ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠬᠡᠯᠡ
Classical Mongolian
Mongolic · historical / hidden variety
Classical Mongolian is the literary register written in the vertical Mongolian script, used from the 17th to 20th century. Distinct from Middle Mongol (xng, 13-15c. Phags-pa and Uyghur-script) and modern Khalkha Mongolian (mn, in Cyrillic). The Mongolian script tradition survived in Inner Mongolia after Mongolia proper switched to Cyrillic in 1946. Lessing (1960) "Mongolian-English Dictionary" is the principal reference.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Classical Mongolian
Water
ᠤᠰᠤᠨ
/usun/
Fire
ᠭᠠᠯ
/ɡal/
Sun
ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ
/naran/
Moon
ᠰᠠᠷᠠ
/sara/
Mother
ᠡᠬᠡ
/eke/
Father
ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ
/et͡ʃiɡe/
Eat
ᠢᠳᠡ-
/ide-/
Drink
ᠤᠭᠤ-
/uɣu-/
Love
ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ
/xajira/
Heart
ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ
/d͡ʒirüke/
Tree
ᠮᠣᠳᠤ
/modu/
House
ᠭᠡᠷ
/ɡer/
Dog
ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ
/noxai/
Cat
ᠮᠠᠭᠣ
/maɣu/
Hand
ᠭᠠᠷ
/ɡar/
Eye
ᠨᠢᠳᠦ
/nidü/
Hello
ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ
/sajin uu/
Thank you
ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ
/bajarlala/
One
ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ
/niɡen/
Good
ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ
/sajin/
Sources
- Lessing (1960) — Mongolian-English Dictionary
- Poppe (1965) — Introduction to Altaic Linguistics
Words compared
Compared with related Mongolic languages
| Meaning | Classical Mongolian | Middle Mongol | Buryat | Mongolian | Mongghul | Kalmyk | Inner Mongolian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | уһан /uhan/ | ус /us/ | usu /usu/ | усн /usn/ | ᠤᠰᠤ /usu/ |
| Fire | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | гал /ɡal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ghal /ʁal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡɑl/ |
| Sun | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | наран /naran/ | нар /nar/ | nara /nara/ | нарн /narn/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠ /nɑrɑ/ |
| Moon | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | һара /hara/ | сар /sar/ | sara /sara/ | сар /sar/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sɑrɑ/ |
| Mother | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | эхэ /exe/ | ээж /eːdʒ/ | ana /ana/ | ээҗ /eːdʒ/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eχe/ |
| Father | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /et͡ʃiɡe/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | эсэгэ /eseɡe/ | аав /aːw/ | ada /ada/ | аав /aːv/ | ᠠᠪᠤ /ɑβu/ |
| Eat | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | эдеэлхэ /edeːlxe/ | идэх /idex/ | idi- /idi/ | иде /ide/ | ᠢᠳᠡᠬᠦ /ideχʉ/ |
| Drink | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | ууха /uːxa/ | уух /uːx/ | uu- /uː/ | уу /uː/ | ᠤᠤᠬᠤ /uːχu/ |
| Love | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | дуран /duran/ | хайр /xajr/ | durala- /durala/ | дурлх /durlx/ | ᠬᠠᠢᠷᠠ /χɑir/ |
| Heart | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /d͡ʒirüke/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | зүрхэн /zyrxen/ | зүрх /dzyrx/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ | зүркн /zyrˈkən/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirʉχe/ |
| Tree | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | модон /modon/ | мод /mod/ | modu /modu/ | модн /moˈdn̩/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /mɔdu/ |
| House | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ | гер /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ |
| Dog | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | нохой /noxoj/ | нохой /nɔxɔj/ | noghui /noʁui/ | ноха /noxa/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /nɔχɑi/ |
| Cat | ᠮᠠᠭᠣ /maɣu/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | миисгэй /miːsɡej/ | муур /muːr/ | mau /mau/ | миис /miːs/ | ᠮᠤᠤᠷ /muːr/ |
| Hand | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | гар /ɡar/ | гар /ɡar/ | ghar /ʁar/ | һар /ɣar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡɑr/ |
| Eye | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | нюдэн /ɲuden/ | нүд /nyd/ | nidu /nidu/ | нүдн /nyˈdn̩/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidʉ/ |
| Hello | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | сайн байна /sajn bajna/ | сайн уу /sajn uː/ | amur sain /amur sain/ | менд /mend/ | ᠰᠠᠢᠨ ᠪᠠᠢᠨᠠ /sɑin bɑinɑ/ |
| Thank you | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | баярлаа /bajarlaː/ | баярлалаа /bajarlalaː/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ | ханҗанав /xandʒanav/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bɑjɑrlɑlɑ/ |
| One | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | нэгэн /neɡen/ | нэг /neɡ/ | nige /niɡe/ | негн /neɡn/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡ /niɡe/ |
| Good | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | һайн /hajn/ | сайн /sajn/ | sain /sain/ | сән /sæn/ | ᠰᠠᠢᠨ /sɑin/ |
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