Features of the old Bulgar language, preserved in the modern Bulgarian language

The Bulgar inscriptions discovered in the last decades reveal to us that some of the most characteristic features of the modern Bulgarian have their origin in the old Bulgar language. Two of the most frequent verb forms in modern Bulgarian – 'E' ('he/she/it IS') and 'BE' ('he/she/it WAS') coincide with the old Bulgar ones.

Similarly, the post-word definitive articles, which set modern Bulgarian apart from the rest of the Slavic languages, have their analogies in the lands to the east, previously inhabited by Bulgars. The diminutive suffixes -CHO, -CHE, -CA (-CHA), which are today common to the Bulgarian names (Trajcho, Trajche, Vancho, Vanche, Vancha, etc.), are also a Bulgar legacy. All this shows that the old Bulgar played a significant part in the formation of the modern Bulgarian language.

That is why even nowadays there are preserved a number of 'double' expressions, one word of which is Slavic, and the other – Bulgar in origin. For example: the expression SURVA, SURVA GODINA! ('Happy new Year!' - at Christmas), in which SURVA comes from the old Bulgar epithet SURV (fair, pure, holy), analogies of which are widely preserved in the East. The two most frequently said words at Easter – JAJCA (eggs) and KOZUNACI (Easter cakes), also have two sources – Slavic for JAJCA, and Bulgar for KOZUNACI. – The most tasty cakes made in the Caucasus, in the land of the former Kubrat Bulgars, are called KOZU and KAZINAKI, and the origin of these words becomes clear when we compare them to the Pamirian languages, in which KOZU (KHOZU) means 'sweet'.

At those times, when many people in Bulgaria spoke both old Bulgar and Slavic, there originated one very interesting tradition – to name some things in both languages. The Bulgarian folk songs contain many such 'double' expressions – for example, the expressions ZDRAV I CHITAV ('healthy and preserved'), the first word of which is Slavic, and the second - CHITAM is old Bulgar and corresponds to the Caucasian word CHIDAM ('preserved, not hurt'). Or to take the expression STARO-KHARO ('Old-Old'), in which next to the Slavic STARO stands KHARO – from KHAR, which in the lands of the former Kubrat Bulgars in the Caucasus even nowadays means 'old, broken down with age man'.

Almost all words designating the more important things in medieval Bulgaria had two variants – old Bulgar and Slavic. The inhabited buildings were called KSHTA ('house') and DOM ('house', Slavic). The grand buildings - PALAT ('palace') and DVOREC ('palace', Slavic). The nobles were called BOLJARI and VELMOZHI (Slavic), the clerics - KOLOBRI and ZHRECI (Slavic), the idols – KUMIRI and IDOLI, etc.

The Bulgar words were used by the Slavic inhabitants of the same territory, as well, and, naturally, there was created a single language. Saying KRASIV ('beautiful') a Bulgarian would use a Slavic word, but saying KHUBAV ('beautiful'), one would use an old Bulgar word. Similarly, LJUBOV ('a love') is a Slavic word but there was also another Bulgarian word for 'a love' – OBICH, from the Caucasians OBJUCH ('a kiss').

Here is a list of some of the most important 'double' Slavo-Bulgar words in modern Bulgarian:
 

A word of Slavic origin in modern Bulgarian	A word of Bulgar origin in modern Bulgarian		Cluster_user's ottoman parallels
KHLJAB	PITA	a bread – a loaf
DOM	KSHTA	a house
PES	KUCHE	a dog
ZDRAV	CHITAV	healthy
STAR	KHARAV, DRT	old
DREBEN	SITEN	small
KRASIV	KHUBAV	beautiful
ZL	LOSH	evil – bad
SLAB	MRSHAV, KHRBAV	thin, weak – thin (for people)
PSTR	SHAREN	motley, variegated
ZHLT	OKHREN	yellow – ochre
KRATK	KS	short – short (for objects)
DLG	DRAS (dial.)	long
LENIV	MRZELIV	lazy
LJUBOV	OBICH	a love
ZLOBA	OMRAZA	a hatred
JUNAK	LEVENT	a hero
TANC	KHORO	a dance	greek xoro, > turk. hora (xora)
PLOSHTAD	MEGDAN	a square
OBLEKLO	DREHI	clothes
BOEN DRUGAR	KHSH	an army comrade
OTRJAD	CHETA	a band
POKRIVKA	KRPA	a cover, a table-cloth – a (piece of) cloth
PALICA	TOJAGA, SOPA, CHOMAGA	a stick	turk. c,omak  turk. sopa
DSKA	LETVA, SHIPKA (in Dobrudzha)	a board, plank – a lath
POKRIV	POTON	a roof
KRIVAK	GEGA	a (shepherd's) crook
DYB	CER	an oak
LISTA	SHUMA	leaves – (dry) leaves
TREVA	BILKA, BILE	a grass – a herb
MENTA	DZHODZHEN, NANEGRNE	a peppermint	turk. na^ne < `ar. na`na`
GRNE	STOMNA, PAKHAR (liturg.)	a (earthen) pot, jar – a pitcher, an earthen jug
MOTIKA	CHAPA	a hoe, a mattock
ZAKHLUPCI	GAVANKA	a wooden bowl
POJAS	KOLAN	a belt	turk. kolan
OGRLICA	GERDAN	a necklace	turk. gerdanlIk =gerdan + lIk, gerdan (front part of the neck) (ottoman spelling gerda:n) < persian gerden
PROZOREC	PENDZHER	a window	turk. pencere < pers. pencer ("grill")
IMANE	STOKA	goods (noun)
OGN	VATRA	a fire
BLIZNICA	STOMANA	a steel
BRONZ	PIRINCH	a bronze	turk. pirinc, < pers. piring "brass"
UTROBA	KOREM	a stomach
DLAN	SHEPA	a palm (of the hand)
RKA	KUNKA	a hand
NOGA	KRAK	a foot
LICE	MUCUNA	a face
VTRESHNOSTI	CHERVA	intestines
KHOMOT	JUGO, IGO	yoke
PRITEZHATEL	STOPANIN	an owner
KAMK	PLOCHA	a stone – a (stone) plate
VRKH	CHUKA	a peak
LETJA	KHVRCHA	to fly
BJAGAM	TICHAM	to run
PISHTJA	SVIRJA	to shriek – to play (music)
UKHAJA	MIRISHA	to smell
BRANJA	PAZJA	to defend
GOVORJA	KHORATJA	to talk

 
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