Bulgarian

The official language of Bulgaria, Bulgarian is an Indo-European language and a member of the Southern branch of the Slavic language family, which also includes Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian, and Slovenian. It has around 9 million native speakers and was the first specific Slavic language ever named in writing.

Before the 7th century, people throughout what is now Eastern and Central Europe spoke versions of the same proto-Slavic language.  Around the 9th century, however, a literary version of the language began to evolve as Byzantine missionaries, in their effort to convert the Slavic people, began standardizing the language and using it to translate the Bible.  This language was initially referred to simply as языкъ словяньскъ (yazika slovyanyska) or “the Slavic language,” but the late 11th century, the language gradually began being called языкъ блъгарьскъ (yazika blagaryska), the “Bulgarian language.”

Bulgarian Fun Facts

Be careful with gestures: When Bulgarians shake their heads it means yes and when they nod, it means no. Sometimes they reverse these gestures if they know they’re speaking to foreigners, complicating the issue further.

Nedko Solakov, one of Bulgaria’s most prominent contemporary artists, has helped introduce a new vein of experimental art. His ink drawings use humor to explore love, sadness, and anxiety. One drawing reads:“A Balloon and a Cactus became friends. For the time being—everything OK.”

The name Bulgaria derives from the Bulgars, a semi-nomadic people who arrived in the country in the seventh century.