Mongolic languages

Error creating thumbnail:

MongolicLanguagesGraph

Secret history

Mongolic languages are a group of languages spoken in East Central Asia, forming the Mongolic language family. The most well-known member of this language family is Mongolian, the official language of Mongolia, and also spoken in parts of China, particularly in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Other significant languages in this family include Buryat in Russia and Kalmyk in the western part of the Russian Federation, near the Caspian Sea.

Classification

The Mongolic languages are part of the larger Altaic language hypothesis, although this grouping remains controversial among linguists. The family itself can be divided into several branches:

• Central Mongolic: Includes Mongolian, Ordos, and several dialects such as Khalkha, which is the basis for the standard Mongolian language.
• Eastern Mongolic: Encompasses languages like Buryat and Oirat, with Oirat having its own script known as the Clear Script.
• Western Mongolic: Primarily represented by the Kalmyk language, spoken by the Kalmyk people in Russia.
• Southern Mongolic: Includes languages such as Moghol spoken in Afghanistan, though many of these languages are highly endangered or extinct.

History

The Mongolic languages have a rich history, closely tied to the rise and expansion of the Mongol Empire in the 13th and 14th centuries. The development and spread of the Classical Mongolian script in the 13th century played a crucial role in the administration and cultural integration of the empire. Over the centuries, as the empire fragmented, the Mongolic languages diversified and evolved into the distinct languages observed today.

Phonology and Grammar

Mongolic languages share certain phonological and grammatical features, such as vowel harmony, a common characteristic of Turkic and Tungusic languages as well. They typically employ SOV word order (subject-object-verb) and have a rich system of morphology for verb conjugation and noun inflection. Agglutination is a prominent feature, with suffixes added to base words to express grammatical relations and meanings.

Writing Systems

Historically, Mongolic languages have used a variety of writing systems. The traditional Mongolian script, derived from the Uyghur script, has been in use since the 13th century for Classical Mongolian and later for the modern Mongolian language. The Cyrillic script was introduced in the 20th century in Mongolia and is now the predominant script there, while the Mongolian script continues to be used in Inner Mongolia, China. The Oirat people use the Clear Script, and the Kalmyk language uses Cyrillic.

Current Status

Today, Mongolic languages face various degrees of endangerment, with Mongolian having a strong base of speakers, while other languages like Buryat and Kalmyk are considered vulnerable. Efforts are being made to revitalize and preserve these languages, including educational programs and the use of modern technology.