The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Glagolitic Alphabet

GLAGOLITIC (glag-ō-lĭt'ĭk) ALPHABET, a Slavonic alphabet classed as ancient Bulgarian. There is a MS. of the 11th century written in this alphabet in the Vatican, containing extracts of the Gospels for each day in the year; there are extant also three other MSS. written in the same letters.

The origin of this alphabet is undiscoverable. It is older than the Cyrillac; it may be a modification of Greek cursive writing; perhaps it is connected with Armenian and Albanian alphabets. Its use is confined to the liturgical books of Dalmatian Slavs. Cyril, a monk of Constantinople, invented the Cyrillac alphabet, of which this has sometimes been considered a variant. Both of these differ from the current Russian alphabet.