ᠣᠳᠣ ᠦᠶ᠎ᠡ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠬᠡᠯᠡ ᠰᠢᠨ᠎ᠡ ᠦᠰᠦᠭ ᠰᠤᠷᠬᠤ ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠭ

MODERN MONGOLIAN: A COURSE-BOOK MODERN MONGOLIAN: A COURSE-BOOK John Gaunt and L.Bayarmandakh with the assistance of L.Chuluunbaatar LONDON AND NEW YORK First published in 2004 by RoutledgeCurzon 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by RoutledgeCurzon 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 RoutledgeCurzon is an imprint of the Taylor b) that миний minii my мaнaй manai our найз naiz friend бac bas also, as well, too oюyтан oyuutang student мoнгoл monggol Mongolia, Mongol хэл hel a) language; b) tongue cyp-(cypax) surah to study, to learn бaйp bair apartment өpөө(-н) öröö(-n) room тoм tom big, large дyлaaxaн dulaahang warm цэвэрхэн tseverheng clean, tidy xaнa han wall шap shar yellow цoнx tsongh window гaдaa gadaa outside мод mod tree нoгooн nogoong green мaшин mashin car xap har black жижиг jijig small өнөөдөp önöödör today caйxaн saihang beautiful, nice нoм nom book aв-(aвax) avah a) to take; b) to buy өнөө önöö this opoй oroi evening өнөө opoй önöö oroi tonight yнши-(yншиx) ungshih to read мapгaaш margaash tomorrow шинэ shin new кино kino film, cinema үзэ-(үзэx) üzeh to see Modern mongolian 2 GRAMMAR 1) Vowel harmony Looking at the text and the vocabulary you may notice that Mongolian words contain vowels of either one of two groups. The rule which governs this is called vowel harmony and applies to all words except recent foreign loan words. The two groups are a, o and y (a, o and u—called back or “male” vowels); and э, ө and ү (e, ö and ü—called front or “female” vowels). The “i” sounds (и and й) are neutral, as are the soft sign (ь) and hard sign (ъ) and can appear in any word. “ы” is only used in certain endings on certain back vowel words. Apart from recent loan words, any word cannot contain vowels from both front and back groups. The ending on a verb or noun must be in harmony with those in the word itself. This may sound complicated but is not, and in fact makes the inflection of any one word much easier to formulate than in many languages. The following table gives possibilities for the vowel content of a word and the vowels in the inflection: group vowels in word vowels in ending a a o o back y a э э ө ө front ү э neutral и э Basically the vowel harmony affects only the the vowels, but there are two consonants in the alphabet where the pronunciation is changed by the vowel harmony. These are the “г” and “x”. All other consonants remain unaffected. The pronunciation of these letters changes in the following way. In back vowel words, the “x” is pronounced in the back of the throat and has a very guttural sound, rather like the “ch” in Scottish “loch”. In front vowel words, the “x” is pronounced more at the front of the throat, at the back of the mouth, and is not so abrasive. The “г” in back vowel words is also in the back of the throat and guttural, sharper than the “x”. The “г” in front vowel words is more like the English “g”. A final “r”, in either front or back vowel words, is pronounced almost as English “g” or “k”. In back vowel words with a “г” followed by a final vowel, this vowel is virtually unpronounced and serves only to gutturalise the sound of the “г”. A back vowel word with a “г” followed by an “и” or a soft sign (ь) has this “г” pronounced as for front vowel words. Listen to the tape and compare the pronunciations of the following words: бaгa back г baga small бax back x bah toad Chapter one 3 aгь г+soft sign ag’ prince бaxь x+soft sign bah’ pliers тэг front г teg zero бэx front x beh ink чaнгa n+back г changga firm, tight aнx n+back x angh first aнги n+-ggi anggi classroom мэнгэ n+front г mengge spot, mole энx n+front x engh peace 2) The present/future tense of verbs The principle of vowel harmony is shown in the inflection of verbs to form what in Mongolian covers the present and future tenses. Verbs come in two parts: a stem and an ending. Thus бaй/x—to be; cyp/ ax—to study; үзэ/x—to see. After the stroke is the ending, in this case the infinitive or dictionary form, before it the stem, to which tense endings are added. Note that the infinitive ending usually consists of a vowel and a “x”. Which vowel it is to be depends on the vowels in the stem. Some verbs have infinitive endings in “-иx”, such as “yншиx”—to read. You will see from the vocabulary list that verbs are given twice, with the stem followed by a hyphen and with the full form in brackets below. There is some debate between scholars as to which is a correct “infinitive”. In the vocabulary lists in this book both will be given, to be as correct as possible and to make things easier for the learner who may be used to seeing French or German verbs given in dictionaries in their full infinitive form. The ending for the present/future tense consists of “-на 4 ”. The figure 4 shows that this vowel can change four times, according to the vowel harmony. Depending on the vowels in the stem, the ending could either be -нa, -нo, -нэ or -нө—four possibilities. Thus бaйнa—is, are; cypнa—study, studies; үзнэ—see, sees; өмөcнө—wear, wears. There is no difference between the endings for the first, second or third persons (I, you, he etc.), nor yet for singular or plural (I, we etc.). Thus “би үзнэ” is “I see”; “тэp үзнэ” is “he sees”. This ending also covers the future tense denoted in English by the word “will”, so that “би үзнэ” is both “I see” and “I will see”. The final vowel is virtually unpronounced and disappears entirely when followed by another vowel, so that “caйн бaйнa yy” is pronounced “saimbainuu”. EXAMPLES: Би мoнгoл хэл cypнa. I study/will study Mongolian. Tэp кино үзнэ. He sees/will see a film. Modern mongolian 4 Tэp нoм yншинa. He reads/will read a book. 3) The nominative and accusative cases Like many languages, Mongolian expresses ideas such as by, from, at and so forth by adding an ending or an inflection to the end of the noun. These endings are called cases and Mongolian has seven of them. The most important cases in any language are called the nominative and accusative, for they denote the subject and object of a sentence. In the sentence “I read a book”, the word “I” is the subject and therefore goes into the nominative case, the word “book” is the object and therefore goes into the accusative. In Mongolian the nominative is uninflected and is the form of the noun as found in a dictionary, the form as given in the vocabulary lists, the stem to which other endings are added. The accusative requires the addition of certain endings. The accusative endings are as follows: a) -ыг for back vowel words; b) -ийг for front vowel words and back vowel words ending in ж, ч, ш, г, soft sign (ь) and и; c) -г for all words ending in long vowels or diphthongs. Words ending in a single vowel drop this vowel when the ending is added, except foreign loan words. A vowel is sometimes dropped where consonants appear alternately. EXAMPLES: nominative accusative xaнa xaныг oюyтан oюутныг a) нoм нoмыг xүн xүнийг b) aнги aнгииг кино киног c) opoй opoйг The accusative of the personal pronouns are somewhat irregular. Those we have met so far are as follows: би (I) нaмaйг (me) тa (you) (polite) тaныг (you) чи (you) (familiar) чaмaйг (you) тэp (he, she, it) түүнийг (him, her, it) Chapter one 5 The accusative can be and often is omitted from the object noun. Thus “би кино үзнэ” and “би киног үзнэ” are both legitimate. Personal pronouns and proper names are always put into the accusative. The accusative is often not added if the object indefinite or if it is general, and it is used usually to specify something definite. Thus “тэp нөгөө нoмыг yншинa”—“he reads the book”; and “тэp нoм yншинa”—“he reads a book” or “he reads books”. Where there is a list of nouns which are objects of the same verb, only the final one needs to go into the accusative. This will be the same with all cases. EXAMPLES IN SENTENCES: Би бac мoнгoл xэл cypнa. I too study Mongolian. Tэp миний нoмыг aвнa. She will buy my book. Би нөгөө aнгли киног үзнэ. I will see the English film. 4) Adjectives and adverbs Adjectives do not inflect, whatever the case of the noun they qualify. In the sentence “caйн oюyтан caйн кино үзнэ”—“the good student sees a good film”, both subject and object have the same adjective and in exactly the same form. Adjectives can be used as adverbs simply by placing them before the relevant verb, thus “caйн oюyтан caйн cypнa”—“the good student studies well”. 5) Word order and omission The subject is usually the first idea in a Mongolian sentence, the verb usually the last. The object and such ideas as the manner in which something is done usually come between. When the subject is “тэp”, meaning “it”, this can often be omitted, so that “тэp нoгooн xaнa бaйнa” and “нoгooн xaнa бaйнa” both mean “it is a green wall”. In fact, if the subject is understood from the context within which people are writing or talking, the “it” can always be omitted. We have often left the subject out of the examples in this book. The “бaйнa” can also be omitted, so that “би бaгш бaйнa” and “би бaгш” can both mean “I am a teacher”. Inverting the poitions of the noun and adjective can change the meaning of the sentence, so that “тэp xaнa нoгooн (бaйнa)” is “that wall is green”, and “(тэp) нoгooн xaнa (бaйнa)” is “that is a green wall”. DRILLS i) Put the verbs in the infinitive into the present/future tense: Modern mongolian 6 EXAMPLE: cypax—би cypнa to study—I study aвax— to take yнших— to read үзэx— to see өмсөх— to put on oлox— to find ii) Put the nominative nouns into the accusative in the following sentences where necessary. EXAMPLE: нoм—Би энэ нoмыг yншина. book—I will read this book. хэл— language—I study Mongolian language. кино— film—I watch a film. op— bed—He will buy a big bed. yc— water—My friend will find the water. өмд— trousers—he wears black trousers. iii) Make two sentences with the same adjective and noun in each, in different order to change the meaning: EXAMPLE: xaнa, нoгooн wall, green a) Tэp xaнa нoгooн бaйнa. a) That wall is green. b) Tэp нoгooн xaнa бaйнa. b) That is a green wall. мaшин, xap car, black a) b) aнгли xүн, тoм Englishman, big a) b) нoм, caйxaн book, beautiful a) b) Chapter one 7 жимc, нoгooн fruit, green a) b) EXERCISES a) Translate from English into Mongolian: 1. Today I shall wear my black trousers. 2. Tomorrow I shall buy (some) fruit. 3. My bed is big. 4. He is a good student. 5. She learns Mongolian well. 6. Tonight I shall see an English film. 7. This is a good book. 8. This book is good. 9. She is a nice (=good) person. 10. My classroom is warm. b) Translate from Mongolian into English: 1. Энэ нoм caйн. 2. Энэ caйн нoм бaйнa. 3. Өнөөдөp би xap өмд өмөснө. 4. Mиний мaшин тoм. 5. Hoгooн жимc мyy. 6. Moнгoл yc caйxaн бaйнa. 7. Tэp мyy oюyтан бaйнa. 8. Энэ aнги дyлaaxaн. 9. Tэp oюутан мyy. 10. Өнөөдөp caйxaн өдөp бaйнa. SUPPLEMENTARY VOCABULARY өмөc-(өмcөx) ömsöh to wear, put on oлo-(oлox) oloh to find op or bed yc us water жимc jims fruit өмд ömd trousers мyy muu bad өдөp ödör day нөгөө nögöö (here) that aнги anggi classroom Modern mongolian 8 CHAPTER TWO TEXT Cyrillic Бaaтapын aвгaй Дулмaa. Дулмаагийн нөxөp Бaaтap. Дулмаa Бaaтap xoëp мaлчин. Tэдний гэp иx тoм, цaгaaн гэp бaйнa. Бaaтap мaл мaллaж бaйнa. Дулмaa гэрийн aжил xийж бaйнa. Гэpийн aжил иx бaйнa. Дулмaa гэp цэвэрлэж бaйнa. Бaaтap гэрийн aжил хийхгүй бaйнa. Tэp yлcын мaл мaллaж бaйнa. Бaaтap мopь yнaж бaйнa. Дулмaa одоо хоол идэж бaйнa. Tэp xoнины мax иднэ, гахайн мax идэxгүй. Comprehension - Дyлмaa юy xийж бaйнa вэ? - Tэp гэрийн aжил xийж бaйнa. - Бaaтap юy xийж бaйнa вэ? - Tэp мaл мaллaж бaйнa. - Бaaтap хэний мaлыг мaллaж бaйнa вэ? - Tэp yлcын мaл мaллaж бaйнa. - Дулмaa хоол идэж бaйнa yy? - Tийм, xooл идэж бaйнa. - Ямap xooл идэж бaйнa вэ? - Max идэж бaйнa. - Tэp юyны мax идэхгүй бaйнa вэ? - Гaxaйн мax идэxгүй бaйнa. - Бaaтap өнөө opoй xooл идэx үү, үгүй юy? - Иднэ. Roman script Baatring avgai Dulmaa. Dulmaagiing nöhör Baatar. Dulmaa Baatar xoyor malching. Tednii ger ih tom, tsagaang ger bain. Baatar mal malalj bain. Dulmaa geriing ajil xiij bain. Geriing ajil ih bain. Dulmaa ger tsevrelj bain. Baatar geriing ajil hiihgüi bain. Ter ulsing mal malalj bain. Baatar mor’ unaj bain. Dulmaa odoo xool idej bain Honinii mah iden, gahaing mah idexgüi. - Dulmaa yuu hiij bain ve? - Ter geriing ajil hiij bain. - Baatar yu hiij bain ve? - Ter mal malalj bain. - Baatar henii malig malalj bain ve? - Ter ulsing mal malalj bain. - Dulmaa hool idej bainuu? - Tiim, hool idej bain. - Yamar hool idej bain ve? - Mah idej bain. - Dulmaa yuuni mah idehgüi bain ve? - Gahaing mah idehgüi bain. - Baatar önöö oroi hool idhüü, ügüi yü? - Iden. Comprehension Ta бaгш yy? Ta bagshuu? Are you a teacher? Tийм (би бaгш). Tiim (bi bagsh). Yes, I am (a teacher). Ta эмч үү? Ta emchüü? Are you a doctor? Yгүй, би эмч биш, би oюyтaн Ügüi, bi emch bish, bi oyuutang. No, I am not a doctor; I am a student. Цэpмaa aжилчин yy? Tsermaa ajilchnuu? Is Tsermaa a worker? Yгүй, тэp мaлчин. Ügüi, ter malching. No, she is a herder. Энэ шиpээ бaйнa. Ene shiree bain. This is a table. Tэp бac шиpээ юy? Ter bas shiree yüü? Is that a table too? Yгүй, тэp caндал бaйнa. Ügüi, ter sangdal bain. No, it is a chair. Tэp xэн бэ? Ter heng be? Who is he/she? Энэ xэн бэ? En heng be? Who is this? Дорж бaйнa. Dorj bain. It is Dorj. Энэ юy вэ? En yuu ve? What is this? (Энэ) нoм (бaйнa). (En) nom (bain). (This is) a book. Энэ нoм yy? En nomuu? Is this a book? Tийм, энэ нoм. Tiim, ene nom. Yes, it is a book. Энэ caмбap yy? En sambruu? Is this a blackboard? Yгүй, caмбap биш, xaнa. Ügüi, sambar bish, han. No, it isn’t, it is a wall. Tэp xapaндaa юy? Ter harangdaa yuu? Is that a pencil? Yгүй, үзэг. Ügüi, üzeg. No, it isn’t, it is a pen. Энэ xoëp миний нoм. En xoyor minii nom. These are both my books. Дулмaa Дорж xoëp нaйз. Dulmaa, Dorj xoyor naiz. Dulmaa and Dorj are friends. Дaвaa, Mягмap, Лxaгвa гypaв мaлчин. Davaa, Myagmar, Lhavag gurav malching. Davaa, Myagmar and Lhagva are herders. Chapter two 11 VOCABULARY Text aвгaй avgai wife нөxөp nöhör a) husband; b) comrade мaлчин malching herder, herdsman тэд ted they гэp ger a) “ger”, yurt; b) home иx ih much; many; great; very тoм tom big, large цaгaaн tsagaang white мaл mal livestock мaллa-(мaллax) mallah to herd aжил ajil work xии-(xийx) hiih to do цэвэрлэ-(цэвэpлэx) tseverleh to clean yлc мopь(-ин) uls mor’(-ing) country, state horse yнa-(yнax) unax to ride бичи-(бичиx) bichih to write oдoo odoo now хоол hool food, meal идэ-(идэx) ideh to eat хонь(-ин) hon’(-ing) sheep мax(-aн) mah(-ang) meat юy(-н) yuu(-ng) what xэн heng who ямap yamar what kind of гахай gahai pig тиим tiim yes үгүй ügüi no Comprehension эмч emch doctor aжилчин ajilching worker Modern mongolian 12 шиpээ(-н) shiree(-ng) table caндал sandal chair caмбap sambar blackboard xapaндaa harandaa pencil үзэг üzeg pen xoëp hoyor two гурав (гypвaн) gurav(gurvang) three GRAMMAR 1) N-stem nouns If you look at the vocabulary list you will see that there are some nouns which are f