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Mongolic languages facts for kids

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Mongolic
Geographic
distribution:
Mongolia; Inner Mongolia and regions close to its border, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai (China); Buryatia and Kalmykia (Russian Federation)
Linguistic classification: Altaic (controversial)
  • Mongolic
Subdivisions:
Central Mongolic
Shirongolic
Dagur
ISO 639-5: xgn
Linguistic map of the Mongolic languages.png
Geographic distribution of the Mongolic languages

The Mongolic languages are a group of languages spoken mainly in Central Asia. Imagine them as a family of languages that are related to each other. Some experts who study languages, called linguists, think that Mongolic languages might be part of an even bigger family. They suggest that Mongolic languages could be related to Turkic and Tungusic languages. This larger group is sometimes called the Altaic languages, but not all linguists agree on this idea.

What Are Mongolic Languages?

The Mongolic languages are a group of languages spoken by millions of people across Asia. They share similar grammar rules and words, much like how English, German, and Dutch are related in the Germanic language family.

Where Are Mongolic Languages Spoken?

These languages are mostly spoken in Mongolia, China (especially in Inner Mongolia), and parts of Russia. You can also find speakers in some areas close to these countries.

The Most Famous Mongolic Language

The most well-known language in this family is Mongolian. It's the main language for most people living in Mongolia. About 5.7 million people speak Mongolian across Mongolia, Russia, and China.

How Mongolian is Written

Mongolian can be written in different ways:

  • In Mongolia, people use the Cyrillic alphabet. This is the same alphabet used for Russian. In Cyrillic, Mongolian is written as Монгол Хэл.
  • In Inner Mongolia (a part of China), people use an older, vertical writing system. This script comes from the Uygur script. In this vertical script, Mongolian is written as Mongγol Kele.

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