Question

О какой букве идет речь в данном тексте? Эта буква хранит молчание примерно с 12-13вв. Она регулярно посещала собрания букв, но занимала место где-нибудь в самом конце и – помалкивала. За это время у нас многое произошло. Появились новые слова и вышли из употребления старые. Книжки стали печататься. А буква всё помалкивала, но пожирала более 8 процентов времени и бумаги и до реформы русской орфографии 1918 года стоила России очень дорого. Например, в романе Л. Толстого «Война и мир» она занимала 70 с лишним страниц.

Answer 1

Эта буква твёрдый знак "Ъ"

Answer 2

The Letter in Question

The letter being referred to in the given text is the letter "Ъ" (Hard Sign) in the Russian language. The text describes how this letter remained silent or unpronounced since the 12th or 13th century. It regularly attended meetings of letters but occupied a place somewhere at the end and remained silent. During this time, many changes occurred, new words emerged, and old words fell out of use. Books started to be printed. However, the letter "Ъ" remained silent, consuming more than 8 percent of time and paper, and until the Russian orthographic reform of 1918, it was costly for Russia. For example, in Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace," it occupied more than 70 pages [[1]].

Russian Orthographic Reform of 1918

The Russian orthographic reform of 1918 aimed to simplify the Russian writing system and make it more phonetic. As part of this reform, the letter "Ъ" (Hard Sign) was largely removed from the Russian alphabet. Its usage was significantly reduced, and it was no longer required in most cases. The reform aimed to make the Russian language more accessible and easier to learn and write. The removal of the letter "Ъ" from the Russian alphabet was one of the significant changes introduced during this reform [[1]].

Impact of the Reform

The removal of the letter "Ъ" from the Russian alphabet had several effects. It simplified the spelling of words and reduced the number of silent letters in the language. The reform aimed to make the Russian writing system more consistent with pronunciation, making it easier for people to read and write. By eliminating the need for the letter "Ъ," the reform also reduced the amount of time and paper required for writing and printing. This change was particularly significant considering the high cost of paper and the letter's consumption of more than 8 percent of time and paper before the reform [[1]].

Conclusion

In summary, the letter being referred to in the given text is the letter "Ъ" (Hard Sign) in the Russian language. This letter remained silent since the 12th or 13th century and was regularly present in written texts but occupied a place at the end and remained silent. The Russian orthographic reform of 1918 significantly reduced the usage of this letter, simplifying the Russian writing system and making it more phonetic. The removal of the letter "Ъ" had various effects, including simplifying spelling, reducing the number of silent letters, and saving time and paper in writing and printing.