Хальмг келн
Kalmyk
Mongolic (Western, Oirat-Kalmyk)
Kalmyk-Oirat (Хальмг келн Halʼmg keln) is the only Mongolic language native to Europe, spoken by the Kalmyk people of the Republic of Kalmykia on the lower Volga steppe in Russia (~80K speakers). The Kalmyks are descendants of Western Mongol Oirats who migrated west in the 17th century, and the only traditionally Buddhist (Tibetan Vajrayana) people native to Europe. Stalin deported the entire Kalmyk population to Siberia in 1943; permitted to return only in 1957, devastating language transmission. UNESCO classes it as severely endangered. Historically written in the Clear Script (Todo bichig) created by the Oirat monk Zaya Pandita in 1648.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kalmyk
Water
усн
/usn/
Fire
гал
/ɡal/
Sun
нарн
/narn/
Moon
сар
/sar/
Mother
ээҗ
/eːdʒ/
Father
аав
/aːv/
Eat
иде
/ide/
Drink
уу
/uː/
Love
дурлх
/durlx/
Heart
зүркн
/zyrˈkən/
Tree
модн
/moˈdn̩/
House
гер
/ɡer/
Dog
ноха
/noxa/
Cat
миис
/miːs/
Hand
һар
/ɣar/
Eye
нүдн
/nyˈdn̩/
Hello
менд
/mend/
Thank you
ханҗанав
/xandʒanav/
One
негн
/neɡn/
Good
сән
/sæn/
Sources
- Ethnologue: xal
- Bläsing (2003) Kalmuck (in Janhunen, The Mongolic Languages)
- UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
Words compared
Compared with related Mongolic (Western, Oirat-Kalmyk) languages
| Meaning | Kalmyk | Mongolian | Middle Mongol | Buryat | Mongghul | Classical Mongolian | Inner Mongolian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | усн /usn/ | ус /us/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | уһан /uhan/ | usu /usu/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ᠤᠰᠤ /usu/ |
| Fire | гал /ɡal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ghal /ʁal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡɑl/ |
| Sun | нарн /narn/ | нар /nar/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | наран /naran/ | nara /nara/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠ /nɑrɑ/ |
| Moon | сар /sar/ | сар /sar/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | һара /hara/ | sara /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sɑrɑ/ |
| Mother | ээҗ /eːdʒ/ | ээж /eːdʒ/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | эхэ /exe/ | ana /ana/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eχe/ |
| Father | аав /aːv/ | аав /aːw/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | эсэгэ /eseɡe/ | ada /ada/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /et͡ʃiɡe/ | ᠠᠪᠤ /ɑβu/ |
| Eat | иде /ide/ | идэх /idex/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | эдеэлхэ /edeːlxe/ | idi- /idi/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | ᠢᠳᠡᠬᠦ /ideχʉ/ |
| Drink | уу /uː/ | уух /uːx/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | ууха /uːxa/ | uu- /uː/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | ᠤᠤᠬᠤ /uːχu/ |
| Love | дурлх /durlx/ | хайр /xajr/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | дуран /duran/ | durala- /durala/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | ᠬᠠᠢᠷᠠ /χɑir/ |
| Heart | зүркн /zyrˈkən/ | зүрх /dzyrx/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | зүрхэн /zyrxen/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /d͡ʒirüke/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirʉχe/ |
| Tree | модн /moˈdn̩/ | мод /mod/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | модон /modon/ | modu /modu/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /mɔdu/ |
| House | гер /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ |
| Dog | ноха /noxa/ | нохой /nɔxɔj/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | нохой /noxoj/ | noghui /noʁui/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /nɔχɑi/ |
| Cat | миис /miːs/ | муур /muːr/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | миисгэй /miːsɡej/ | mau /mau/ | ᠮᠠᠭᠣ /maɣu/ | ᠮᠤᠤᠷ /muːr/ |
| Hand | һар /ɣar/ | гар /ɡar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | гар /ɡar/ | ghar /ʁar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡɑr/ |
| Eye | нүдн /nyˈdn̩/ | нүд /nyd/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | нюдэн /ɲuden/ | nidu /nidu/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidʉ/ |
| Hello | менд /mend/ | сайн уу /sajn uː/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | сайн байна /sajn bajna/ | amur sain /amur sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | ᠰᠠᠢᠨ ᠪᠠᠢᠨᠠ /sɑin bɑinɑ/ |
| Thank you | ханҗанав /xandʒanav/ | баярлалаа /bajarlalaː/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | баярлаа /bajarlaː/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bɑjɑrlɑlɑ/ |
| One | негн /neɡn/ | нэг /neɡ/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | нэгэн /neɡen/ | nige /niɡe/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡ /niɡe/ |
| Good | сән /sæn/ | сайн /sajn/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | һайн /hajn/ | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | ᠰᠠᠢᠨ /sɑin/ |
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