Glagolitisch

Glagolitisch, or Glagolitic script, is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It was created in the 9th century, and its origin is traditionally credited to Saints Cyril and Methodius, as part of their mission to translate liturgical and biblical texts into Old Church Slavonic. The name derives from glagol, meaning “word” or “to speak,” in Old Church Slavonic.

Historically, Glagolitic spread across parts of Central and Southeastern Europe, notably Great Moravia and later Croatia, Dalmatia, and neighboring regions. It coexisted with Cyrillic, which emerged in the same milieu and later became more widespread in many areas. Glagolitic was primarily used for liturgical books and texts in Church Slavonic; over time, two main visual forms developed: a round, more curved version and a more angular, square-shaped variant. In Croatia, Glagolitic enjoyed a long-lasting liturgical use into the medieval and early modern periods, while in other regions Cyrillic or Latin scripts became dominant.

Characteristics and influence: Glagolitic comprises a distinctive set of letters designed to represent Slavic phonology, many of which have no direct Greek equivalent. It served as a bridge between Byzantine and Slavic literacy and influenced the development of Cyrillic, which was inspired in part by Glagolitic shapes and Greek letters. The script is notable for its ornate, non-Latin forms and for its role in early Slavic literary culture.

Legacy and modern status: Today Glagolitic survives mainly as a scholarly and cultural artifact. It is studied in philology and paleography, displayed in museums, and used in some Croatian liturgical and ceremonial contexts. In digital times, Glagolitic is encoded in Unicode and supported by specialized fonts and input layouts for academic and cultural purposes.