Spectral dependences of the gyration tensor components gll, gas, refraction indices and birefringence of tetragonal CdP, are investigated a t 300 I<. The optical activity of the crystal is found to be determined by both the crystal and the molecular contributions, the latter being due to the distortion of the tetrahedral symmetry of the structural elements. The dispersion of the refractive indices is discussed on the basis of a single-effective-oscillator model. The ionicity of CdP, is equal to 0.5B and is close to the values of AIIBVI compounds and the ionicity of Cd-P bond in AI1BrVCT semiconductors. The dispersion of the spectroscopic properties of CdP, is concluded to be mainly determined by the Cd-P bound. HemB Tnna AIIBVI, a TaKme c~m e i i Cd-P B nonynpoBonmKax AIIBIVCZ. ~~K J I I~Y~~T C H