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
31 core words in Kalmyk
Water
усн
/usn/
Fire
гал
/ɡal/
Sun
нарн
/narn/
Moon
сар
/sar/
Star
одн
/odn/
Mother
ээҗ
/eːdʒ/
Father
аав
/aːv/
I
би
/bi/
You
чи
/tʃi/
Name
нерн
/nern/
Eye
нүдн
/nyˈdn̩/
Hand
һар
/ɣar/
Heart
зүркн
/zyrˈkən/
Love
дурлх
/durlx/
Tree
модн
/moˈdn̩/
House
гер
/ɡer/
Dog
ноха
/noxa/
Cat
миис
/miːs/
Eat
иде
/ide/
Drink
уу
/uː/
One
негн
/neɡn/
Two
хойр
/xojr/
Hello
менд
/mend/
Thank you
ханҗанав
/xandʒanav/
Good
сән
/sæn/
Cuckoo
көкә
/køˈkæ/
Computer
компьютер
/kɔmˈpjuter/
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 | Eastern Yugur | Middle Mongol | Classical Mongolian | Buryat | Mongghul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | усн /usn/ | ус /us/ | ус /us/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | уһан /uhan/ | usu /usu/ |
| Fire | гал /ɡal/ | гал /ɡal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ghal /ʁal/ |
| Sun | нарн /narn/ | нар /nar/ | нар /nar/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | наран /naran/ | nara /nara/ |
| Moon | сар /sar/ | сар /sar/ | сар /sar/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | һара /hara/ | sara /sara/ |
| Star | одн /odn/ | од /ɔt/ | ходэн /χoden/ | ᠬᠣᠳᠤᠨ /hodun/ | ᠣᠳᠣᠨ /odun/ | одон /oˈdõ/ | hodi /xoˈdi/ |
| Mother | ээҗ /eːdʒ/ | ээж /eːdʒ/ | ээж /eːʒ/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | эхэ /exe/ | ana /ana/ |
| Father | аав /aːv/ | аав /aːw/ | аава /ɑːva/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | эсэгэ /eseɡe/ | ada /ada/ |
| I | би /bi/ | би /bi/ | би /bi/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | би /bi/ | bu /bu/ |
| You | чи /tʃi/ | чи /tʃʰi/ | чи /tʃi/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃi/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃi/ | ши /ʃi/ | chi /tɕi/ |
| Name | нерн /nern/ | нэр /ner/ | нэрэ /nere/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nere/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nere/ | нэрэ /nere/ | nere /nərə/ |
| Eye | нүдн /nyˈdn̩/ | нүд /nyd/ | нүдэ /nʏde/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | нюдэн /nʲuden/ | nidu /nidu/ |
| Hand | һар /ɣar/ | гар /ɡar/ | гар /ɡar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | гар /ɡar/ | ghar /ʁar/ |
| Heart | зүркн /zyrˈkən/ | зүрх /dzyrx/ | зүрх /zʏrχ/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirüke/ | зүрхэн /zyrxen/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ |
| Love | дурлх /durlx/ | хайр /xajr/ | хайрлаха /χajrlaχa/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | дуран /duran/ | durala- /durala/ |
| Tree | модн /moˈdn̩/ | мод /mod/ | мод /mod/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | модон /modon/ | modu /modu/ |
| House | гер /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ |
| Dog | ноха /noxa/ | нохой /nɔxɔj/ | нохай /noχaj/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | нохой /noxoj/ | noghui /noʁui/ |
| Cat | миис /miːs/ | муур /muːr/ | мэшэ /meʃe/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | миисгэй /miːsɡej/ | mau /mau/ |
| Eat | иде /ide/ | идэх /idex/ | идэхэ /ɪdeχe/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | эдеэлхэ /edeːlxe/ | idi- /idi/ |
| Drink | уу /uː/ | уух /uːx/ | ухаха /uχaχa/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | ууха /uːxa/ | uu- /uː/ |
| One | негн /neɡn/ | нэг /neɡ/ | нэг /neɡ/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | нэгэн /neɡen/ | nige /niɡe/ |
| Two | хойр /xojr/ | хоёр /xɔˈjɔr/ | гоор /ɣoːr/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /qojar/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /qojar/ | хоёр /xɔˈjɔr/ | ghoor /ʁoːr/ |
| Hello | менд /mend/ | сайн уу /sajn uː/ | сайнар уу /sajnar uː/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | сайн байна /sajn bajna/ | amur sain /amur sain/ |
| Thank you | ханҗанав /xandʒanav/ | баярлалаа /bajarlalaː/ | баярлалаа /bajarlalaː/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | баярлаа /bajarlaː/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ |
| Good | сән /sæn/ | сайн /sajn/ | сайн /sajn/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | һайн /hajn/ | sain /sain/ |
| Cuckoo | көкә /køˈkæ/ | хөхөө /xɵˈxɵː/ | — | ᠬᠦᠬᠦᠭᠡ /kɵkɵˈɡe/ | ᠬᠦᠬᠦᠭᠡ /kɵkɵˈɡe/ | хүхы /xyˈxɘ/ | — |
| Computer | компьютер /kɔmˈpjuter/ | компьютер /ˈkʰɔmpʰjʊtʰʲɵr̥/ | — | — | — | компьютер /kɔmˈpjuter/ | — |
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