Early Cyrillic Alphabet - Alphabet

Alphabet

Image Unicode Name
(Cyrillic)		 Name
(translit.)		 Name
(IPA)		 Trans. IPA Numeric value Origin Notes
А а азъ azŭ a 1 Greek alpha Α "I"
Б б боукы buky , b One of forms of Greek veetah Β "letters"
В в вѣдѣ vědě v 2 Greek veetah Β "know"
Г г глаголи glagoli g 3 Greek gamma Γ "speak"
Д д добро dobro d 4 Greek delta Δ "good"
Є є єсть estĭ e 5 Greek epsilon Ε "am" or "is" – present tense from "to be"
Ж ж живѣтє živěte ž, zh Glagolitic zhivete Ⰶ "live"
Ѕ ѕ / Ꙃ ꙃ ѕѣло dzělo dz 6 Greek stigma Ϛ "very"
З з / Ꙁ ꙁ земля zemlja z 7 Greek zeta Ζ The first form developed into the second. "earth"
И и ижє iže i 8 Greek eta Η "which"
І і / Ї ї и/ижеи i/ižei i, I 10 Greek iota Ι "and"
К к како kako k 20 Greek kappa Κ "as"
Л л людиѥ ljudije l 30 Greek lambda Λ "people"
М м мыслитє myslite ~ m 40 Greek mu Μ "think"
Н н нашь našĭ n 50 Greek nu Ν "ours"
О о онъ onŭ o 70 Greek omicron Ο "he" or "it"
П п покои pokoi p 80 Greek pi Π "peaceful state"
Р р рьци rĭci r 100 Greek rho Ρ "say"
С с слово slovo s 200 Greek lunate sigma Ϲ "word" or "speech"
Т т тврьдо tvrdo t 300 Greek tau Τ "hard" or "surely"
Оу оу / Ꙋ ꙋ оукъ ukŭ u 400 Greek omicron-upsilon ΟΥ / Ꙋ The first form developed into the second, a vertical ligature. "learning"
Ф ф фрьтъ frtŭ f 500 Greek phi Φ
Х х хѣръ xěrŭ kh 600 Greek chi Χ
Ѡ ѡ отъ otŭ ō, w 800 Greek omega ω "from"
Ц ц ци ci c 900 Glagolitic tsi Ⱌ
Ч ч чрьвь črvĭ č, ch 90 Glagolitic cherv Ⱍ "worm"
Ш ш ша ša š, sh Glagolitic sha Ⱎ
Щ щ шта šta št, sht Glagolitic shta Ⱋ Later analyzed as a Ш-Т ligature by folk etymology
Ъ ъ ѥръ jerŭ ŭ, u: Derived from Greek beta Β ?, Glagolitic yer Ⱏ ?
Ꙑ ꙑ ѥры jery y , or possibly Ъ + I ligature
Ь ь ѥрь jerĭ ĭ, i: Derived from Greek beta Β ?, Glagolitic yerj Ⱐ ?
Ѣ ѣ ять jatĭ ě Derived from Greek beta Β ?, Glagolitic yat Ⱑ ?
Ꙗ ꙗ я ja ja I-А ligature
Ѥ ѥ ѥ je: je І-Є ligature
Ю ю ю ju ju I-ОУ ligature, dropping У There was no sound in early Slavic, so I-ОУ did not need to be distinguished from I-О.
Ѧ ѧ ѧсъ ęsŭ ę, ẽ 900 Glagolitic ens Ⱔ Called юсъ малый (little yus) in Russian.
Ѩ ѩ ѩсъ jęsŭ ję, jẽ I-Ѧ ligature Called юсъ малый йотированный (iotated little yus) in Russian.
Ѫ ѫ ѫсъ ǫsŭ ǫ, õ Glagolitic ons Ⱘ Called юсъ большой (big yus) in Russian.
Ѭ ѭ ѭсъ jǫsŭ jǫ, jõ I-Ѫ ligature Called юсъ большой йотированный (iotated big yus) in Russian.
Ѯ ѯ кси ksi ks 60 Greek ksi Ξ These last four letters were not needed for Slavic but used to transcribe Greek and as numerals.
Ѱ ѱ пси psi ps 700 Greek psi Ψ
Ѳ ѳ фита fita θ, th, T, F ~~ 9 Greek theeta Θ
Ѵ ѵ ижица ižica ü, v , 400 Greek eepsilon Υ
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1 Includes Banat Bulgarian alphabet.

In addition to the basic letters, there were a number of scribal variations, combining ligatures, and regionalisms used, all of which varied over time.

Read more about this topic:  Early Cyrillic Alphabet

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    “I believe the alphabet is no longer considered an essential piece of equipment for traveling through life. In my day it was the keystone to knowledge. You learned the alphabet as you learned to count to ten, as you learned “Now I lay me” and the Lord’s Prayer and your father’s and mother’s name and address and telephone number, all in case you were lost.”
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