| Population |
154,000 in Russian Federation (2002). Population total all countries: 499,000. Ethnic population: 173,996. |
| Region |
Republic of Kalmykia, on Volga-Don steppes northwest of the Caspian, north of the Caucasus; lower Volga region, Astrakhan Province. Also in China, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Taiwan, United States. |
| Language map |
European Russia, reference number 19
|
| Alternate names |
European Oirat, Kalmack, Kalmuck, Kalmuk, Kalmytskii Jazyk, Khalli, Oirat, Qalmaq, Volga Oirat, Western Mongolian |
| Dialects |
Buzawa, Oirat, Torgut (Torguut, Torguud, Torghud, Torghoud), Dörböt (Dörböd, Derbet), Sart Qalmaq. Diverged from other Mongolian languages. Called ‘Kalmyk’ in the Russian Federation; ‘Oirat’ in China and Mongolia; in USA Kalmyk not heavily influenced by Russian. Different from other varieties in China called Oirat [xal], which are sometimes called ‘Asiatic Oirat’. |
| Classification |
Altaic, Mongolic, Eastern, Oirat-Khalkha, Oirat-Kalmyk-Darkhat |
| Language use |
91% speak it as L1. Also use Russian. Tibetan [bod] is religious language. |
| Language development |
NT: 1827–2002. |
| Writing system |
Cyrillic script, adopted in 1924, used in Russia and Mongolia. Mongolian script, Todo style, used in China. |
| Comments |
Buddhist (Lamaist). |
| Language name |
Kalmyk-Oirat |
| Population |
139,000 in China (Wurm et al. 1987). 106,000 of Torgut (Tu’erhute) dialect and 33,000 of Kök Nur (Qinghai). |
| Region |
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; Bayan Gool Autonomous Prefecture, Bortala Autonomous Prefecture. |
| Language map |
China
|
| Alternate names |
Oirat, Weilate, Western Mongol, Xinjiang Mongolian |
| Dialects |
Torgut (Tu’erhute), Kök Nur (Qinghai), Jakhachin, Bayit, Mingat, Olot (Ööld, Elyut, Eleuth), Khoshut (Khoshuud), Dorbot. |
| Language use |
Official regional language. Schooling in Chahar Mongolian [mvf]. High bilingualism in Chahar Mongolian. |
| Comments |
Classified as Mongolian nationality. |
| |
| Language name |
Kalmyk-Oirat |
| Population |
206,000 in Mongolia. 139,000 Oirat, 55,100 Dorbot, 11,400 Torgut. |
| Alternate names |
Oirat, Western Mongol |
| Dialects |
Jakhachin, Bayit, Mingat, Olot (Ööld, Elyut, Eleuth), Khoshut (Khoshuud), Uriankhai, Khoton (Hoton). |
| Comments |
Khoton (Hoton) originally of Turkic origin (Kara 1990), and were Muslim. Different from Chinese-speaking Qotong (Hoton) [cmn]. |
| |
