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.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.
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).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.
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.
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
See also Mongolic languages
References
Sources
Janhunen, Juha. 2012. Khitan – Understanding the language behind the scripts. SCRIPTA, Vol. 4: 107–132.
[Sechenbaatar] Sečenbaγatur, Qasgerel, Tuyaγ-a, B. ǰirannige, U Ying ǰe. (2005). Mongγul kelen-ü nutuγ-un ayalγun-u sinǰilel-ün uduridqal. Kökeqota: ÖMAKQ.
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