Mongolian

Mongolian is a Mongolic language spoken by about 5.5 to 6 million people. It is the official language of Mongolia and is spoken by Mongol communities in Inner Mongolia (China), as well as in Russia and in diaspora communities. The language comprises several varieties, with Khalkha Mongolian serving as the standard form in Mongolia’s education and media.

Classification and dialects: Mongolian varieties include Khalkha, Oirat, Buryat, and Dagur. Khalkha is the most widespread and forms the basis of the standard language in Mongolia; dialects differ in phonology, lexicon, and to some extent syntax. Mutual intelligibility is high between some groups but more limited across others.

Writing systems and literacy: Traditionally Mongolian was written with a vertical script derived from Old Uyghur. In Mongolia, the Cyrillic alphabet has been in official use since the 1940s; in Inner Mongolia the traditional script remains in use and is supported by cultural programs, with increasing promotion of the traditional script alongside Cyrillic. There are ongoing efforts to revitalize the traditional Mongolian script.

Grammar and features: Mongolian is an agglutinative language with subject–object–verb word order. It employs vowel harmony, and suffixes mark case, number, mood, and tense. Nouns take postposed endings for grammar, and verbs form complex aspectual and tense meaning through suffix chains and auxiliary verbs. Pronouns and honorifics reflect social relations in some contexts.