Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bulgar

/ˈbʌlɡɚ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.86 in modern English

Syllables: bul-gar
IPA: /ˈbʌlɡɚ/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Alternative spelling of bulgur.

Uncountable

noun

A member of a migratory Turkic people from Central Asia who conquered Moesia in the 7th century and settled what is now Bulgaria, and some of whom then migrated to the Volga basin to establish Volga Bulgaria.

noun

adj

Of or relating to the Bulgars.

name

The Turkic language of the Bulgar people.

name

A historical group of Turkic dialects, the only extant member of which is Chuvash.

name

Bulgarian, the South Slavic language spoken in Bulgaria.

Example Sentences

"'They need say nothing of the third Bulgar who must have been hanging about somewhere, but they must get him at all costs. He will certainly head for Paris.'"
"Prince Alexander of Battenberg […] was chosen by the Bulgars as their first ruler (1879)."
"Prince Alexander of Battenberg […] was erect, gallant, and a man of good will; but he lacked tact, was unable to speak Bulgar, and was soon lost in a maze of intrigue."
"In 1879 they elected as king Alexander of Battenberg, a nephew of the Tsarina and a gallant, well-meaning young man who, if he did not speak Bulgar, was sufficiently German by birth and training to be hostile to Russia."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Turkic *bulga-der. Proto-Turkic *bulgar Old Turkic 𐰉𐰆𐰞𐰍𐰀 (b¹wl¹g¹a) Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Slavic *-inъ Old Church Slavonic -инъ (-inŭ) Old Church Slavonic блъгаринъ (blŭgarinŭ)bor. Medieval Latin Bulgarusbor. English Bulgar From Medieval Latin Bulgarus, from Old Church Slavonic блъгаринъ (blŭgarinŭ), itself from the self designation of Turkic Bulgars, from Proto-Turkic *bulgar (“disturber, disturbing”), active noun/adjective of *bulga- (“to create a state of disorder; to stir, to disturb”). Displaced Old English Pulgare in the sense of "a Bulgarian", from the same Latin source. Doublet of bugger.

Word Breakdown

Root: Bulgarus, блъгаринъ, -, *bulgar

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbʌlɡɚ/
British English: /ˈbʌlɡɑː/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

Bulgars (plural) Bolgar (alternative) Bolğar (alternative) Bulghar (alternative) Bolghar (alternative)

Phrases

Bulgar leather Wiktionary’s coverage of Bulgar terms

Frequently Paired Words

Wiktionary’s coverage of Bulgar terms xbo

Questions

How do you pronounce bulgar?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbʌlɡɚ/.
What does bulgar mean?: Alternative spelling of bulgur.
Where does bulgar come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Turkic *bulga-der. Proto-Turkic *bulgar Old Turkic 𐰉𐰆𐰞𐰍𐰀 (b¹wl¹g¹a) Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Slavic *-inъ Old Church Slavonic -инъ (-inŭ) Old Church Slavonic блъгаринъ (blŭgarinŭ)bor. Medieval Latin Bulgarusbor. English Bulgar From Medieval Latin Bulgarus, from Old Church Slavonic блъгаринъ (blŭgarinŭ), itself from the self designation of Turkic Bulgars, from Proto-Turkic *bulgar (“disturber, disturbing”), active noun/adjective of *bulga- (“to create a state of disorder; to stir, to disturb”). Displaced Old English Pulgare in the sense of "a Bulgarian", from the same Latin source. Doublet of bugger.

How to pronounce bulgar

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bulgar”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbʌlɡɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bulgar”.
Repeat and practice — Say “bulgar” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.