Kalmyk

Kalmyk is a language spoken by the Kalmyk people, who mainly inhabit the Kalmyk Republic in southern Russia. It is the only Mongolic language that is written in the Cyrillic script, and is therefore also known as the Cyrillic Mongolian language. The Kalmyk language is endangered, with only about 150,000 speakers remaining. However, the language is still used in some areas, particularly in the media and in education. There has been a recent revival of interest in the language, and Kalmyk is now taught in some schools in the Kalmyk Republic. The Kalmyk language is closely related to the Mongolian language, and is thought to be descended from the ancient Mongolic language. The Kalmyk people are believed to be the descendants of the Oirats, a group of Mongolic nomads who settled in the area in the 16th century. The Kalmyk language is agglutinative, meaning that words are built up from a series of root words or stems, with each suffix or prefix adding a new meaning or grammatical function. For example, the word for 'horse' in Kalmyk is мархь, which is made up of the root мар- (meaning 'horse') and the suffix хь-. Kalmyk has a rich and unique vocabulary, with many words borrowed from the Mongolian and Turkic languages. The Kalmyk people have a strong oral tradition, and many of the stories and poems that have been passed down through the generations are written in Kalmyk. Kalmyk is a fascinating and little-known language, with a rich history and culture. If you are interested in learning more about Kalmyk, there are a few resources available, including online dictionaries and phrasebooks.