Cyrillic
/sɪˈrɪlɪk
/adjective
Denoting the alphabet used by many Slavic peoples, chiefly those with a historical allegiance to the Orthodox Church. Ultimately derived from Greek uncials, it is now used for Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Ukrainian, and some other Slavic languages.These non-Slavic influences are reflected in the Slovene language, which is written in the Latin alphabet, while most Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet....
- I concluded that the Cyrillic alphabet and Bulgarian language were valued and respected cultural assets of the country.
- Poland traditionally thinks of itself as the frontier of European civilisation, a bulwark against the east, with its Orthodox church and Cyrillic script.
noun [mass noun]
The Cyrillic alphabet.The switch to Cyrillic in Central Asia was largely completed by 1940....
- The main body of modern Azeri literature and educational material is still in Cyrillic, and the transition to the Latin alphabet is a time-consuming and expensive process.
- In Moldova, the Soviet authorities changed the alphabet from Latin to Cyrillic.
Origin
Early 19th century: named after St Cyril (see Cyril, St).