Now you know your abc
The Alphabet Song – ABCD – Nursery Rhyme Lyrics, History, Video, Lesson Plans & More – Nursery Rhyme Central
An alphabet song is any nursery rhyme that teaches children how to recite the alphabet. There are many alphabet songs, but the most famous is the ABC song. Although thought to be the only Alphabet song, the ABC song is an alphabet song.
Children sing the alphabet song by reciting all the letters of the alphabet in the correct order from the first to the last one. Therefore, the Alphabet song is a vital nursery rhyme in teaching children language.
Since the ABC song is the most famous of all alphabet songs, let’s see all it entails and its history.
WHAT ARE THE LYRICS FOR THE ALPHABET SONG?The song lyrics are recited to the tune and melody of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
A, B, C, D, E, F, G
H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P (L, M, N, O, P are recited faster than the other letters)
Q, R, S, /T, U, V (there’s a slight pause between S and T)
W, X, Y, and Z (slight breaks in between W and X and X and Y)
Now I know my ABCs
Next time, won’t you sing with me?
The Alphabet Song Lyrcis Backwards
Sometimes backward versions are sung to ensure children master all the letters even better. Here is how it goes.
z-y-x, w
v-u-t, s-r-q
p-o-n-m-l-k-j
i-h-g-f-e-d-c-b-a (E, D, C, and B are recited faster than the other letters)
Now you know your ZYXs
I bet that’s not what you expected!
Acrostic Versions of the ABC song
An acrostic song is where each letter is made to form a word. The alphabet song has several acrostic versions where the letters stand for a word. This aims to make the letters easier to relate to the formation of words.
Here is an example of an Acrostic version of the ABC song by Cocomelon.
THE HISTORY BEHIND THE ALPHABET SONG
Who Came Up with the Alphabet Song?
Unlike other nursery rhymes whose writers have disappeared in the mists of time, the Alphabet or ABC song has a known writer. Boston publisher Charles Bradlee was the first person to publish the ABC song.
Then, he called it “The ABC, a German air with variations for the flute with an easy accompaniment for the piano forte”- quite a mouthful, isn’t it? The song has become known simply as the ABC or the Alphabet song.
Bradlee credited the musical arrangement to 18th-century composer Louis Le Marie.
The song used a tune based on Mozart’s composition,
ah, vous dirai-je, maman (French for Oh what will I tell your mama), which itself was based on an anonymous 1740 pastoral song.
Without even knowing it, the original Alphabet song is an amalgamation of the musical work of three different people. From the original composer of Mozart’s tune to the 18th-century composer Le Marie to Bradlee himself.
Did Mozart Create the Tune for the ABC Song?
Mozart didn’t come up with the tune. He only wrote variations of the tune. The tune appears in the nursery rhymes “Baa Baa Black Sheep and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
There isn’t a record of the original composer of the tunes Mozart made variations of. Mozart was around 25 years old when he developed the variations around 1780.
What Songs Sound the Same as The Alphabet Song?
The Alphabet song follows the same tune as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baa Black Sheep.
The three rhymes are melodically similar but different in the lyrics and lessons. They only share a tune. The words and the lessons are entirely different.
The tune was probably the easiest to use to preserve the arrangement of the letters in the Alphabet. Try singing the ABC song in any other tune if you doubt that and see how difficult that may be.
What’s the Purpose of the Alphabet Song?
Besides entertaining children, the alphabet song teaches children the alphabet. The alphabet is a fundamental part of English and other global languages.
Therefore, the alphabet song is critical to children learning to read and write. It teaches children the various sounds attached to each letter of the alphabet. It thus plays a crucial role in the children’s learning how to speak a particular language.
That perhaps explains why the ABC song is one of the most famous songs sung by adults and children alike. Even some people have to recite the famous song to remember the order of words of the alphabet.
But then everyone needs mnemonics to remember some written things. Songs make the brain remember things faster than memorizing the words independently. Therefore, the alphabet song isn’t a song for children only.
INTERESTING FACTS AND QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
Were the Letters of the Alphabet Rearranged to fit into the Alphabet song?
Considering how smoothly the letters slide off the tongue when singing the ABC song, someone might think the letters were rearranged to fit the tune. That isn’t true. The arrangement of the letter of the alphabet has been the same since time immemorial.
There is no explanation for how the letters came to be arranged that way. Therefore, the format has persisted through centuries and permeated most world languages.
As the building blocks of many languages, the letters keep the format in wildly different global languages.
Are There Alphabet Songs for Other Languages?
Although English is one of the most widely spoken languages, it is worth noting that there are ABC songs in other languages as well.
The alphabet is the building block of all letters in different global languages.
It, therefore, makes sense for different languages to make use of the Alphabet song as well. But since they have their writing style, the Alphabet song doesn’t resemble the English version to a tee.
It instead takes only the tune and melody. Take the example of the French version of the ABC.
The letters are the same, but the pronunciation is quite different from what you hear when you pronounce the letters of the alphabet in English. Predictably, the tune remains the same. That French version is also taught to children in Canada.
The Hebrew, the Chinese, Hungarians, Japanese, and Koreans also have their versions of the Alphabet song.
A Haka mana is a Māori alphabet song that follows the tune of the song stupid cupid.
You can see that the alphabet song is not unique to English-speaking countries.
Is Letter Z Pronounced Zee or Zed?
We know that the alphabet song has many variations in English and other languages. But have you heard a version that pronounces the letter z as zee? Depending on where you come from, the pronunciation of the letter will vary.
Understandably, this might confuse some people who pronounce the letter as zed and not zee. The UK, Australia, and Canada pronounce the letter Z as zed. Zee is the American pronunciation of the letter Z.
That is why you are likely to come across versions of the ABC song that finish with zed or zee. That shouldn’t worry you too much since it’s just different pronunciation for one letter.
Why Are Letters LMNOP Recited Faster?
When singing most versions of the ABC song, you notice that the letters LMNOP might sound something like elemenope.
After singing the song for some time, children might think that the letters are one word: elemenope.
However, teachers can guide the children to know it isn’t one word. When you recite the letters fast, it comes out as elemonope. Since the song has remained the same for a long time, few versions attempt to change how that part is recited.
In 2019, Twitter was in an uproar after a user uploaded a version of the ABC song with the LMNOP part clarified so as you didn’t need to recite it faster. Most people think the ABC song should be left as it was.
Which Came First: ABC Song or Baa Baa Black Sheep and Twinkle?
The ABC song was first published in 1835. Twinkle was first published in 1838 despite its words being around since 1806 as “The Star.” So, the ABC song predates Twinkle.
Baa’s words were first documented in a 1744 book, Tommy Thumbs Pretty Song Book. However, the lyrics and melody were only added to the words, making it whole in 1879.
That makes the ABC song the first of the three songs with a shared melody.
Is the Alphabet Song in The Public Domain?
Since the first copyrighted version of the ABC song was way back in 1835, it is available publicly. All historical music recorded or written before 1925 is free to use in public. Therefore, you can use the music, and the lyrics of the Alphabet song as you so wish.
What you can’t do, however, is use someone else’s recording of the song without their permission. The copyright, in this case, is of their performance but not the lyrics or the melody. It’s also not their song, after all.
However, laws vary, and you should check with the copyright laws in your local area before using the song.
THE ALPHABET SONG INSPIRED LESSON PLANS
The following is a selection of Lesson Plans. You need to click on the images to learn more and download the resources from their websites.
SHEET MUSIC
What Time Signature is The Alphabet Song?
The Alphabet song follows the 2/4-time signature, the same as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
That’s not much of a surprise since the two songs share a melody and tune.
It also means the 4/4-time signature also works for the alphabet song as it does for Twinkle.
How do You Sing the Alphabet Song in Sign Language?
You can sing the Alphabet song with sign language. Check the below resource from YouTube that includes some common words for each letter of the alphabet.
HOW DO YOU PLAY THE ALPHABET SONG ON AN INSTRUMENT?
You can have fun playing the Alphabet song on several instruments. Here are some resources from YouTube to make that easy for you.
5 Best ABC Song for Kids That Will Make Them Dance & Enjoy
ABCs are not just for ABCs anymore. ABCs have become the latest craze in kids’ classrooms, and parents can thank alphabet songs for that. These songs are a fun and easy way to help children learn their alphabet, but what makes an excellent ABC song for kids?
We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 alphabet songs that will get your children moving and grooving.
Five Famous Alphabet Songs for Kids1.
“The A.B.C. Song” by The Countdown KidsThis classic alphabet song is a great way to introduce the letter sounds to children. The catchy melody and simple lyrics make it easy for children to follow along and sing along.
2. Cocomelon’s “ABC Song”This fun and upbeat alphabet song is a great way to get children moving and grooving. The playful lyrics and adorable animations make it a favorite among children.
This well-known alphabet song is a great way to introduce the letters of the alphabet to children. The slow tempo and clear pronunciation make it easy for children to follow along.
4. “The Phonics Song” by Bob the TrainThis catchy alphabet song is a great way to teach children the letter sounds. The simple lyrics and fun illustrations make it easy for children to follow along.
This playful alphabet song illustrates a train traveling around the alphabet. The colorful animation and clear letter sounds make it a favorite among children.
History of ABC SongsThe first ABC song was copyrighted in 1885 by Charles Bradlee and was known as “The A.B.C. Song.” The song was a simple melody that helped children learn their ABCs through repetition. The tune was later used in the popular cartoon “The Walt Disney Show” and can still be heard today.
The most well-known alphabet song, “The Alphabet Song,” was published in 1881 by Louis Le Maire. The tune was derived from “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep.
” The song became a hit in America and is still sung by children today.
Now let’s take a look at the benefits of alphabet songs!
Related Reading: Children’s Songs When You Want to Dance With Your KidsBenefits of ABC Songs for Kids
There are many reasons why ABC songs are essential. We have listed a few of the benefits below:
1. Increase Phonemic AwarenessAlphabet songs help increase children’s phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken language. By singing ABC songs, children are exposed to the different sounds of each letter which will help them when they begin to read and write.
2. Improve Literacy SkillsABC songs can also help improve a child’s literacy skills. When children sing alphabet songs, they use their listening, speaking, and motor skills. By using all of these skills together, children are better able to remember the alphabet and how to read and write words.
Alphabet songs can help foster a love of learning in children. When children are exposed to fun and engaging activities, they are more likely to want to know more. ABC songs are a great way to introduce children to reading and writing in a fun and exciting way.
4. Build ConfidenceSinging alphabet songs can also help build children’s confidence. When children can successfully sing along to an ABC song, they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. This boost in confidence can encourage children to continue to learn and grow.
5. Enhance Memory and RecallAlphabet songs can also help enhance children’s memory and recall. When children sing alphabet songs, they are exposed to the same information multiple times. This repetition will help children remember the alphabet and be able to retrieve the information when they need it.
6. Develop Fine Motor SkillsABC songs for kids can also help develop children’s fine motor skills.
When children sing alphabet songs, they can use their hands and fingers to make the shapes of the letters. This helps develop the small muscles in the hands and fingers, which is vital for writing.
Speech development is another benefit of alphabet songs. When children sing alphabet songs, they use their mouths to make the sounds of the letters. This helps children learn how to form the different sounds of speech.
8. Improve Rhyming SkillsAlphabet songs can also help improve children’s rhyming skills. When children sing ABC songs, they are exposed to words that rhyme. This helps children learn how to identify words that rhyme and produce verses of their own.
9. Encourage CreativityOne of the best things about alphabet songs is that they help encourage creativity in young children. As they sing along, kids can develop their hand motions or dance moves to go along with the song.
This type of creative expression is essential for cognitive and social development.
Related Reading: Best Online Learning Platforms Gaining Traction These Days10. Promote Language Development
Singing alphabet songs is a great way to promote language development in young children. The songs’ repetitive nature helps children learn new words and concepts. Additionally, singing songs is a great way to build phonemic awareness – an essential precursor to reading.
Now that we know the benefits of alphabet songs let’s look at the top five ABC songs for kids!
Let’s Sing!These are just a few of the many great ABC songs for children. When teaching the alphabet to your kids, include some of these fun and engaging songs. Your children will be sure to love them!
Do you know what’s more fun? Teaching ABC songs with the help of interactive games and videos! SpleashLearn offers a fun and interactive way for children to learn the alphabet.
The ABC Song Games feature is an excellent way for children to learn the letter names and sounds while they sing along.
1. What is the best ABC song for kids?
The best ABC song for kids is the one that they enjoy the most! There are so many great ABC songs, so it’s important to find one that your child will love. Try “The A.B.C. Song” by The Countdown Kids if you’re looking for a classic alphabet song. For a more modern take on the alphabet song, check out Cocomelon’s “ABC Song.”
How can I make the alphabet more fun for my kids?
One of the great things about alphabet songs is that they can be adapted to fit any classroom theme. If you’re working on a transportation unit, try singing the alphabet song with car names. Or, if you’re doing a farm unit, use animal names. There are endless possibilities! Encourage your children to get creative and develop their alphabet songs.
What is the best way to teach the alphabet to my kids?
There is no one “right” way to teach the alphabet to your children.
Many people use traditional methods, such as flashcards and worksheets. Others prefer to use more creative approaches, such as games and songs. Ultimately, the best way to teach the alphabet is the method that works best for your child.
What are some tips for teaching the alphabet?
When teaching the alphabet to your children, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. First, be sure to provide plenty of opportunities for your kids to practice. This can be done through ABC songs for kids, games, worksheets, or simply by singing the alphabet song every day.
Second, make sure that your kids are engaged and having fun. If they’re not enjoying themselves, they’re less likely to learn. Finally, be patient! Learning the alphabet takes time, so don’t expect your children to master it overnight.
Shaggy alphabet - Zakhoder. The full text of the poem - Shaggy alphabet
In this alphabet -
See for yourself! -
Living letters:
With tails,
With whiskers,
They can run
And fly,
Crawl and swim,
Bite and grab .
..
Letters - furry,
Letters - feathered,
Good,
Evil,
Ground,
Water -
Who are they?
Guess?
- Animals!
ABC
Let
start with STORK -
He,
Like the alphabet,
start with "A"!
I’ll take a look
At the ANTILOPE-GNU
And quietly sigh:
— Why, why
Were brought to Europe
Such
Antiantelope?!
None
No reason
At home
Keep Bison,
Because it's ruminant
Rude and gloomy!
THE CAMEL decided that he was a giraffe,
And he walks with his head up,
Everyone
He causes laughter,
And he, the Camel, spits on everyone! - What's sad, SPARROW?
- Few
There are
Horses!
It's hard now for Sparrow
To feed his family!
As is customary with snakes
They bite on the leg
ASPERS,
And therefore
When you meet her
Take your feet in your hands, children!
I haven't seen
ASPERS for a long time.
And something did not miss
In separation!
Old Hedgehog
In the forests of the Caucasus
Somehow I met
Porcupines.
- Well, well! - exclaimed the Hedgehog.
Who do you look like!
This animal is quite harmless,
True, her appearance is unenviable.
People called the poor thing - "EKHIDNA".
People, change your mind!
Shame on you?!
- Why are you so prickly, Hedgehog?
- This is me just in case:
Do you know who my neighbors are?
Foxes, wolves and bears!
I really like the GIRAFFE —
Tall and gentle.
Giraffe - he is above all -
Even lions are afraid.
But such success did not turn
Giraffe's head.
Easily breaks a lion's back
Hitting his hoof,
And he eats leaves and grass -
And not always full ...
I really like the Giraffe,
Although I'm afraid that he is wrong!
He knows neither snow,
Nor blizzards,
He was born and raised
In the south.
To the palm trees
And to the southern sky
Used to
ZEBU,
Although he is only a bull.
And best friend
Will honestly say:
- You are a TURKEY!
Here is a BOAR.
It is wild and vicious,
But it is quite edible.
There are virtues
Even such a pig!
Wears
Kangaroo mom
In a warm bag
Kids,
Kangaroo kids
All day long
Playing
Hide and seek!
Whale spends his whole life in the water,
Although he is not a fish.
He eats in the sea and sleeps in the sea,
Thank him for what:
It would be crowded on land
From such a huge carcass!
A COBRA curled up behind the glass.
Looks
Stupidly and unkindly.
Visible at a glance:
Little brain,
A lot of poison.
Lion was considered the king of beasts,
But that was old.
They don't like kings these days,
And Leo is no longer a king.
He brutally strangled everyone in a row,
Fiercely cracked down,
And he ruled badly, they say.
Couldn't cope with business.
Now he sits subdued,
And in front of him is a fence.
He is dissatisfied, this Leo,
But he needs it!
Asked the Kangaroo:
— How can you stand the heat?
- I'm shivering from the cold! -
The kangaroo said to the WALALALUS.
Who to RHINO
Will give way
,
He will undoubtedly act wisely.
He likes to push, thick-skinned,
And what about
Poor passer-by?
How good it is that such ignoramuses
Will be encountered
Less and less often!
MONKEYS - Our ancestors, your ancestors
Swayed on one branch,
And now they keep us in a cage.
Is it good, kids?
How beautiful
PEACOCK!
He has
Vice
One:
The whole peacock
Beauty
Starts
From the tail!
- If you can, guess
What the PARROT will tell us
- That's what he'll say, I guess
That they hammered a parrot!
This bunny is our countryman -
It's called RUSAK!
He is the most on land,
Very, very kind ELEPHANT.
It can be seen even among animals
He and more, who is kinder!
Poor OSTRICH!
Unfortunately
There are no
father:
on the Nest
He sat and sat at
patiently,
Stubbornly,
stubbornly ...
Chicks -
-
and hesitated:
- where is my mother?
TAPIR hung his nose forever,
He is sad about one thing:
He was going to become an elephant,
Yes, he never grew up ...
TIGER: Grid
It is clearly drawn.
And very well suited
to the Cannibal grill!
Causes surprise
Seal diligence:
All day long
A SEAL lies down,
And he
Is not too lazy to lie down!
Sorry, seal diligence -
Not an example to follow!
- I honestly say:
I feel bad, I feel bad, UZHU -
I look very ugly ...
But I am not poisonous!
Only at night
Terrible
FILIN.
And in the light -
He is
Powerless!
Lions and tigers
Tameable.
It's rare, but it happens.
But no one has yet been able to tame
FERRET.
Thank God
What a ferret
A very small animal!
Why
Such a wear
HERON?
Then,
So that the herons
Grass fish!
TURTLE makes everyone laugh,
Because it's not in a hurry.
But where
Hurry,
Who is always in his house?
Barks very loudly,
MAGNET
Knows very well:
The one who is louder
Says “woof”,
He is always
And he will be right!
The JACKAL has none
Nothing is lacking:
Hyena appearance,
Fox habit,
Hare courage,
Wolf grin, —
What else is he crying,
Jackal?
Grab, swallow
Know how
PIKE -
Other
They don't need science!
I'm talking about an ostrich,
About EMU,
I would write you
A poem,
But I can't understand:
He is an emu
Or an emu?!
I frankly admit:
There is no beast
Starting with the letter "U".
This is SOUTH KTOTOTAM.
I invented it myself!
In appearance
Yak is very formidable,
But he is a big good-natured man:
They say
It is used in Tibet
They drive boldly
Even children!
CYRIL AND METHODIUS. The creators of the Slavic alphabet
Cyril and Methodius. The creators of the Slavic alphabet.
Cyril and Methodius, Slavic enlighteners, creators of the Slavonic alphabet, the first translators of liturgical books from Greek into Slavonic, Saints Equal to the Apostles.
The brothers Cyril (before monasticism Constantine) and Methodius were born in the Macedonian city of Thessaloniki (Thessalonica), in the family of a major military leader. It is not surprising, therefore, that the eldest of them, Methodius, also became a warrior and rose to the position of commander of one of the regions inhabited by the Slavs.
Cyril's fate was different.
He showed an early aptitude for knowledge, especially for languages. At the age of 8, having wanted to read Virgil's Aeneid written in Latin, he begins to study Latin on his own, comparing the Greek book of Gregory the Theologian with the same book in Latin.
After the death of his father, a capable boy is taken to Constantinople, to the royal palace, hoping to raise him as a teacher for the royal children. His mentors are the smartest people of Byzantium - a connoisseur of Greek culture, Photius, who was elected head of the Greek church in 858, and an expert in natural sciences and inventor Leo the Mathematician. For ten years, Cyril mastered all the sciences that an educated person of that time should have known: grammar, dialectics, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and "all other Hellenic arts." He especially excelled in linguistics: he spoke Greek, Latin, Slavic, Arabic and Hebrew. For the ability to conduct philosophical debates, Cyril was nicknamed the Philosopher.
Tsar Feoktist intended Kirill to become governor, but he chose the post of librarian of the patriarchal library. He combined this position with teaching philosophy at the university.
Kirill first thought about the creation of the Slavic alphabet after a trip to Bulgaria. The Bulgarians from the Bregalnitsa River decided to convert to Christianity and asked Byzantium for a priest. The choice fell on Cyril as a connoisseur of Slavic languages. He baptized the Bulgarians, but was dissatisfied with his mission: they did not have a written language, which means that they could not translate liturgical books from Greek and live according to Christian laws.
The Slavic alphabet was created in 863. Then ambassadors from Moravia arrived in Constantinople, the people of which adopted Christianity from the Catholic Germans. Church services were conducted in Latin. The ambassadors asked for teachers who could explain the Christian teaching to the people in an accessible way.
The choice again fell on Cyril. But before agreeing, he asked: “Do the Moravians have the alphabet of their language? For the enlightenment of the people without the writing of their language is like trying to write on water!” Learning that there is no alphabet, Cyril begins to create it himself, taking the Greek statutory letter as a basis. He simplified the writing of Greek letters and introduced new letters that convey the sounds of Slavic speech. This work lasted three months, but in fact Cyril worked on it all his previous life, when he studied languages from books and during missionary trips got acquainted with the alphabet and grammar, searched for the general laws of writing.
Cyril involved his brother in translating Greek sacred books into Slavic. Methodius back in the 60s. left military service and took monastic orders. And only when the main liturgical books were translated did the brothers go to Moravia. They traveled around the country, created new churches, where they read the books they brought with them at the service, recruited students, taught them the Slavic alphabet and the conduct of the church service.
As a result, where the Germans conducted worship in Latin, the churches began to empty.
The German clergy could not accept this. Cyril and Methodius were accused of heresy and began to be persecuted along with their disciples. The enlighteners went to Rome to seek protection.
In Rome they were greeted with honor, because the brothers brought the remains of St. Clement as a gift to the city. Pope Adrian approved the activities of the Enlighteners, ordained their disciples to the rank of ministers of the church and consecrated the Slavic liturgical books.
Cyril and Methodius, who are in Rome, are invited to Bulgaria, to Tsar Boris. But February 14, 869Mr. Kirill, who had been seriously ill before this, is dying. He is buried with great honor in the church of St. Clement in Rome. Methodius, in the rank of archbishop, travels to the Slavic lands to continue his educational mission, to create an independent Slavic church. Despite papal approval, Catholics continue to resist.
In Pannonia, Methodius is imprisoned and put on trial. Intrigues pursued Methodius in Moravia as well. But more and more became his students. Slavic books appeared in the lands of the Bulgarians, Czechs and Poles. Methodius himself was engaged in translating the Bible into Slavonic. However, after the death of Methodius, the Catholic clergy achieved a ban on Slavic worship in Moravia. His disciple was expelled from the country. But they continued the educational activities of Cyril and Methodius.
The disciples of the brothers Clement, Naum and Angelary found a favorable reception in Bulgaria and enlightened its people. It is believed that Clement taught more than three thousand people to read and write. From Bulgaria, the Slavic alphabet penetrated into Kievan Rus.
The life and labors of Cyril and Methodius were highly appreciated by their descendants. The Christian Church elevated them to the rank of saints, to the rank of Equal-to-the-Apostles, that is, equal to the disciples of Christ.
The day of their memory - May 24 - is celebrated in our country as the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture.
Cyrillic and Glagolitic
No written monuments have come down to us from the period of activity of Constantine, his brother Methodius and their closest disciples, except for the relatively recently discovered inscriptions on the ruins of the church of Tsar Simeon in Preslav (Bulgaria). It turned out that these ancient inscriptions were made not by one, but by two graphic varieties of Old Slavonic writing. One of them received the conditional name “Cyrillic”, while the other received the name “Glagolitsy” (from the Old Slavonic “verb”, which means “word”).
Which of the two alphabets is older? Which of them was created by Cyril? How and when did another alphabet appear (earlier or later)? The solution of these issues was hampered by the fact that the translations of the Slavic first teachers themselves, carried out in the 9th century, did not reach us, and we do not know what alphabet they were written in.
The Slavic alphabet in its original form, as Cyril created it, has not been preserved. Literary works written by enlighteners have not come down to us, although there is evidence that they composed poems, wrote treatises, and translated sacred books. Alas, so far no lifetime texts, any excerpts, official or personal letters have been found. What were the original letters? The distant ninth century, in the middle of which, along with the primordial alphabet, the writing of the Slavs began, has not yet given an answer.
The oldest known Slavic inscriptions were discovered in the former capital of Bulgaria. The inscriptions consist of only three lines: the top one is inscribed in Glagolitic, and the bottom two are in Cyrillic. In one place, the date is clearly read - 893. In Russia, during excavations of a barrow near Smolensk, an earthen vessel was found dating from the first quarter of the 10th century (see Fig. 1). The letters of the Cyrillic alphabet are read - "pea" ("mustard", "mustard seed", although there is no consensus on this).
In ancient manuscripts, the Slavic alphabet is presented most fully. The Ostromir Gospel is the oldest text with exact dating. It was rewritten by two scribes by order of the Novgorod posadnik Ostromir in 1056-1057. The oldest undated manuscript is written in Glagolitic and belongs to the 10th century. This is the famous "Kyiv leaflets" - texts from the West Slavic book "Miskal" . A significant number of Glagolitic West Slavic monuments have come down to us from the 11th century. Among them are the Assemanian Gospel, the Klotsov Code, and the Sinai Psalter. Many ancient books on Athos and in other monasteries and repositories still hide interesting facts, age-old mysteries and secrets. However, of particular interest are fragments of the Slavic alphabets, which, under different conditions, have survived to our time. In 1985 in the city of Torzhok (Tver region) a birch bark letter of the 12th century and three counting sticks were discovered at a depth of two meters.
The letter turned out to be the Old Russian alphabet. It apparently belonged to a townsman who was learning to read and write. The find is very reminiscent of the birch-bark letter of the Novgorod boy Onfim, dating back to the 13th century. It can be assumed that the complete lists of alphabets on birch bark (on boards, sticks, etc.) were then widely distributed, they were used for teaching, used in writing. On the wall of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, an alphabet was found - graffiti, which dates back to the 11th century. It reproduces 27 signs, but they allow you to determine the entire Slavic scale. The wall alphabet in the cathedral probably served to show the parishioners the basic Greek and Slavic letters. The Church in those days cared about the enlightenment of the laity.
Cyrillic and Glagolitic alphabets almost coincided in their alphabetical composition. Cyrillic, according to manuscripts of the 11th century that have come down to us. had 43 letters, and the Glagolitic had 40 letters.
Of the 40 Glagolitic letters, 39 served to convey almost the same sounds as the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet.
As in the very first such alphabet - Phoenician, and then in Greek, Slavic letters were also given names. And they are the same in Glagolitic and Cyrillic. The first letter A was called az , which meant "I", the second B - beeches . According to the first two letters of the alphabet, as you know, the name was formed - "alphabet". Literally, this is the same as the Greek "alphabeta", that is, "alphabet".
Third letter In - lead (from "know", "know"). It seems that the author chose the names for the letters in the alphabet with meaning: if you read the first three letters "az-buki-vedi" in a row, it turns out: "I know the letters" . You can read the alphabet in this way further. In both alphabets, letters were also assigned numerical values.
At the same time, nine letters served to designate units, nine - for tens and nine - for hundreds. In Glagolitic, in addition, one of the letters meant a thousand; in Cyrillic, a special sign was used to denote thousands. In order to indicate that the letter denotes a number, and not a sound, the letter was usually highlighted on both sides with dots and a special horizontal line was put above it.
The names of the letters in Cyrillic and Glagolitic were exactly the same, and the order of their arrangement was almost the same. This order is established, firstly, on the basis of the numerical value of the Cyrillic and Glagolitic letters, secondly, on the basis of the acrostics of the 12th-13th centuries that have come down to us, and thirdly, on the basis of the order of letters in the Greek alphabet.
Cyrillic is a very skillful, complex and creative reworking of the Greek (Byzantine) alphabet. As a result of careful consideration of the phonetic composition of the Old Slavonic language, the Cyrillic alphabet had all the letters necessary for the correct transmission of this language.
The Cyrillic alphabet was also suitable for the exact transmission of the Russian language, in the 9th-10th centuries. the Russian language was already somewhat phonetically different from Old Church Slavonic. The correspondence of the Cyrillic alphabet to the Russian language is confirmed by the fact that for more than a thousand years it took only two new letters to be introduced into this alphabet; multi-letter combinations and superscript signs are not needed and almost never used in Russian writing. This is what determines the originality of the Cyrillic alphabet.
The presence of two graphic varieties of the Slavic script still causes great controversy among scientists. After all, according to the unanimous testimony of all annalistic and documentary sources, Cyril developed some one Slavic alphabet. Which of these alphabets was created by him? Where and when did the second alphabet appear?
Unfortunately, it was not possible to answer it definitively. There are several hypotheses, of varying degrees of certainty.
Some believe that Cyril created the Glagolitic alphabet, and the Cyrillic alphabet is only the result of its later improvement. Others believe that by the time Cyril created the Glagolitic alphabet, the Cyrillic alphabet already existed. Still others argue that Cyril created the Cyrillic alphabet by transforming the Glagolitic alphabet in the image of the Greek statute. Although a more complete list of hypotheses and theories about the emergence of the Cyrillic and Glagolitic alphabets can be given:
- Cyril created the Glagolitic alphabet, and the Cyrillic alphabet is the result of its later improvement based on the Greek statutory script.
- Kirill created the Glagolitic alphabet, and Cyrillic already existed by that time.
- Cyril created the Cyrillic alphabet, for which he used the already existing Glagolitic alphabet, "dressing" it according to the model of the Greek statute.
- Cyril created the Cyrillic alphabet, and the Glagolitic alphabet developed as "secret writing" when the Catholic clergy attacked books written in Cyrillic.
However, further discoveries forced many researchers to abandon the hypothesis that the origin of the Cyrillic alphabet is older than the Glagolitic alphabet. In addition, there is a sufficient number of facts indicating that Glagolitic - an older writing system:
1) Monuments written in the Glagolitic alphabet are associated with Moravia and Pannonia, that is, just with those areas where the activity of the Slavic first teachers took place, as well as with Croatia and Macedonia, where direct students worked Cyril and Methodius, expelled from Moravia. The oldest of the Cyrillic monuments known to us were written, as a rule, in the East of the Balkan Peninsula, where there was no direct influence of the Solunsky brothers; moreover, the flowering of Cyrillic writing begins at the end of 9th - early 10th century.
2) Monuments written in Glagolitic are usually more archaic in language than Cyrillic texts, which should indicate their connection with the first Slavic translations.
3) The Glagolitic alphabet is less perfect in terms of the composition of letters than the Cyrillic alphabet.
4). The Cyrillic alphabet uses a number of letters denoting sound combinations that could appear among the Slavs only from the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th century. These are the letters "xi" and "psi" borrowed from the Greek alphabet. There were no such letters in the Glagolitic alphabet, since in the middle of 9th century, the Slavs could not have the corresponding sound combinations.
5) In the monuments written in Cyrillic, there are often individual words or sentences in the Glagolitic notation; this may mean that the corresponding Cyrillic text is written off from the Glagolitic. On the contrary, all the Cyrillic postscripts known to us in the monuments written in the Glagolitic alphabet are of later origin.
6) The main writing material in those days was parchment, which was a special processing of the skin of a young animal (calf, kid, lamb).
The thinnest and most elegant parchment was made from the skin of lambs, in particular, stillborn ones. It was quite an expensive writing material, so they often resorted to using an old book to write a new text. For this purpose, the old text was washed away or scraped off, and a new one was written on it. Such a text is called a palimpsest. Among the known palimpsests there are Cyrillic manuscripts written in washed out Glagolitic, but there is not a single Glagolitic monument written in washed out Cyrillic.
The more ancient origin of the Glagolitic alphabet and its connection with the activities of Cyril is also indicated by a number of other circumstances that will be clear if you understand the sources of each of the two Slavic alphabets.
Nobody doubts the source of the Cyrillic alphabet: this alphabet is based on the Byzantine uncial (a solemn, statutory letter in which liturgical books were written). At the same time, the outline of the Cyrillic letters is usually brought closer to the outlines of the letters of the Greek uncial of the 10th century.
Obviously, the Cyrillic alphabet could have been composed at the end of 9-th or in the 10th century by persons who are well acquainted with the Greek script and may have had experience in using it.
Cyrillic uses almost all the letters of the Greek uncial, including those that were not necessary for the transmission of Slavic sounds. Since there were sounds in Slavic speech that were absent in the Greek language, letters were used to designate them, not borrowed from the Greek alphabet, but taken from some other source. It is curious that many of them are very similar to the corresponding letters of the Glagolitic, from which they could be borrowed, if it is recognized that the Glagolitic was in use before the Cyrillic alphabet. And here a number of very important circumstances attract attention.
A younger contemporary of the Thessalonica brothers, the Chernorizet Khrabr, in his treatise “On Letters”, not only never mentions the use of two types of writing among the Slavs, but also insistently emphasizes that Cyril created a completely original alphabet, which he strongly opposes to the Greek, created by the pagans .
Such a contrast could not apply to the Cyrillic alphabet, which completely included the letters of the Greek alphabet.
No less significant is the fact that all the Greek letters of the Cyrillic alphabet did not retain their names, but are named as they are called in the Glagolitic ("az", not "alpha", "verb", not "gamma", etc. .). And only letters that are absent in the Glagolitic alphabet retain their Greek names in Cyrillic (“fita”, “psi”, “xi”).
Thus, we can say that the Cyrillic alphabet is the Byzantine uncial, supplemented by stylized Glagolitic letters necessary to designate specifically Slavic phonemes in writing that were absent in the Greek language.
The sources of the Glagolitic cause much controversy. The Glagolitic alphabet, which did not last long in Rus', did not remain unchanged. A distinction is made between an older Glagolitic alphabet with characteristic round elements (most of the monuments of the 10th and 11th centuries that have come down to us were written by it) and a later one with an angular one.
The Glagolitic script, which was used by the Croats during the 13th-16th centuries (longer than all other Slavs), is distinguished by a particularly pronounced angularity.
Given all this, many researchers have tried to bring Glagolitic closer to other writing systems (Khazar, Syriac, Coptic, Hebrew, Armenian, Georgian, etc.). In the process of these attempts, the connection of the Glagolitic alphabet with not one, but with several alphabets, first of all, Byzantine (Minuscular), Hebrew (mainly in its Samaritan variety), Coptic, becomes obvious. A number of Glagolitic letters have no analogies in the alphabets known to us and show signs of conscious individual creativity. A vivid example is the first letter of the Glagolitic alphabet, which has the shape of a cross - a Christian symbol - natural at the beginning of the alphabet, created specifically for recording sacred Christian texts.
These signs indicate the appearance of the Glagolitic alphabet as a result of the conscious creative activity of a thoughtful philologist, familiar, in particular, with various Eastern writing systems.
It was precisely such a person that Konstantin the Philosopher - Cyril was.
So, the history of the appearance of two Slavic alphabets can be represented as follows.
Constantine The philosopher (St. Cyril), who was familiar not only with Greek writing, but also with Samaritan and Coptic writing, created an original alphabet well adapted to recording Slavic speech. To convey sounds similar (or identical) to Greek, he used somewhat modified letters, mainly in their cursive (minuscule) variety. To designate specifically Slavic sounds, Constantine could use letters from other alphabets that denoted similar sounds.
Brought to Moravia by Cyril and Methodius, the Glagolitic alphabet was fixed here (and then in Pannonia, where the brothers worked for a number of years) as a specific Slavic alphabet, which, precisely for this reason, continued to be used by local Slavic scribes after the expulsion of the disciples of Methodius and Cyril. Later, after a long search for Cyril, a more advanced alphabet was invented, called the Cyrillic alphabet, very close to the alphabet that we use.
