Languages of Mongolia

Mongolian People's Republic, Bügd Nayramdakh Mongol Ard Uls. National or official language: Halh Mongolian. 2,579,000 (1998 UN). Literacy rate 89% to 90%. Also includes Japanese, Korean, people from the West. Information mainly from T. Sebeok 1967; N. Poppe 1970. Secular, Lamaist Buddhist, Muslim. Blind population 10,000 to 40,000 visually handicapped (1997). Deaf population 10,000 to 147,330. Data accuracy estimate: A2. The number of languages listed for Mongolia is 12. Of those, all are living languages. Diversity index 0.30.

Spoken living languages

BURIAT, MONGOLIA

[BXM] 64,900 (1995), 2.5% of the population (1985 estimate). Northeast, especially bordering Buryat ASSR. Alternate names: BURYAT, BURIAT-MONGOLIAN, NORTHERN MONGOLIAN, MONGOLIAN BURIAT, BUR:AAD. Dialects: KHORI, AGA. Classification: Altaic, Mongolian, Eastern, Oirat-Khalkha, Khalkha-Buriat, Buriat.
 

CHINESE, MANDARIN

[CHN] 35,000 in Mongolia (1993 Johnstone), including 2,000 Qotong (1982 estimate). Northwestern Mongolia, Uvs Aimag. Alternate names: HOTON, QOTONG, HUI-ZU, HUI, XUI, NORTHERN CHINESE, MANDARIN, HYTAD. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese.
 

DARKHAT

[DAY] 4,500 (1956 census). Hövsgöl Aimag, north Mongolia, around Lake Khubsugul. Classification: Altaic, Mongolian, Eastern, Oirat-Khalkha, Oirat-Kalmyk-Darkhat.
 

EVENKI

[EVN] 1,000 in Mongolia (1995 M. Krauss). Selenge Aimag, north Mongolia. Alternate names: KHAMNIGAN, TUNGUS, SOLON. Classification: Altaic, Tungus, Northern, Evenki.
 

KALMYK-OIRAT

[KGZ] 205,500 in Mongolia, including 139,000 Oirat, 55,100 Dorbot, 11,400 Torgut. Alternate names: OIRAT, WESTERN MONGOL. Dialects: JAKHACHIN, BAYIT, MINGAT, OLOT (ÖÖLD, ELYUT, ELEUTH), KHOSHUT (KHOSHUUD), URIANKHAI, KHOTON (HOTON). Classification: Altaic, Mongolian, Eastern, Oirat-Khalkha, Oirat-Kalmyk-Darkhat.
 

KAZAKH

[KAZ] 120,000 (1993 Johnstone), 4% of population in Mongolia (1991). Bayan-Olgiy Aimag, northwest Mongolia, mining communities east of the capital, and in far east around Choibalsan. Alternate names: KAZAKHI, QAZAQ, QAZAQI, KAZAX, KAISAK, KOSACH. Classification: Altaic, Turkic, Western, Aralo-Caspian.
 

MONGOLIAN, HALH

[KHK] 2,329,000 in Mongolia (1995), 89.7% of the population, including 32,300 Dariganga. Population total all countries 2,330,000. Alternate names: HALH, KHALKHA MONGOLIAN, MONGOL, CENTRAL MONGOLIAN. Dialects: HALH (KHALKHA), DARIGANGA, KHOTOGOIT, SARTUL, TSONGOL. Classification: Altaic, Mongolian, Eastern, Oirat-Khalkha, Khalkha-Buriat, Mongolian Proper.
 

MONGOLIAN, PERIPHERAL

[MVF] Alternate names: SOUTHERN-EASTERN MONGOLIAN. Dialects: UJUMCHIN (UZEMCHIN, UJUMUCHIN), JOSTU (KHARCHIN, KHARACHIN), TUMUT (TUMET), JIRIM (KHORCHIN), URAT, ORDOS. Classification: Altaic, Mongolian, Eastern, Oirat-Khalkha, Khalkha-Buriat, Mongolian Proper.
 

RUSSIAN

[RUS] 4,000 in Mongolia (1993 Johnstone). Alternate names: RUSSKI. Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, East.
 

TUVIN

[TUN] 27,000 (1993 Johnstone), 1.3% of the population in Mongolia (1985 estimate). Hövsgöl and Hovd Aimags, north and west Mongolia. Alternate names: URIANKHAI, URYANKHAI-MONCHAK, TUVINIAN, TUVA, TUBA, TANNU-TUVA, SOYON, SOYOD, SOYOT, TUVAN, TUVIA, DIBA, KÖK, MUNGAK, TUVA-URIANKHAI, TUWA-URIANKHAI. Dialects: KOKCHULUTAN, KHÖWSÖGÖL UIGUR. Classification: Altaic, Turkic, Northern.
 

UYGHUR

[UIG] 1,000 in Mongolia (1982 estimate). Hövsgöl Aimag, north Mongolia. Alternate names: UYGUR, UIGHUR, UIGUR, UIGHUIR, UIGUIR. Classification: Altaic, Turkic, Eastern.
 

Deaf sign languages

MONGOLIAN SIGN LANGUAGE

[QMM] Unknown number of users out of 10,000 to 147,330 deaf (1998). Classification: Deaf sign language.
 

 

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