Mongolian script

People use a special way to write.

It goes from top to bottom. It flows from left to right. This script is very old.

Long ago, people used reed pens to write. Later, they used brushes. They wrote on silk or paper. They also used wood or silver. Today, it is used in schools. It is part of life for many.

It is a beautiful way to share stories.

The traditional Mongolian script is a special way to write.

It is also called Hudum Mongol bichig. This script was made just for the Mongolian language. It is a true alphabet. This means it has separate letters for vowels and consonants.

People write it in vertical lines. The lines go from top to bottom. The lines flow from left to right. This is very different from many other scripts. Long ago, people used reed pens to write. They wrote on paper, silk, or even silver plates. Later, they began to use brushes.

This script has a long history. It came from the Old Uyghur alphabet. A scribe named Tata-tonga helped adapt it. Today, the script is very important. It is used in schools in Inner Mongolia. In Mongolia, the government plans to use it more. By 2025, it will be used alongside Cyrillic script. This helps keep the tradition alive for everyone.

The traditional Mongolian script is a beautiful way to record language. It is often called Hudum Mongol bichig.

This script is a true alphabet with separate letters for vowels and consonants. It is special because it is written in vertical lines. These lines flow from top to bottom. The columns also move from left to right.

This vertical style is quite rare in the world today. It is one of the few vertical scripts that flows from left to right. This unique look makes it stand out from many other writing systems. People value it as a symbol of their history and culture.

Writing with this script follows very specific rules. Letters change their shape based on where they sit in a word. A letter might look different if it is at the start, the middle, or the end.

The script also uses a system called vowel harmony. This means vowels are grouped into different classes like "front" or "back" vowels. Words must follow these patterns to sound right.

Sometimes, a small gap is left between a word and its suffix. This gap helps readers understand the meaning clearly. These details help the script work smoothly for the person reading it.

This way of writing has a long and interesting history. It grew from the Old Uyghur alphabet.

A scribe named Tata-tonga helped bring this alphabet to the Mongolian Plateau in the 13th century. He adapted the Uyghur letters to fit the Mongolian language. Over hundreds of years, the script changed in small ways. In the 17th and 18th centuries, some letter shapes became smoother or more angular.

Later, in the 19th century, new shapes were added to help with certain sounds. These changes helped the script stay useful as the language evolved.

For a long time, people used different tools to write these characters. Before the 18th century, the reed pen was the most popular choice.

Later, the brush became more common due to Chinese influence. People wrote on many different surfaces. They used paper, silk, and even cotton cloth. Some even carved words into wooden or silver plates.

They used black ink or a bright red ink called cinnabar. These materials allowed the script to be shared in many different ways.

Today, the script is seeing a new kind of life. In the past, the Cyrillic alphabet became very common in Mongolia. However, the traditional script is making a strong comeback.

The Mongolian government plans to use both scripts in official documents by 2025. This includes important papers like birth and marriage certificates. In the Inner Mongolia region of China, it is the official script taught in schools. While computers can sometimes have a hard time showing the script perfectly, it remains a vital link to the past. It connects modern Mongolian people to their ancestors and their unique heritage.

The traditional Mongolian script, known as Hudum Mongol bichig, is a unique writing system.

It serves as the original alphabet used to record the Mongolian language. This script is distinct because it is written in vertical lines. These lines flow from the top of the page to the bottom. The columns then progress from left to right. This specific orientation is quite rare among global writing systems. It remains a vital cultural symbol for Mongolian people today. In Mongolia, it is a co-official script alongside Cyrillic.

In the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, it is the official script taught to ethnic Mongolian students.

Writing in this script requires following complex rules of shape and sound. The script is a true alphabet with separate letters for consonants and vowels. However, the visual appearance of a letter changes based on its position. A single letter will have different forms if it is initial, medial, or final.

For example, the letter 'E' looks different at the end of a word than in the middle.

The script also relies on a system called vowel harmony. This system divides vowels into three groups: back, front, and neutral. Back vowels are sometimes called masculine or yangin. Front vowels are often called feminine or yin. A word must maintain harmony by using vowels from the same group.

Specific structural details help readers navigate the vertical text. The script uses separated final vowels or suffixes to clarify meaning. A small gap is often left between a word stem and its suffix.

This gap can be represented by a hyphen during transliteration. These separated forms can even change the definition of a word. For instance, the presence or absence of a specific shape can distinguish the word for 'black' from the word 'to look.' Additionally, most case suffixes and certain plural suffixes are separated in this manner. This prevents confusion as the reader moves down the vertical line.

The history of the script is tied to the expansion of the Mongol Empire. It was adapted from the Old Uyghur alphabet.

In the 13th century, a Uyghur scribe named Tata-tonga was captured by Genghis Khan. He brought the Old Uyghur alphabet to the Mongolian Plateau. He then adapted those characters to fit the Mongolian language. Over many centuries, the script underwent several evolutionary changes. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the letter 'tsadi' developed both smooth and angular versions. In the 19th century, the Manchu 'hooked yodh' was adopted for certain sounds. These adaptations allowed the script to evolve alongside the spoken language.

Historically, the tools used to create this script were quite diverse. Until the 18th century, the reed pen was the primary writing instrument. Later, the brush became more common due to Chinese influence.

Scribes used pens made of wood, bamboo, bone, bronze, or iron. The ink used was typically black or a bright red called cinnabar. The surfaces for writing were just as varied. People wrote on birch bark, paper, and even silk or cotton cloth. Some records were even inscribed on wooden or silver plates.

This variety allowed the script to be preserved in many different forms.

Scholars have also developed specialized versions of the script for specific needs. In 1587, a scholar named Ayuush Güüsh created the Galik alphabet.

This version was inspired by the third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso. The Galik alphabet added extra characters to help transcribe Tibetan and Sanskrit terms. These characters were essential for translating religious texts. Some of these specific characters are still used today to write foreign names. The script has also been adapted for other languages, including Oirat and Manchu. It continues to be used for Xibe and, in experimental ways, Evenki.

Today, the script faces both modern challenges and a renewed official presence. In the Mongolian People's Republic, Cyrillic became the dominant alphabet for much of the 20th century. However, the traditional script is seeing a major resurgence. The Mongolian government announced plans in 2020 to increase its use. By 2025, both Cyrillic and the traditional script will be used in official documents. This includes birth certificates, marriage certificates, and educational records. While computer systems have struggled with text rendering, the script remains a profound connection to Mongolian heritage.