	Џ џ

Usual letter formats and Romanian equivalents
The oldest surviving document in Romanian: Neacșu's Letter, a trader from Câmpulung, sent to the mayor of Brașov (1521)
The Lord's Prayer, in an 1850s religious document
Transitional alphabet (fragment of Dimitrie Bolintineanu's Călătorii pe Dunăre și în Bulgaria, 1858)

References

^ Ileana-Stanca Desa, Dulciu Morărescu, Ioana Patriche, Adriana Raliade, Iliana Sulică, Publicațiile periodice românești (ziare, gazete, reviste). Vol. III: Catalog alfabetic 1919–1924, pp. 235–236, 264, 368, 374, 575, 708, 1024. Bucharest: Editura Academiei, 1987
^ George Baiculescu, Georgeta Răduică, Neonila Onofrei, Publicațiile periodice românești (ziare, gazete, reviste). Vol. II: Catalog alfabetic 1907–1918. Supliment 1790–1906, pp. 763, 801, 810, 813, 832, 867. Bucharest: Editura Academiei, 1969
^ According to Costache Negruzzi, "Cum am învățat românește", first published in Curier de Ambe Sexe, I, nr. 22, p.337–343
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Initial vs. non-initial shapes: Є/Е, Ѻ/О, Ѹ/У, IA/Ѧ.
^ Й is hardly a separate letter of the alphabet; the letters Ю, Ȣ and Ѡ also accept a brevity sign.
^ In loanwords of Greek origin (or ones adopted through the Greek language), letters И and І correspond to eta and iota, respectively. In the words of Romanian origin and in Slavic loanwords, their usage follows pre-1917 Russian rules, namely, І before vowels, otherwise И.
^ Book written in the transitional alphabet showing various letter forms
^ The distinction of Ѡ and О is present not only in loanwords, but in Romanian words as well.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Letters ĭ and ŭ represent a barely spoken/heard i or u.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Letters Ѯ, Ѱ, Ѳ and Ѵ are used for copying Greek spelling of loanwords (especially for names and toponyms).
^ Grammatică practică romano-franțozeaseă compusă dupre autorii clasicii cei ... - George Vida. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
^ Filosofice și politice prin falule învățaturĭ morale - Dimitrie Țichindeal, Dositej Obradović. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
^ Magazinu istoriku pentru Dacia - Treboniu A. Laurian, Nicolae Bălcescu. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
^ Biografia lui Viliam G. Shecspri dupe Le Fourneur: Urmată de Romeo cu ... - William Shakespeare. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
^ Noul Testament al Domnuluī shī Mîntuītoruluī nostru Īīsus Khrīstos. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
^ Istoria Moldo-Romănieĭ: arătîndŭ neamurile de ċare s'aŭ loċuitŭ aceste ... - George Ioanid. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
^ Cîntece naționale: Tipărite cu fondul d-lor librarĭ Pusu i Petriu. A treia ... - O. Dumitrescu. Retrieved 2012-10-22.

[1] Ileana-Stanca Desa, Dulciu Morărescu, Ioana Patriche, Adriana Raliade, Iliana Sulică, Publicațiile periodice românești (ziare, gazete, reviste). Vol. III: Catalog alfabetic 1919–1924, pp. 235–236, 264, 368, 374, 575, 708, 1024. Bucharest: Editura Academiei, 1987

[2] George Baiculescu, Georgeta Răduică, Neonila Onofrei, Publicațiile periodice românești (ziare, gazete, reviste). Vol. II: Catalog alfabetic 1907–1918. Supliment 1790–1906, pp. 763, 801, 810, 813, 832, 867. Bucharest: Editura Academiei, 1969

[3] According to Costache Negruzzi, "Cum am învățat românește", first published in Curier de Ambe Sexe, I, nr. 22, p.337–343

[Initial-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Initial vs. non-initial shapes: Є/Е, Ѻ/О, Ѹ/У, IA/Ѧ.

[j-5] Й is hardly a separate letter of the alphabet; the letters Ю, Ȣ and Ѡ also accept a brevity sign.

[i-6] In loanwords of Greek origin (or ones adopted through the Greek language), letters И and І correspond to eta and iota, respectively. In the words of Romanian origin and in Slavic loanwords, their usage follows pre-1917 Russian rules, namely, І before vowels, otherwise И.

[7] Book written in the transitional alphabet showing various letter forms

[o-8] The distinction of Ѡ and О is present not only in loanwords, but in Romanian words as well.

[barely-9] Letters ĭ and ŭ represent a barely spoken/heard i or u.

[Greek-10] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Letters Ѯ, Ѱ, Ѳ and Ѵ are used for copying Greek spelling of loanwords (especially for names and toponyms).

[11] Grammatică practică romano-franțozeaseă compusă dupre autorii clasicii cei ... - George Vida. Retrieved 2012-10-22.

[12] Filosofice și politice prin falule învățaturĭ morale - Dimitrie Țichindeal, Dositej Obradović. Retrieved 2012-10-22.

[13] Magazinu istoriku pentru Dacia - Treboniu A. Laurian, Nicolae Bălcescu. Retrieved 2012-10-22.

[14] Biografia lui Viliam G. Shecspri dupe Le Fourneur: Urmată de Romeo cu ... - William Shakespeare. Retrieved 2012-10-22.

[15] Noul Testament al Domnuluī shī Mîntuītoruluī nostru Īīsus Khrīstos. Retrieved 2012-10-22.

[16] Istoria Moldo-Romănieĭ: arătîndŭ neamurile de ċare s'aŭ loċuitŭ aceste ... - George Ioanid. Retrieved 2012-10-22.

[17] Cîntece naționale: Tipărite cu fondul d-lor librarĭ Pusu i Petriu. A treia ... - O. Dumitrescu. Retrieved 2012-10-22.

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Table of correspondence

Unregulated transitional alphabets

See also

References