Bulgarian

Print

Primary tabs

A language of Bulgaria

ISO 639-3
bul
Autonym
български език‎ (bălgarski ezik)
User Population

6,840,000 in Bulgaria (European Commission 2012). Total users in all countries: 8,280,790.

Language Maps
Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 3).

Classification
Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Eastern
Dialects

Palityan (Bogomil, Palitiani). Palityan dialect is functionally intelligible with standard Bulgarian. The Pomak dialect spoken in Greece is reportedly similar to Serbian [srp] and Bulgarian; geographical dialect variation toward each.

Typology

SVO; prepositions; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine/neuter); vestiges of dual number; definite article affix; verb affixes mark person, number; tense and aspect; comparatives; 35 consonants, 6 vowels, 2 diphthongs; non-tonal; free stress.

Language Use

The Sopa are of Petecheneg origin and speak Bulgarian. Some also use English [eng] (European Commission 2006). Some also use Standard German [deu] (European Commission 2006).

Language Development

Fully developed. Bible: 1864–1923.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Bulgarian
Writing

Braille script [Brai]. Cyrillic script [Cyrl], primary usage. Cyrillic script, Old Church Slavonic variant [Cyrs], 19th century, experimental usage.

Other Comments

Christian.

Also spoken in:

Expand All
Collapse All