List of Mongolic languages

The Mongolic languages are a language family that is spoken in East-Central Asia, mostly in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China, Xinjiang, another autonomous region of China, the region of Qinghai, and also in Kalmykia, a republic of Southern European Russia.

Mongolic is a small, relatively homogenous and recent language family whose common ancestor, Proto-Mongolian, was spoken at the beginning of the second millennium AD.^[1]^[2]

However, Proto-Mongolian seems to descend from a common ancestor to languages like Khitan, which are sister languages of Mongolian languages (they do not descend from Proto-Mongolian but are sister languages from an even older language from the first millennium AD, i.e. Para-Mongolian).^[3]^[4]

The Mongolic language family has about 6 million speakers. The best-known member of this language family, Mongolian, is the primary language of most of the residents of Mongolia and the Mongolian residents of Inner Mongolia, with an estimated 5.2 million speakers.^[5]

Hypothetical ancestors

Hypothetical relation to other language families and their proto-languages

Serbi–Mongolic (Donghu)
- Para-Mongolic (all extinct)
  - Xianbei
    - Khitan
    - Tuyuhun
  - Wuhuan
- Early Pre-Proto-Mongolic
  - Late Pre-Proto-Mongolic

Ancestral

Proto-Mongolic language

Historical Mongolic

Middle Mongol
- Daur / Dagur
  - Nonni Daur
  - Hailar Daur
  - Amur Daur
- Central Mongolic
  - Central Proper
    - Classical Mongolian, from approximately 1700 to 1900
      - Mongolian
        Khalkha
        Northern Khalkha
        Darkhad
        
        Southern Khalkha
        Shilingol/Xilingol
        
        Sönid
        
        Ulaanchab
        
        Alasha
        
        Baarin
        
        Chakhar
        
        Ordos
        
        Khamnigan
    - Western
      - Oirat-Kalmyk
        Dörbet
        
        Bayat
        
        Torgut
        
        Altai Uriankhai
        
        Ööld
        
        Zakhchin
        
        Khoton
        
        Kalmyk
    - Eastern
      - Kharchin / Khorchin
    - Northern
      - Buryat
        Khori group
        
        Alar–Tunka group
        
        Ekhirit–Bulagat group
        
        Bargut group
        
        Lower Uda
  - Southern Mongolic (part of a Gansu–Qinghai Sprachbund)
    - Shira Yugur / Eastern Yugur
    - Shirongolic
      - Monguor
        Mongghul
        
        Mongghuor
        
        Mangghuer
      - Bonan (Manegacha)
        Tongren
        
        Ñantoq Baoan
      - Transitional Bonan-Kangjia
        Kangjia
      - Santa / Sarta (Dongxiang)
        Suonanba
        
        Wangjiaji
        
        Sijiaji
  - Moghol / Mogholi (almost extinct or extinct)

Possible Mongolic languages (all extinct)

Unclassified languages that may have been Mongolic or members of other language families include:

Tabγač / Tuoba (Mongolic or Turkic language)
Xiongnu (may have been the same as the Hunnic language)
Pannonian Avar

References

^ Janhunen, Juha, ed. (2003). The Mongolic languages. Routledge Language Family Series. London: Routledge.
^ Janhunen, Juha (2006). "Mongolic languages". In Brown, K. The encyclopedia of language & linguistics. Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 231–234.
^ Janhunen, Juha, ed. (2003). The Mongolic languages. Routledge Language Family Series. London: Routledge.
^ Janhunen, Juha (2006). "Mongolic languages". In Brown, K. The encyclopedia of language & linguistics. Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 231–234.
^ Svantesson et al. (2005:141)

Sources

Andrews, Peter A. (1999). Felt tents and pavilions: the nomadic tradition and its interaction with princely tentage, Volume 1. Melisende. ISBN 978-1-901764-03-1.
Janhunen, Juha, ed. (2003). The Mongolic languages. Routledge Language Family Series. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7007-1133-8.
- Rybatzki, Volker (2003). "Middle Mongol". In Janhunen, J. (ed.). pp. 47–82. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
Janhunen, Juha. 2012. Khitan – Understanding the language behind the scripts. SCRIPTA, Vol. 4: 107–132.
Janhunen, Juha (2006). "Mongolic languages". In Brown, K. (ed.). The encyclopedia of language & linguistics. Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 231–234.
Luvsanvandan, Š. (1959). "Mongol hel ajalguuny učir". Mongolyn Sudlal. 1.
Nugteren, Hans (2011). Mongolic Phonology and the Qinghai-Gansu Languages (Ph.D.). Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics / Landelijke – LOT.
Poppe, Nicholas (1964) [1954]. Grammar of Written Mongolian. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
Sechenbaatar, Borjigin (2003). The Chakhar dialect of Mongol – A morphological description. Helsinki: Finno-Ugrian society.
[Sechenbaatar] Sečenbaγatur, Qasgerel, Tuyaγ-a, B. ǰirannige, U Ying ǰe. (2005). Mongγul kelen-ü nutuγ-un ayalγun-u sinǰilel-ün uduridqal. Kökeqota: ÖMAKQ.
Starostin, Sergei A.; Dybo, Anna V.; Mudrak, Oleg A. (2003). Etymological Dictionary of the Altaic Languages. Leiden: Brill. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
Svantesson, Jan-Olof; Tsendina, Anna; Karlsson, Anastasia; Franzén, Vivan (2005). The Phonology of Mongolian. New York: Oxford University Press.
Golden, Peter B. (2011). Studies on the Peoples and Cultures of the Eurasian Steppes. Editura Academiei Române; Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei. ISBN 9789732721520.
Vovin, Alexander (2005). "The end of the Altaic controversy (review of Starostin et al. 2003)". Central Asiatic Journal. 49 (1): 71–132.
Vovin, Alexander. 2007. Once again on the Tabgač language. Mongolian Studies XXIX: 191–206.

External links

Ethnic map of Mongolia
Monumenta Altaica grammars, texts, dictionaries and bibliographies of Mongolian and other Altaic languages

[1] Janhunen, Juha, ed. (2003). The Mongolic languages. Routledge Language Family Series. London: Routledge.

[2] Janhunen, Juha (2006). "Mongolic languages". In Brown, K. The encyclopedia of language & linguistics. Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 231–234.

[3] Janhunen, Juha, ed. (2003). The Mongolic languages. Routledge Language Family Series. London: Routledge.

[4] Janhunen, Juha (2006). "Mongolic languages". In Brown, K. The encyclopedia of language & linguistics. Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 231–234.

[5] Svantesson et al. (2005:141)

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