Numismatic Bulgarian

---------- What I Like About Ancient Coins ----------

Numismatic Bulgarian — Some Useful Words

There are several excellent coin reference books written in Bulgarian. This is a list of some words you might find in them. It's certainly not complete, but it might be helpful. It takes no account of grammar or syntax and is just to allow you to recognise the roots of the words. Sometimes the word in the "English" column is actually an English transliteration of a Greek or Latin word — for example, the names of deities or rulers. If you can pronounce the Cyrillic words you won't need those sections at all.

The words are listed in three sections. Here are links:

Rulers — emperors, wives and children in whose names the coins were struck.
Personifications and deities — the main figures on many reverses.
Other words — used in coin descriptions.

The centre column, "Romanised," gives the English versions of the Cyrillic letters. I can't imagine that this gives the correct pronunciation, but helps me, totally ignorant of the language, work with the Bulgarian words; maybe it will help you too.

Rulers

Bulgarian	Romanised	English
Октавиан Август	Oktavian Avgust	Octavian Augustus
Домициан	Domi(ts)ian	Domitian
Траян	Tra(ya)n	Trajan
Хадриан	(Ch)adrian	Hadrian
Елий Цезар	Elii (Ts)ezar	Aelius Caesar
Антонин Пий	Antonin Pii	Antoninus Pius
Марк Аврелий	Mark Avrelii	Marcus Aurelius
Луций Вер	Lu(ts)ii Ver	Lucius Verus
Фаустин Млада	Faustin Mlada	Faustina Younger
Комод	Komod	Commodus
Криспина	Krispina	Crispina
Клод Албин	Klod Albin	Clodius Albinus
Септимий Север	Septimii Sever	Septimius Severus
Юлия Домна	(Yu)li(ya) Domna	Julia Domna
Каракала	Karakala	Caracalla
Плавтила	Plavtila	Plautilla
Гета	Geta	Geta
Макрин	Makrin	Macrinus
Диадумениан	Diadumenian	Diadumenian
Елагабал	Elagabal	Elagabalus
Аквилия Севера	Akvili(ya) Severa	Aquilia Severa
Юлия Соемия	(Yu)li(ya) Soemi(ya)	Julia Soaemias
Юлия Меса	(Yu)li(ya) Mesa	Julia Maesa
Александър Север	Aleksandur Sever	Alexander Severus
Юлия Мамея	(Yu)li(ya) Mame(ya)	Julia Mamaea
Гордиан	Gordian	Gordian
Транквилина	Trankvilina	Tranquillina
Филип	Filip	Philip
Отацилия Севера	Ota(ts)ili(ya) Severa	Otacilia Severa
Валериан	Valerian	Valerian
Галиен	Galien	Gallienus
Салонина	Salonina	Salonina

Personifications and Deities

Bulgarian	Romanised	English
Аполон	Apolon	Apollo
Аполон Савроктон	Apolon Savrokton	Apollo Sauroktonos
Арес	Ares	Ares
Артемида	Artemida	Artemis
Асклепий	Asklepii	Asklepios
Атина	Atina	Athena
Атина Никефороъ	Atina Nikeforos	Athena Nikephoros
Бахус	Ba(ch)us	Bacchus
Бонус Евентус	Bonus Eventus	Bonus Eventus
Гений	Genii	Genius
Глюкон	Gl(yu)kon	Glykon or Glycon
Деметра	Demetra	Demeter
Дионис	Dionis	Dionysos
Евридика	Evridika	Eurydike or Eurydice
Ейрене	Eirene	Eirene
Ерос	Eros	Eros
Зевс	Zevs	Zeus
Конкордия	Konkordi(ya)	Concordia
Немезида	Nemezida	Nemesis
Нике	Nike	Nike
Орфей	Orfei	Orpheus
Пан	Pan	Pan
Приап	Priap	Priapus
Серапис	Serapis	Serapis
Триптолем	Triptolem	Triptolemos
Тюхе	T(yu)(ch)e	Tyche
Феб	Feb	Phoebus (Apollo)
Хадес	(Ch)ades	Hades
Харпократ	(Ch)arpokrat	Harpocrates
Хелиос	(Ch)elios	Helios
Хем	(Ch)em	Hemos
Хера	(Ch)era	Hera
Херакъд	(Ch)erakud	Herakles
Хермес	(Ch)ermes	Hermes
Хигия	(Ch)igi(ya)	Hygeia

Other Words

Bulgarian	Romanised	English
аверс, аверсен	avers, aversen	obverse (of a coin)
бига	biga	biga
бик	bik	bull
Бог or бог	Bog	God or god
богиня	bogin(ya)	goddess
ботуша	botu(sh)a	(high) boots
брадат	bradat	bearded
броня	bron(ya)	armour, mail, cuirass
бюст	b(yu)st	bust
бяг	b(ya)g	running
вариант	variant	variant
вдигната	vdignata	raised
везни	vezni	scales (for weighing)
венец	vene(ts)	wreath (worn on the head)
вляво	vl(ya)vo	to the left
вода	voda	water
вол	vol	ox
вълчица	val(ch)i(ts)a	she-wolf
върха	vur(ch)a	top
въэлияние	vuzli(ya)nie	libation
галера	galera	galley
глава, главата	glava, glavata	head
глиган	gligan	wild boar
гол	gol	nude
горе	gore	above
горящ	gor(ya)(sht)	burning
град	grad	city
градско	gradsko	urban
градска богиня	gradska bogin(ya)	city goddess
грозде	grozde	grapes
гущер	gu(sht)er	lizard
драпирана	drapirana	draping
дрехата	dre(ch)ata	garment
два, две	dva, dve	two
доспехи	dospe(ch)i	armour, panoply
дръжка	dru(zh)ka	handle, stem
дълъг or дълга	dulug or dulga	long
държи	dur(zh)i	keep, hold
дърво	durvo	tree
дясната	d(ya)snata	right
елен	elen	stag, deer
етажа	eta(zh)a	floors
женски	(zh)enski	female
жезъл	(zh)ezul	sceptre
жертвелик	(zh)ertvelik	sacrificial altar
звезда	zvezda	star
земята	zem(ya)ta	the earth, the ground
змия	zmi(ya)	snake
изображение	izobra(zh)enie	portrait, image, depiction
изправена	izpravena	standing upright
император, императора	imperator, imperatora	emperor
императрнцата	imperatri(ts)ata	empress
клонка	klonka	twig, sprig
което	koeto	which
кожа	ko(zh)a	skin, hide
козилог	kozilog	capricorn
колело	kolelo	wheel
колесница	kolesni(ts)a	chariot
колчан	kol(ch)an	quiver
коня	kon(ya)	horse
конник	konnik	rider, horseman
копие	kopie	spear (also means "copy")
кораб	korab	ship
кормило	kormilo	rudder
корона	korona	crown
коса	kosa	hair
кошница	ko(sh)ni(ts)a	basket
крак	krak	leg
кривак	krivak	club, truncheon
крилата	krilata	wings, winged
Критския	Kritski(ya)	Cretan
кръгъл	krugul	round
кръстосан	krustosan	cross(ed)
камшик or къмшик	kam(sh)ik or kum(sh)ik	whip, crop
лавров	lavrov	laurel
лавров венец	lavrov vene(ts)	laurel crown, ∴ ≅ laureate
лази	lazi	crawl
легнал	legnal	recumbent, lying flat, in bed
лира	lira	lyre
лице	li(ts)e	face
лъв, лъвска	luv, luvska	lion
лък	luk	bow
лъчист, лъчеста	lu(ch)ist, lu(ch)esta	radiant, radiate
ляв, лявата, вляво	l(ya)v, l(ya)vata, vl(ya)vo	left
мантия	manti(ya)	mantle, robe
млада	mlada	young
муралис	muralis	mural (as in mural crown)
наведена	navedena	bent down, bowed down
нагънат	nagunat	plicated, folded
надолу	nadolu	downwards
надпис	nadpis	legend, inscription
надясно	nad(ya)sno	right, to the right, rightwards
наляво	nal(ya)vo	left, to the left, leftwards
наметало	nametalo	cloak, mantle
напред	napred	forward
него	nego	him
Нимфейон	Nimfeion	Nymphaion
нос на кораб	nos na korab	prow of ship
нож	no(zh)	knife
обърнат, обърната	oburnat, oburnata	facing or turned backwards
огърлица	ogurni(ts)a	necklace
опако, оп	opako	reverse
ореол	oreol	halo
около	okolo	around
основа, осн	osnova	exergue, base, foot
палмова	palmova	palm (tree)
панделка	pandelka	ribbon, fillet
пантера	pantera	panther
патера	patera	patera
паун	paun	peacock
печат	pe(ch)at	impression (die)
плодове	plodove	fruit
подобно	podobno	similar
подпрян, подпряно	podpr(ya)n, podpr(ya)no	propped, leaning, resting
полу&mdash	polu—	semi—
полулегнал	polulegnal	reclining
полуобърнат	poluoburnat	half turned
порти	porti	gates
почиващ	po(ch)iva(sht)	resting
прав	prav	upright, straight
привързан	priburzan	tied, attached
прическа	pri(ch)eska	hairstyle
пръст	prust	finger
пълна	pulna	full
развява	razv(ya)va	wave, flourish
разтваря	raztrar(ya)	spread open
реверс, реверса	revers, reversa	reverse (of a coin)
речен	re(ch)en	river
ризница	rizni(ts)a	chain mail
рог на изобилието	rog na izobilieto	horn of plenty, cornucopia
ръка, ръце	ruka, ru(ts)e	hand, hands
сатир	satir	satyr
седнаи	sednal	seated
скала	skala	rock
сложно	slo(zh)no	complex, intricate
сочи	so(ch)i	point to, indicate
стоглавата	stoglavata	hundred-headed
стрела	strela	arrow
съд	sud	vessel, container
същият	su(sht)i(ya)t	identical
тетрастилен	tetrastile	tetrastyle (temple)
тила	tila	neck
типичната	tipi(ch)nata	typically, characteristically
тирс	tirs	thyrsos
тояга	to(ya)ga	staff, club
триделен	tridelen	trilobed
тройно	troino	triple
трон	tron	throne
туника	tunika	tunic
урна	urna	urn
устата	ustata	mouth
факел	fakel	torch
фронтално	frontalno	frontal, facing
хвърля	(ch)vurl(ya)	throws
хитон	(ch)iton	chiton
ход	(ch)od	walk (ing)
храни	(ch)rani	foodstuffs or feeds
цветя	(ts)vet(ya)	flowers
шлем	(sh)lem	helmet
щит	(sht)it	shield

Some of the reference books this might be useful for are:

Ivan Varbanov's series on Greek Imperial Coins and their Values. The first three volumes are also available as (improved) English versions.

Hristova & Jekov's series of volumes on the Coins of Moesia Inferior, I-III c. AD.

Dimitar Dragonov's "The Coinage of Deultum," and the Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum volume on the Coins of Deultum in Thrace.

Credit should go to members of the Forum Classical Numismatics Discussion Board; in particular, to Charley Rhodes for a list of words that I used to start off this page, to the users Optimus and Pekka K for corrections and additional words, and to Pat Lawrence for generosity and encouragement. But I have made many additions and changes, so any mistakes are likely to be mine.

Two web translation resources have proved useful. Where one fails, try the other. They are Google Translate and Eurodict. They each have their own strengths, and know words the other does not. Google can translate paragraphs and phrases. Eurodict gives you access to the Cyrillic alphabet, which can be very useful, and often gives more detailed definitions of words. You will need to ensure that cookies are enabled in your browser.

The content of this page was last updated on 28 December 2011