31. Kalmyk

 (Хальмг келн)

Kalmyk is a member of the Kalmyk-Oirat subgroup of Mongolic languages. It is spoken by about 500,000 people in Kalmykia in the Russian Federation between the Volga and Don rivers, and in Western China and in Western Mongolia.
Kalmyk was first written with the Uyghur script in the 11th century. Then in 1648 a Kalmyk Buddhist monk called Zaya Pandita Oktorguin Dalai created the Kalmyk alphabet or Todo Bichig (Clear Script) by adapting the Classical Mongolian script. The Clear script is still used by Kalmyks in China, but Kalmyks in Russia adopted the Cyrillic alphabet, as shown below, in 1924.

Kalmyk-Oirat Clear Script (Todo Bichig)

The Kalmyk-Oirat Clear Script is written in vertical columns running from top to bottom and left to right. Each letter has a different shape depending where it appears in a word, and special letters are used for combinations of some letters.

Kalmyk alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

• в = [v] in Russian names and loanwords
• At the beginning of words, e = [jɛ], ë = [jɔ]
• Letters in blue are only used in Russian names and loanwords

Information about Kalmyk pronunciation compiled by Wolfram Siegel.

Sample text in Kalmyk (Oirat Clear Script)

Sample text in Kalmyk (Cyrillic)

Мана Теңгрин эцк! Нернтн әрүн болтха! Тана йосн иртхә! Тенгрт бутсн таалтн һазр деер бүттхә! Эркн кергтә өдмг Эндр өдрт илгәһит! Яһҗ бидн күүнә килнц тәвнәвидн, Тиигҗ Та килнцмдн тәвүлит! Сөрдг юмнла бичә харһулыт! Эрлгәс гетлгит!

Transliteration

Mana Teñgrin eck! Nerntn ärün boltxa! Tana josh irtxä! Tengrt butsn taaltn hazr deer büttxä! Erkn kergtä ödmg Endr ödrt ilgähit Jahǧ bidn küünä kilnc täwnüwidn, Tiigǧ Ta kilncmdn täwülit! Södg jumnla biča xarhulyt! Erlgäs getlgit!

Translation

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Source: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-kalmyk.html

Links

Information about the Kalmyk language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalmyk_language http://www.rosettaproject.org/archive/altaic/europe/kgz/view?searchterm=kalmyk
Fonts for the Oirat Clear Script
http://www.todusug.0catch.com/
Kalmyk American Society
http://www.kalmykamericansociety.org
Information about the Kalmyk-Oirat Clear Script
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Todo_Bichig