Mongolian language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mongolian |
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| монгол хэл ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠬᠡᠯᠡ | ||||
| Native to | Mongolia | |||
| Region | All of state Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, parts of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Xinjiang and Gansu provinces in China | |||
| Native speakers | 5.2 million (2005) | |||
| Language family |
Mongolic
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| Early forms: |
Middle Mongolian
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| Standard forms |
Khalkha (Mongolia)
Chakhar (China)
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| Dialects |
Khalkha
Chakhar
Khorchin
Kharchin
Baarin
Shilin gol
Ordos Mongolian
Darkhad
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| Writing system | Mongolian alphabets: Traditional Mongolian script (in China), Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet (in Mongolia), Mongolian Braille |
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| Official status | ||||
| Official language in | Mongolia China Inner Mongolia |
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| Regulated by | Mongolia: State Language Council, China: Council for Language and Literature Work |
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| Linguasphere | part of 44-BAA-b | |||
Geographic distribution of Mongolic peoples across Asia (red)
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The Mongolian language (
, Mongɣol kele, Cyrillic: Монгол хэл, Mongol khel) is a language spoken by over 5 million people. It is the main language of Mongolia. It is also spoken in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China.
You can also find Mongolian speakers in parts of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. It belongs to the Mongolic language family.
Contents
Understanding the Mongolian Language
Mongolian is a very old language. It has changed a lot over time. It is part of a larger group of languages called the Mongolic family.
Where Mongolian is Spoken
Most people in Mongolia speak a dialect called Khalkha. In China, people speak many different Inner Mongolian dialects.
The map shows where people who speak Mongolian languages live. They are spread across Asia.
How Mongolian is Written
Mongolian uses different writing systems. In Mongolia, people use the Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet. This is similar to the alphabet used for Russian.
In China, people use the traditional Mongolian script. This script is written vertically, from top to bottom. It looks very unique!
Different Scripts for Different Places
- In Mongolia: The Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet is official.
- In China: The traditional Mongolian script is official.
- There is also Mongolian Braille for people who are blind.
Mongolian Dialects
Just like English has different accents and words in different places, Mongolian has dialects. The main dialect in Mongolia is Khalkha. In China, there are many others, like Chakhar and Khorchin.
History of Mongolian Writing
The Mongolian language has a rich history. Old texts help us understand how it has changed.
Ancient Mongolian Texts
One important old text is The Secret History of the Mongols. It helps us learn about the language from long ago. It was first written in the traditional Mongolian script.
Another old text is Nova N 176. It was found in Kyrgyzstan. This manuscript is from the 12th century. It is written in an older Mongolic language called Khitan language.
Imperial Edicts
Rulers in the past used special scripts for official documents. The 'Phags-pa script was one such script. It was used for imperial orders. This script helps us understand the old vowel sounds of the language.
Images for kids
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Mongolian script and Mongolian Cyrillic on Sukhbaatar's statue in Ulaanbaatar
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Nova N 176 found in Kyrgyzstan. The manuscript (dating to the 12th century Western Liao) is written in the Mongolic Khitan language using cursive Khitan large script. It has 127 leaves and 15,000 characters.
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Edict of Yesün Temür Khan, Emperor Taiding of Yuan (1328). Only the 'Phags-pa script retains the complete Middle Mongol vowel system.
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The Secret History of the Mongols which goes back to a lost Mongolian script original is the only document that allows the reconstruction of agreement in social gender in Middle Mongol.
See also
In Spanish: Idioma mongol para niños
