Pre-Reform Russian Orthography Cheat Sheet

Introduction

The Russian orthographic reform of 1917-1918 introduced a number of major changes into the Russian language, including the elimination of several letters from the alphabet and the spelling of a number of ubiquitous affixes. However, Russian spelling rules were not officially codified until 1956, and certain minor variations and inconsistencies can be found in Soviet publications of this early period. Pre-reform spelling rules were not officially codified at all; therefore much greater variation in spelling can be found in pre-revolutionary publications. Furthermore, Russian emigré communities, for whom spelling became a political matter, continued to issue publications in pre-reform orthography (often introducing their own variations) throughout the 20th century. Consequently, individuals working with these publications may encounter variations in spelling not covered in this document. Appropriate reference sources should be consulted in those cases.

I. Obsolete Letters

The orthographic reform eliminated 4 letters (I i, Ѣ ѣ, Ѳ ѳ, Ѵ ѵ) from the Russian alphabet, and greatly restricted the use of ъ (tverdyi znak). The following table summarizes the correspondences between obsolete letters and their modern counterparts. Each letter is discussed in greater detail below.

Pre-reform spelling Romanization Modern spelling Romanization

of pre-reform spelling     of modern spelling

I i Ī ī И и * I i 

Ѣ ѣ I︠E︡ i︠e︡ Е е * E e 

Ѳ ѳ Ḟ ḟ Ф ф F f 

Ѵ ѵ Ẏ ẏ И и I i 

*For exceptions and special situations see below. 

1. I і (и десятеричное / i desiaterichnoe)

This letter appeared most commonly before vowels and the letter й, as well as in a small number of roots (e.g. мiръ 'world'). It corresponds to the modern letter И и in most environments.

Example:

Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

стихотворенія стихотворения

stikhotvorenīi︠a︡ stikhotvorenii︠a︡

However, when i occurs before the letter o, modern spelling may have several different outcomes, and special attention should be exercised.

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

фiолетовый фиолетовый 

fīoletovyĭ fīoletovyĭ 

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

серiозный серьëзный 

serīoznyĭ ser′ёznyĭ 

3) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

маiоръ майор  

maīor″     maĭor 

4) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

медалiонъ     медальон 

medalīon″     medal′on

2. Ѣѣ (ять / iat’)

This letter appeared in approximately 130 roots, as well as in a number of derivational and inflectional affixes. It corresponds to modern Е е in all environments, save for the exceptional forms further below.

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

повѣсть повесть  

povi︠e︡st′ povest′ 

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

Алексѣй Алексей 

Aleksi︠e︡ĭ     Alekseĭ 

Exceptional forms:

Pre-reform orthography had distinct forms for the 3rd person plural feminine pronoun (онѣ) and for the 3rd person masculine plural of один (однѣ). Modern spelling does not make these distinctions.

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

онѣ/однѣ они 

oni︠e︡/odni︠e︡   oni  

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

однѣ (однѣхъ, однѣмъ, однѣми)     одни (одних, одним, одними) 

odni︠e︡ (odni︠e︡kh″, odni︠e︡m″, odni︠e︡mi)     odni (odnikh, odnim, odnimi) 

3. Ѳ ѳ (фита / fita)

This letter occurred in words of Greek origin. It corresponds to modern Ф ф in all environments.

Example:

Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

орѳографія орфография 

orḟografīi︠a︡    orfografii︠a︡ 

4. ѵ/Ѷ (ижица / izhitsa)

This letter occurred in words of Greek origin. It corresponds to modern И и in all environments.

Example:

Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

сѵнодъ синод  

sẏnod″     sinod 

5. Ъ ъ (твердый знак / tverdyi znak)

This letter appeared at the end of all words and components of compound words that would otherwise end in a consonant. It also appeared in the body of words as a separative sign. Modern spelling retains its use as a separative sign, but omits it at the end of words and components of compound words.

The letter should be transcribed in romanization both when it occurs at the end of a word and when it occurs in middle position; likewise, it should be retained in parallel Cyrillic fields.

Example:

Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

/контръ-адмиралъ контр-адмирал

kontr″-admiral″ kontr-admiral

Variations in the letter’s use as a separative sign were frequent well into the Soviet period. In some publications, “ъ” was commonly replaced by an apostrophe.

Example:

Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

с’ездъ съезд

s’ezd″ s′′ezd

II. Morphological changes

1. Prefixes ending in -з

In pre-reform orthography, prefixes ending in -з (без-, вз-, воз-, из-, низ-, раз-, роз-, чрез-, через-) remained unchanged regardless of the following consonant. In modern orthography, -з becomes -с if the following consonant is voiceless.

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

безполезный бесполезный 

bezpoleznyĭ bespoleznyĭ 

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

возсоединенiе воссоединение 

vozsoedinenīe vossoedinenie 

3) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

черезчуръ чересчур 

cherezchur″ chereschur 

2. Masculine and neuter genitive singular adjectives

Pre-reform orthography had endings -аго, -яго for masculine and neuter genitive singular adjectives. Modern spelling has -ого, его.

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

соборъ святаго Марка собор святого Марка 

sobor″ svi︠a︡tago Marka sobor svi︠a︡togo Marka 

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

синяго цвѣта   синего цвета 

sini︠a︡go t︠s︡vi︠e︡ta   sinego t︠s︡veta 

3. Nominative and accusative feminine and neuter adjectives

Pre-reform orthography had distinct plural forms for nominative and accusative feminine and neuter adjectives, with endings -ыя, -iя. Modern spelling does not make this distinction: -ые, -ие are the endings for all genders.

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

глупыя шутки глупые шутки 

glupyi︠a︡ shutki   glupye shutki 

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

другiя статьи другие статьи  

drugīi︠a︡ stat′i drugie stat'i 

3) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

оставшiяся развалины оставшиеся развалины 

ostavshīi︠a︡si︠a︡ razvaliny ostavshiesi︠a︡ razvaliny  

4. Genitive singular feminine pronoun

Pre-reform orthography had a special form of the genitive singular feminine pronoun (ея). Modern spelling has ee (eё).

Example:

Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

ея сiятельство ее (eё) сиятельство 

ei︠a︡ sīi︠a︡tel′stvo ee (eё) sii︠a︡tel′stvo 

III. Other spelling variations

Unlike the above examples, the following changes are not always systematic. Some of these variations, though relatively minor, can be found in publications well into the Soviet period. They are listed here as issues that may require special attention.

1. О vs. е (ë) after ч, ж, ш, щ

Pre-reform (and early Soviet) spelling sometimes has о after ч, ж, ш, щ in stressed position, where modern spelling has е (ë).

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

чортъ черт (чëрт) 

chort″    chert (chërt)  

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

щолкать   щелкать 

shcholkat′ shchelkat′ 

2. Э before i

Pre-reform (and early Soviet) orthography sometimes had э after и in words of foreign origin, where modern orthography has е.

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

клiэнт клиент 

klīėnt″    klient 

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

гiэна гиена 

gīėna giena 

3. Compound words

Pre-reform orthography sometimes differed from modern usage in the writing of compound words.

Examples:

1) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

повидимому по-видимому 

povidimomu    po-vidimomu 

2) Pre-reform spelling Modern spelling

сельско-хозяйственный сельскохозяйственный 

sel′sko-khozi︠a︡ĭstvennyĭ sel′skokhozi︠a︡ĭstvennyĭ 

See also:

Transliteration of Titles in Pre-Reform Orthography;
Transliteration of the Hard Sign "ъ” (tverdyi znak);
Names in Pre-Reform Orthography

Revised: Oct. 8, 2015