Mongolian Studies https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms <p>Mongol Sudlal (Mongolian Studies) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal published by the Department of Mongolian Language and Linguistics, National University of Mongolia.</p> <p>The international academic journal "MONGOL SUDLAL" (ISSN 1997-1826, DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.22353/ms" target="_new" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.22353/ms</a>) is proudly associated with the CrossRef academic database. Each forthcoming article is designated a unique DOI, simplifying "Google Scholar" registration and facilitating international citations.</p> <p>The journal focuses primarily on linguistics, philology, literature, and art studies, with a dedicated emphasis on Mongolian Studies. Beyond advancing scholarly knowledge in these disciplines, it actively promotes academic cooperation and interdisciplinary research to elevate the field of Mongolian studies.</p> <p>With a rich history dating back to 1946, the journal has been a prominent and internationally recognized academic resource in the field of Mongolian Studies. </p> en-US journal_mongolstudies@num.edu.mn (Dr. ERDENE-OCHIR Tumen-Ochir) khaliun.l@num.edu.mn (Dr. KHALIUN Lugaa) Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:09:07 +0800 OJS 3.3.0.13 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 Гарчиг https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10324 <p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> . Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10324 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан хэлний үгийн сангаас тус хэлний язгуур хэлний харьяаллыг хайх нь https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10325 <p style="text-align: justify;">This paper takes the deciphered Khitan scripts and vocabulary as the starting point to explore the controversial issue of the linguistic family affiliation of the Khitan language, which has four main viewpoints: belonging to the Mongolian branch, being a mixed language of Mongolian and Tungusic, etc. Among the deciphered Khitan words, there are many Chinese loanwords, but they are of limited use for studying the linguistic family affiliation. The remaining static words and some verbs have many similarities or correspondences with Mongolian in terms of pronunciation, sound and meaning, especially the obvious similarities in the names of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals and numerals. On the whole, there is no dispute that the Khitan language belongs to the Altaic language family, and it may belong to the Mongolian branch.</p> Wu Yingzhe , Bao Zhenqing Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10325 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан хэлний үг хэллэгийг түүвэрлэн тайлбарлах нь (Цуврал - 2) https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10326 <p style="text-align: justify;">The progress in Khitan studies over the past century has been built upon the foundational work of earlier scholars in deciphering and reconstructing the pronunciation of the glyphs and graphemes. Since the dawn of the new century, with the establishment and gradual refinement of Khitan text databases, the comparative research methodology between Khitan large script and Khitan small script has demonstrated its unique value. In previous studies, we employed this comparative approach to interpret certain words and phrases in Khitan inscriptions. Building on this foundation, the present study further expands the scope by integrating newly discovered epigraphic materials to propose original insights into the pronunciation and meanings of several Khitan words, seeking expert feedback from fellow scholars.</p> Jiruhe Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10326 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан бага бичгийн хөшөөнд дурдагдсан хөшөөний эзний зан чанар хийгээд эрдэм чадварын тухай https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10327 <p style="text-align: justify;">Epitaphs, a product of ancient Chinese burial systems, possess fixed structures and compositional conventions, documenting the deceased’s name, year of death, and life events. Typically consisting of three components—the opening (title and author attribution), the main body (narratives of lineage and life events, supplemented by rhymed eulogies for mourning or praise), and the conclusion (recording the writer, engraver, and date of composition)—they serve as standardized commemorative texts. Influenced by Han culture, Khitan-script epitaphs bear striking similarities to their Chinese counterparts in both form and content. While existing decipherment efforts have yielded progress in understanding the owner’s genealogy and basic textual structure, research on the deceased’s personal details—particularly descriptions of personalities and skills—remains limited, with associated compositional conventions yet to be clarified. Focusing on the Khitan small-script Epitaph of Xiao Zhonggong, this paper elaborates on the stylistic conventions for depicting the epitaph owner in Khitan small-script epitaphs and interprets relevant vocabulary. This pioneering analysis addresses a gap in current scholarship.</p> Peng Daruhan Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10327 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан их бичгийн дурсгал дахь “Жаргалын дотор зовлон, зовлонгийн дотор жаргал буй” гэх эшлэл үгийн тухай https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10328 <p style="text-align: justify;">An allusion in Khitan large script found in the Epitaph of Xiao Chen’ge Biexu, which was at that time referred to as the Epitaph of the Second Year of Qingning, originates from the statement “Misfortune is what fortune leans on; Fortune is what misfortune lurks within” in Chapter 58 of the Taoist classic Dao De Jing. By interpreting this allusion, this paper deciphers the Khitan large words meaning “calamity, misfortune” and “exist”.</p> Sulongga Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10328 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Шинээр тодруулсан хэдэн хятан бага үсгийн үндсэн үсгийн дүрс, жич дуудлагын шинжлэл https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10329 <p style="text-align: justify;">This paper presents three newly identified glyphs and two variant forms from the newly discovered inscription&nbsp;Epitaph of Yelü Yugulin Taishi in Khitan Small Script, which is now known as the earliest inscription in Khitan Small Script, dating to the Chongxi era of Emperor Xingzong of the Liao dynasty. Detailed descriptions of their positional occurrences and graphical structures are provided. Based on the deciphered Khitan scripts, Chinese loanwords and Mongolian cognates, the phonetic values of the relevant glyphs are reconstructed,&nbsp;aiming to promote further research on the Khitan Small Script.</p> Bai Yuanming Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10329 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан бага бичгийн хөшөөний бичээсийн хуулбар дахь хэдэн ташаарлын залруулга ба хэлтэрч баларсан үсгүүдийн сэргээлт https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10330 <p style="text-align: justify;">This paper takes as its point of departure the commonly observed phrase <img src="https://journal.num.edu.mn/public/site/images/khaliun/mceclip1.jpg" width="601" height="57">found in Khitan Small Script epitaphs. It analyzes and compares the structural features and terminology appearing at the end of the inscription texts immediately preceding this phrase. Employing philological and textual criticism methods, the study identifies and corrects erroneous entries and transcription mistakes in the interpretations included in Further Studies on the Khitan Small Script as well as in four recently published digital transcriptions of Khitan epitaphs. Additionally, this paper proposes restorations for certain missing characters. The organization and correction of digital transcriptions are of critical scholarly value for the accurate interpretation and systematic compilation of Khitan textual materials.</p> B. Chansaa Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10330 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 342 дугаар хятан бага үсгийн дүрс, дуудлагын шинжлэл https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10331 <p style="text-align: justify;">In Khitan Small Script documents, certain glyphs appear with relatively low frequency, making their interpretation one of the longstanding challenges in Khitan script research. Given the prevalence of disjoint (split) writing structures in Khitan Small Script, the use of such patterns has become a common and relatively effective method for deciphering these low-frequency glyphs. This paper re-examines the stone inscriptions and related rubbings to analyze the graphic forms of Glyph <img src="https://journal.num.edu.mn/public/site/images/khaliun/mceclip0-6ab13761ac3f7984598d5884be8d788b.jpg" width="261" height="32"> as listed in Further Research on the Khitan Small Script (Qidan xiaozi zai yanjiu 契丹小字再研究, CWJ). On this basis, it explores the phonetic values and lexical meanings of these glyphs in conjunction with their disjoint forms, aiming to provide further evidence for the identification of graphic variants and the reconstruction of the phonological system of Khitan Small Script.</p> Tamirilaga Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10331 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан хэлний нэг бүлэг тэмдэг үйлийн дагаврын тухай https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10332 <p style="text-align: justify;">Based on the “gender-number” agreement phenomenon in the Khitan grammatical system, this paper conducts a systematic grammatical analysis of the sentences in Khitan large and small script documents, and then summarizes a set of participle affixes <img src="https://journal.num.edu.mn/public/site/images/khaliun/mceclip0-05faf9c10ec81fc36b5571c7355bb722.jpg" width="327" height="38"> It also demonstrates that the grammatical meanings they express present an oppositional relationship of “feminine singular”—”masculine singular”—”plural”.</p> Sumber Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10332 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хоёр хятан их үсгийн тухай өгүүлэх нь https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10333 <p style="text-align: justify;"><img src="https://journal.num.edu.mn/public/site/images/khaliun/mceclip0-56bf9bf9961edb71b1e09bac6bcffba2.jpg" width="812" height="141"></p> Wusihala, Jiruhe Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10333 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан бичгийн дурсгалд гарах нэгэн хятад эшлэл үгийг нарийвчлан шинжлэх нь https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10334 <p style="text-align: justify;">Among the extant materials in the Khitan scripts, numerous references to Chinese classical texts highlight the historical reality of exchanges, interactions, and integration between the ancient Khitan people and the Han people of the Central Plains. This paper focuses on further exploring a specific Khitan textual reference quoting the phrase&nbsp;“The family that accumulates goodness will surely have an abundance of blessings; the family that accumulates evil will surely have an abundance of calamities”&nbsp;from&nbsp;The Book of Changes (yi易・kungua坤卦・wenyan文言). It conducts a phonetic and semantic interpretation of several related&nbsp;words in Khitan small script, putting forward personal opinions to seek guidance from esteemed academic peers.</p> Sarula Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10334 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан бага бичгийн хэдэн үндсэн үсгийн дүрсийн нарийвчилсан тодруулга хийгээд бусад асуудал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10335 <p style="text-align: justify;">The study of Khitan large and small scripts primarily encompasses research on glyph shapes, pronunciations, meanings, and etymologies. Discriminating between glyph shapes is the foundation for interpreting Khitan large and small script documents and reconstructing their pronunciations and meanings. There are some glyphs in Khitan inscribed stone monument documents that are similar in shape, and confusing these similar glyphs can sometimes lead to misreadings or misunderstandings of the meanings of words. In view of this, based on the research achievements of predecessors, this paper, employing the methods of textual criticism, data statistics, philology, and lexicology, conducts an in-depth analysis of the shapes of several similar Khitan small script glyph and puts forward suggestions for further standardizing these glyphs. In addition, the paper also offers its own perspectives on the identification of the parts of speech for several words in Khitan small script. It is presented here to seek the opinions of learned scholars.</p> Qiu Qinglian Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10335 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Өвөр Монголын Их Сургуульд 2016-2025 оны хугацаанд хийгдсэн хятан бага үсгийн судалгааны тойм https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10336 <p style="text-align: justify;">Published in 2017, Further Research on Khitan Small Script not only systematically and comprehensively collated the interpretation results of the Khitan small script up to 2016 but also conducted in-depth analysis and commentary on the interpretation process of this script. Since the book’s publication, new breakthroughs and accomplishments have continued to emerge in the field of Khitan small script research. This paper intends to adopt literature research and inductive analysis methods to comprehensively sort out and summarize the achievements made by Inner Mongolia University in Khitan small script research from 2016 to 2025, with a focus on the latest research progress. By presenting a comparative analysis of different research findings from Inner Mongolia University and potential paths for comparative studies, it aims to provide references for relevant researchers. This holds significant academic value and practical significance for deepening the study of the Khitan small script and promoting the further development of Khitan language research.</p> Wang Gaowa Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10336 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хөшөөний бичээст дурдагдсан Ляо улсын баяр дурсгалын өдөр https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10337 <p style="text-align: justify;">The Liao Dynasty, a multi-ethnic dynasty founded by northern nomadic peoples in ancient China, saw its festival culture inherit Khitan nomadic traditions while integrating agricultural rituals of the Central Plains, thus presenting a unique landscape of cultural fusion. This paper takes Liao Dynasty inscriptions as core historical materials and, through historical analysis, compares the differences and complementarities in festival records between such historical sources as The History of Liao and Liao Dynasty inscriptions. The study reveals that Liao Dynasty festivals were not only a manifestation of governance featuring “ruling in line with local customs” but also social arenas where Han and Khitan cultures naturally merged.</p> Qian Da Men Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10337 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан бичиг дэх тооны нэрс хийгээд тэнгэрийн эшийн нэрсийн тухай https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10338 <p style="text-align: justify;">The Khitan script, created by the Khitan people during the Liao Dynasty, is a distinctive writing system. As crucial components of the Khitan language, its numerals and Heavenly Stems hold significant importance for understanding the language. This paper focuses on the numerals “one” to “ten” in Khitan script and the Heavenly Stems, systematically tracing their evolution from large to small character interpretations and phonetic value reconstructions. It also examines current research developments in this field.</p> Aruna Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10338 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан бичгийн хөшөөний бичээс дэх арван хоёр жилийн тухай шинжлэл https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10339 <p style="text-align: justify;">The “Twelve Zodiac” culture has a long history. Relevant rock paintings have been discovered in the living areas of northern nomadic peoples, proving that this culture has been inherited and developed among different ethnic groups and in various fields since the Paleolithic Age. The Khitan, an ancient northern nomadic people, established the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) in the early 10th century under the leadership of Yelu Abaoji. In Liao Dynasty Khitan tombs, statues and animals of the Twelve Zodiac are often seen on the murals of the tomb ceilings, the unearthed epitaph covers, and the sloping surfaces around the mourning register covers. Inscriptions in the Khitan large and small scripts confirm that the Khitans used the Twelve Zodiac to represent the earthly branches, which, combined with the five-element heavenly stems, formed a complete cyclic chronological system of the heavenly stems and earthly branches. At present, although there have been phased achievements in the research on the “Twelve Zodiac” in Khitan inscriptions, there are many controversies over the pronunciation and etymology of relevant characters. This paper sorts out the previous research results and puts forward personal opinions on these issues.</p> Zhao Yiran Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10339 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан хэлний үйл үгийн дагаврын талаар Чингэлтэй профессорын хийсэн судалгаа https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10340 <p style="text-align: justify;">The study of verb affixes in the Khitan language is a central focus of Khitan script research. This paper systematically reviews Professor Chinggeltei’s research on Khitan verb affixes, aiming to comprehensively present his academic viewpoints, perspectives, and their development in this field. Additionally, the author attempts to supplement and corroborate his theories with specific examples, summarizing some key characteristics of his research on Khitan verb affixes.</p> Fu Bowen Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10340 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хятан бага бичгээрх “Елюй хатны хөшөө”-ний тухай судалгаа https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10341 <p style="text-align: justify;">This paper conducts a comprehensive and systematic study on the newly discovered Khitan small script epitaph The Epitaph of Lady Yelü by dividing the content of the epitaph into six aspects: the heading of the epitaph, the descendants of the epitaph’s owner, the epitaph’s owner, the date of death and burial, the “zhi yue” (inscription narrative) section, and the date of engraving. These divisions are based on such dimensions as the external form and structure of the epitaph, the content structure of the epitaph text, the historical figures, historical events, and related allusions recorded therein. Through comparative studies between Khitan script epitaphs, between Khitan script and Chinese epitaphs, and between this epitaph and relevant historical records of the Liao Dynasty, this paper not only sorts out in detail such information as Lady Yelü’s marriage and offspring but also attempts to interpret some Khitan small script words.​</p> Peng Daruhan Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10341 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Редакцын зөвлөл https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10323 <p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> . Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10323 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Зохиогчдын танилцуулга https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10342 <p>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> . Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10342 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800 Хэвлэн нийтлэлийн шаардлага https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10343 <p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> . ` Copyright (c) 2025 Монгол судлал https://journal.num.edu.mn/ms/article/view/10343 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0800