Classical Mongolian script

E66148

Classical Mongolian script is the historic vertical writing system used for the Mongolian language, derived from the Old Uyghur alphabet and still employed in Inner Mongolia today.


Statements (50)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Mongolic script
alphabet
writing system
alsoKnownAs traditional Mongolian script
vertical Mongolian script
ancestorScript Old Uyghur script
derivedFrom Old Uyghur alphabet
hasFeature letters change shape depending on position in word
letters have initial, medial, and final forms
ligatures for certain consonant clusters
shows vowel harmony distinctions
uses diacritics for some vowel distinctions
uses separate letters for vowels and consonants
written in connected strokes
historicalUsage used as the primary script for Mongolian for several centuries
indirectAncestorScript Sogdian script
Syriac script
ISO15924Code Mong
officialStatus official script for Mongolian in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
relatedScript Clear Script (Todo script)
Manchu script
Xibe script
replacedBy Cyrillic script in Mongolia (20th century)
scriptType alphabetic
cursive
timePeriod developed in the 13th century
remains in use in the 21st century in Inner Mongolia
used throughout the Mongol Empire period
UnicodeBlock Mongolian (U+1800–U+18AF)
usedBy Mongol Empire administration (historically)
Mongolian Buddhist clergy (historically)
ethnic Mongols in Inner Mongolia
usedFor administrative documents
literary works
religious texts
royal decrees and charters (historically)
usedForLanguage Classical Mongolian language
Manchu language (historically, via adaptation)
Mongolian language
usedInRegion China
Inner Mongolia
writingDirection left-to-right in column order
top-to-bottom
vertical
writingMedium paper manuscripts
stone inscriptions
wooden and metal seals
writingOrientation pages traditionally turned left like Chinese books
writingSystemFamily Aramaic-derived scripts
Uyghur-derived scripts

Referenced by (12)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Mongolic languages ("Traditional Mongolian script")
Tungusic languages ("Mongolian script")
Tungusic languages ("Manchu script")
writingSystemUsed
Classical Mongolian script ("traditional Mongolian script")
Classical Mongolian script ("vertical Mongolian script")
alsoKnownAs
Mongolia ("Traditional Mongolian script")
Northern Yuan dynasty ("Traditional Mongolian script")
writingSystem
Aramaic alphabet ("Mongolian script")
ancestorOf
Great Khan ("Classical Mongolian")
languageOfName
Mongols
traditionalScript
Classical Mongolian script ("Classical Mongolian language")
usedForLanguage
Mengjiang ("Mongolian script")
usedScript

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