The Bulgarian language has transformed quite a bit over the past two centuries. It’s like a makeover story—out with the old (but still cool) and in with the modern! Let’s break it down with some fun examples.
1. Words: What We Say
Then: Back in the day, Bulgarian was sprinkled with lots of Turkish words, yes, more than it is today. Words like "чорба" (chorba, soup) and "кираджия" (kiradjiya, tenant) were a normal part of everyday speech.
Now: While some Turkish words stuck around, many were swapped out. For example, instead of "чорба" you might hear "супа" (supa, soup). But don’t worry—older generations still use some of these words, keeping the linguistic history alive and creating the feeling that there are two distinct languages being used.
And then came the tech boom! Words like "компютър" (kompyutar, computer) and "интернет" (internet) are now everyday staples. This is exacerbated even further under the influence of mass media, streaming platforms and American TV programs. Now if you listen to most young people speak you will hear a fair amount of English being casually thrown into any conversation usually together with some really specific gaming lingo. This of course creates a huge language gap between the elderly and the teenagers. We can easily say that they need some language classes in order to understand each other.
2. Sounds: How We Speak
Then: Pronunciation wasn’t too different 200 years ago, but regional accents were way more distinct. A villager from the mountains might sound completely different from someone in a coastal town.
Now: Thanks to TV, radio, and the internet, most people sound more similar. But don’t worry, those charming accents haven’t disappeared completely! If you are curious to hear what people sound like in different regions check this dialect map out!
3. Writing: Putting It on Paper
Then: Writing was all over the place! Before Bulgarian got a standardized spelling system, people used different ways to spell words depending on where they lived. It was a wild west of orthography! The old language before the standartization occured created a lot of missunderstanding for it
s users.
Now: Thank goodness for spelling rules. Today, whether you’re writing in Sofia or Varna, it’s all the same.
For example:
Then: "вѣра" "вера" "вяра"
Now: "вяра" (vyara, meaning faith)
4. Style: How Formal Is Too Formal?
Then: Writing was super formal and heavily influenced by Church Slavonic. Think of it as the Shakespearean English of Bulgarian. Letters and documents were packed with big words and fancy phrasing.Example: “Аз ще ида до реката и ще донеса вода.” (Az shte ida do rekata i shte donesa voda, I shall go to the river and bring water.)
I recently found some letters that my grandmother wrote to her father and was shocked by the level of formality she kept. She spoke in formal language using the "Вие" form and there were all sorts of strange pleasantries constructing the rather simple message of "we are well and I miss you".
Now: Bulgarian writing is a lot more straightforward. Today, you’d say, “Ще отида до реката за вода.” (Shte otida do rekata za voda, I’ll go to the river for water.) Simple, direct, and to the point! This reflects a big change of the perception of formality. When I was I child it would be natural to speak formally to grandparents, and now no such formality can be seen. This is a big difference that occurred over the past 30 years! The old and the modern language differ immencely in their complexity, as with most languages, Bulgarian today tends to evolve towards simplicity.
5. Dialects: Where You’re From
Then: Dialects were king. Someone from the Rhodope Mountains might sound completely different from someone in the Danube region.Example: The word for “man” in one area might be “човек” (chovek) but in another, it could be “чиляк” (chilyak).
Now: Standard Bulgarian has smoothed over many of these differences, but those regional words and phrases still make appearances, especially with grandparents! You will find them in the most basic of words so it is natural to take some time to get to know the local specifics.
7. Borrowed Words: Then vs. Now
200 Years Ago: Turkish loanwords like "бакшиш" (bakshish, tip) and "кафтан" (kaftan, robe) were common. Here is a small list of Turkish words still being widely used in the Bulgarian language:
чаршаф (çarşaf) – bedsheet
тепсия (tepsi) – baking tray
джезве (cezve) – small coffee pot
килим (kilim) – rug
чорба (çorba) – soup
каймак (kaymak) – clotted cream
локум (lokum) – Turkish delight
баклава (baklava) – baklava
бозa (boza) – fermented drink
кафтан (kaftan) – robe
чорап (çorap) – soc
калпак (kalpak) – fur hat
бакшиш (bahşiş) – tip
пара (para) – money, coin
чорбаджия (çorbacı) – boss, wealthy person
сандък (sandık) – chest, box
керван (kervan) – caravan
чакал (çakal) – to wait
наздраве (na zdravie) – cheers (borrowed expression from Turkish usage)
кула (kule) – tower
чешма (çeşme) – fountain, water source
Now: English has stepped in! Words like "стартап" (startup) and "хакер" (hacker) are part of everyday language.
Final Thoughts on the old and the modern Bulgarian language
Bulgarian today is like an unpolished diamond—it retains the rich history and quirks of the past but shines with modern simplicity and adaptability and perhaps will take a bit of work until it becomes as precious as it can be. Whether you're chatting with a tech-savvy teen, reading a fairytale or listening to a traditional folk song, the Bulgarian language tells a story that can be as old as the mountains but at the same time as fresh as a morning dew. The only tricky part is - how to get fluent enough to be able to benefit from both?
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