cyrilic alphabet - logic!?

[ruriktochkase.livejournal.com]

Ok. I have to admit, that learning cyrilic alphabet was for me somewhat of a puzzle.
A puzzle that I have not been able to solve for past 24 years.
And the more other languages I understand (especially other slavic lang. that use cyrilics),
the more odd the Russian cyrilic system seems to me.

I will try to explain what I mean the best I can.
But Im not sure that my knowledge of phonetics is good enough,
but Im sure that there are some other people around here (f.ex. thouse who have czech or polish as mother tounge),
who will see what I mean, and plz .  do not be shy in transforming my question into more internationally understandible.

Look, in Russian there is a letter "е"  and it is actionly a combination of й+э, or in some cases just plane э. (whith softer consonant)
Than there is ю which is a combination of й+у. or just y (w.softer consonant)
Than there is я which is й+а
Than there is ё which is й+o

So? so 2 questions:

1st: WHY? why choose 1 consonant "й", and separate into separate letters the combination of it w. vowel ? ? ? 

I mean one could say that its some necesity of cyrilic alphabet, but its not. I can not see any situation were the letters "е ё ю я" would be impossible to replace by combination of other letters.
F.ex. in serbian (where they use in cyrilic same "j" as in English), they spell "Ja" instead of "я".
and if one would wanna make the consonant softer there is always "ь", right ???
Ok, fine, lets say one wants to make a language w. as few symbols in every word as possible. thus one would need more letters.
Seems logical. but why isn't there letters like "Ka", "Ko", and all the other combinations of consonant + vowel, with its own separate letter ?

So, I still can't get the logic. Does anyone get it ?

2nd: Whats the story? what was the historic background?
what was the reason for making "й" this very special letter,
with all the own letters for combination with vowels?
was it Cyrill that fell in love w. it?
or prehaps some of thouse letters came up after Lenins reform of Russian?
 

 

Comments

[ruriktochkase.livejournal.com]

"In 2004, the federal Constitutional Court outlawed the Tatar regional law, and thus confirmed the 2002 amendment to the federal "Peoples languages" law.
But this is the only instance when Cyrillics are mentioned in the federal law "
- - -
So, now you state that there is mentioning of use of cyrilics in the federal law.
Good. Very good.


On he other hand your addmition of the fact that there is a federal law that stipulates use of cyrilic alphabet makes you previous statement false. you said:
"But the federal law does not govern the specific rules of the language, including the alphabet it is using."


So, which one is it, Mr. "wolk_off"?
Is there a law on use of alphabet in Russian Federation, or isn't there?

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Hey, dude, don't play with me. Russian language is only mentioned (and ruled) in one federal law, that on the "Official language," and this law does not mention the Cyrillic alphabet at all, period. As of the "Peoples' languages" law, it does not govern the use of Russian, and therefore is irrelevant for our point (though it emphasizes the fact that I have mentioned previously -- that of the non-Russian usage of Cyrillics.)

[ruriktochkase.livejournal.com]

Hey, dude, don't play with me.
- - -
You seem to be very generous & serious while giving advice like "Learn the basics :)".
Prehaps there is a time for you to follow your own advice after comming w. a 3rd false statement in a row?
When you Wolk_off, make a third third false statement in a row,
prehaps its time to admit that even you get facts about Russian language wrong once in a while?


To see that your statments are wrong it is suficient to simply compare your claims about the law and the actual text of the law.


Your false statement 1:

"As of the "Peoples' languages" law, it does not govern the use of Russian"
- - -
It does. You are plain wrong.

п. 6 ст.3 закона "О языках народов Российской Федерации",
"алфавиты государственного языка Российской Федерации и государственных языков республик строятся на графической основе кириллицы"

English translation:
"Alphabets of state language of Russian Federation and state languages of the republics are build on the cyrilic graphic base".

As you can see it clearly mentions state language and stipulates the cyrilic alphabet.
Dude(c) you are wrong.


FALSE statement 2:
and therefore is irrelevant for our point (though it emphasizes the fact that I have mentioned previously -- that of the non-Russian usage of Cyrillics.)
- - -
"The law about the languages of Russian Federation"
does not make such distinction. In regards to the aplphabet it applyes equaly to Russian and non-Russian usage.


FALSE statement 3:
"But the federal law does not govern the specific rules of the language,
including the alphabet it is using."
- - -
And again you are wrong. Federal law DOES govern the use of alphabet.


п. 6 ст.3 закона "О языках народов Российской Федерации",
"алфавиты государственного языка Российской Федерации и государственных языков республик строятся на графической основе кириллицы"

§6 article 3 of law "About the languages of people of Russian Federation":
"Alphabets of state language of Russian Federation and state languages of the republics are build on the cyrilic graphic base".

SO? Shall we see now if your statement about being a "liberal" moderater hold up? ;)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

OK, you got me! How am I gonna live from now on? Oh gosh, he got me! Nasty! Nasty! :)

So what?

You really think that all this really matters in the case with the use of iotated Russian vowels? :)