Man is a social being, in order to maintain mental health, he needs to communicate with his own kind. And not just to communicate, but also to understand each other, that is, to speak the same language.

The language of communication is one of the most important tools for the development of human society, necessary for preserving the spiritual heritage, way of life and customs. The national culture of the people is alive as long as the national language is preserved. According to UNESCO, there are currently about 6,000 different languages ​​​​on the planet, and half of them are under the threat of complete oblivion, as their speakers are becoming less and less.

To help preserve the diversity of national identity, an international mother tongue day was created at the initiative of the United Nations.

The main purpose of creating this holiday is to preserve the linguistic and, accordingly, cultural traditions of small nations. And also, maintaining mutual understanding between people by building tolerance and creating opportunities for dialogue.

Why is it worth paying attention to national languages? Wouldn't it be easier if all people on the planet communicated in one, understandable language?

The fact is that the national language is not just a means of communication, but a tool for perceiving the surrounding world, it is the language that most clearly expresses the uniqueness of the perception of the surrounding world and describes the world as it is seen by a particular person. It is the language that reflects the history of the people, linking traditions and modern life. With the disappearance of the next national language, a whole layer of cultural and historical heritage created by generations disappears.

The native language, which a person hears from the moment of birth, leaves a certain imprint on the personality, endows with a certain vision of the world. After all, it is not in vain that in moments of special tension, in extreme situations, almost everyone begins to think in their native language, even if they practically do not use it in everyday life.

Of course, no one denies the importance and necessity of studying the languages ​​of other peoples, since this is an opportunity to understand how other peoples see the world. But it is equally important to respect the national languages, especially if there are few speakers and it is in danger of being forgotten.

Why do languages ​​disappear?

It is believed that the language will be preserved as long as it is used for communication by at least 100 thousand people. The fewer people who speak a language, the more difficult it is to keep it.

Any living language of communication is dynamic. It is constantly evolving, replenished with terms, overgrown with updated rules and regulations. Unfortunately, like all living things, the language of communication can die. Many languages ​​have disappeared from the face of the planet irrevocably, and scientists have been struggling for years to decipher the surviving documents, compiled in languages ​​unknown to modern people.

That is, the emergence, development and even death of the language of communication is a process, in general, natural. However, the oblivion of languages ​​has never passed as quickly as it happened in the last century.

Thus, according to statistics, at the beginning of the century there were 193 national languages ​​in Russia. And by the end of the century, only four dozen remained. That is, in just a hundred years, more than one and a half hundred national languages ​​have disappeared from the face of the planet. And this is only on the territory of the former USSR.

It is clear that with the advent of modern means of communication and communication, it is increasingly difficult for small peoples to achieve recognition of their national languages. Today, only the languages ​​used on the Internet are considered in demand. To emphasize the importance of preserving the languages ​​of small nations, the holiday was created.

English is considered the dominant language in the world today, although it will probably soon overtake Chinese in terms of the number of speakers. Although on the Internet, English is likely to retain its leading position for a long time to come. According to statistics, the English-speaking segment occupies 81% of the worldwide web. All other languages ​​occupy a very small percentage. For example, the German-speaking segment makes up only 2% of the world wide web.

When did the holiday start?

The holiday dedicated to the native language appeared at the turn of the century, it has been held regularly since 2000.

But when is this interesting holiday celebrated? The date of its holding was chosen in memory of the tragedy that happened in the capital of Bangladesh in the early fifties. The fact is that in this state, Bengali - the language of the indigenous people of the country was not called official. To eliminate this injustice, the students went on a demonstration in protest. The peaceful action ended tragically, during the riots that arose, several people from among the protesters died from the bullets of the police.

It happened February 21, therefore, it was decided to celebrate the day of honoring national languages ​​on the anniversary of the events described.

How is it celebrated?

The day dedicated to the native language is recognized as international, it is widely celebrated in different countries around the world. Of course, in each country over the years of the existence of the holiday, its own traditions of celebration have developed.

In most countries, events in honor of the holiday are educational in nature. There are various seminars, public actions, practical classes. Moreover, these classes, as a rule, take place in a fun way. Pictures, educational games and other entertainment allow people to get acquainted with the basics of other national languages.

UNESCO has organized a special portal on the Internet to help national minorities whose languages ​​are endangered. This resource allows you to learn the languages ​​of different nationalities, that is, to gain access to the knowledge of other cultures.

The key to maintaining peace and mutual understanding is respect for the traditions and cultures of other peoples. Each national language is a kind of mirror reflecting the mentality of the people. After all, the language of communication acquired from infancy forms the national self-consciousness of a person.

The desire to understand and cognize the culture of other nationalities is a commendable phenomenon. And nothing helps to understand another people more fully than learning their language. Therefore, the desire to learn other languages ​​is the key to understanding the diversity of our world.

Despite a common understanding of the need to preserve all national cultures, the situation remains difficult. For example, one of the most multilingual countries today is India. In this densely populated country, there are more than one and a half thousand different languages ​​​​and dialects. But the minor languages ​​are in distress, as they are gradually being replaced by English, which in India is the lingua franca. Fewer and fewer people consider it necessary to teach their children national languages, so there are fewer and fewer native speakers every year.

However, efforts are being made to preserve the national languages. In many schools, the study of the native language is considered a compulsory subject. Multilingualism is also encouraged in employment in the civil service.

How do we celebrate the holiday?

Our country is multinational, so the international mother tongue day in Russia is celebrated very widely and in various ways.

Every year, events are held that are aimed at preserving and supporting the languages ​​of small nations. Their study and development is encouraged.

Despite the fact that the Russian language is now the native language for millions of people, its preservation also needs to be taken care of. After all, the language is one of the components that unites not only the citizens of Russia, but also all people living abroad, but who consider Russian their native language.

The Russian language is constantly evolving, absorbing foreign words and terms. This process is completely natural, but there is no need to go too far and try to replace Russian words with foreign ones without special need. Moreover, it is necessary to fight against the contamination of the language with jargon, obscene words.

Conclusion

The greatest value that every nation should be proud of is the native language. After all, it is the words in the native language that the baby hears immediately after birth, absorbing the culture, customs and traditions of its people along with mother's milk.

The best way to get to know a person is to listen to how the person is talking. Careful attitude to the native language is an important indicator of the culture of the individual.

The existence of the planet is inextricably linked with the development of population and speech. Linguistic diversity tends inexorably to decrease, which raises fears for the complete disappearance of most of the languages ​​that exist now.

Story

International Mother Language Day appeared in 1999 on the establishment of the General Conference of UNESCO and entered the calendar life of our planet in 2000. Proclaiming this holiday, the primary task was set - to preserve the "endangered" languages, as well as to bring together the cultural and linguistic multitude of the peoples of the world.

A memorable day was chosen as the date of the Language Day. In Dhaka, on February 21, 1952, during a demonstration in support of the native language, students who proposed raising the holiday to the level of an official one were killed by police officers.

Every year this holiday acquires a certain theme, drawing attention to various problems of the linguistic field. The following questions are raised and considered:

1. Sign language and the Braille system.
2. Facilitation between mother tongue and multilingualism.
3. Preservation of cultural diversity.
4. Illumination of various cultural traditions.
5. The quality of linguistic education, etc.

UNESCO staff determined that a huge number of languages ​​were used by the population on our planet, 200 of which have disappeared completely, and more than 2 thousand are on the verge of extinction, and only about 6 thousand languages ​​are used.

In every country there are languages ​​that may disappear with the death of their last speakers. The countries with the highest number of dying languages ​​now are Indonesia, India, China, Brazil, Mexico, USA.

The reasons for the disappearance of the language are very diverse:

• decline in fertility;
• wars;
• deportation;
• migration;
• epidemics;
• language mixing.

In the modern world, to these factors, the emergence of dominant languages ​​is also added, the knowledge of which is more beneficial.

The disappearance of languages ​​is dangerous not only from a linguistic point of view. Entire cultural layers may disappear due to the loss of traditions and folk art, which are directly related to the history of the language.

Traditions

On this day, employees of all UNESCO branches organize language events, various conferences, seminars, exhibitions, concerts are held in all countries.

In Russia, many schools have lessons that introduce children to the linguistic history of our planet and the topic of the disappearance of languages. Teachers tell why some languages ​​are "erased from the face of the Earth", teach children to love and respect both their native language and foreign ones.

Without oral communication, the civilized world could not exist and develop. Every nation has a lot of figurative expressions, proverbs and sayings about the language. Since ancient times, Russian people have known that “the word is not a sparrow, it will fly out - you won’t catch it”, “the tongue runs ahead of the legs”, “where the words of hello are, there is a smile for an answer”, and also that “my tongue is my enemy” and “the tongue before Kyiv will bring.

One of the official language holidays can be called International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference. In 2011, the President of Russia signed a Decree on the annual celebration of the Day of the Russian Language in Russia. In addition, the UN Department of Public Affairs proposed to establish holidays dedicated to the organization's six official languages. The Russian language also received an official day of celebration - June 6th.

Languages ​​are the most powerful tool for preserving and developing our heritage.

International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference on November 17, 1999, has been celebrated every year on February 21 since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

In turn, the UN General Assembly in its resolution declared 2008 the International Year of Languages.

2010 was proclaimed the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.

The date for the Day was chosen to commemorate the events that took place in Dhaka (now the capital of Bangladesh) on February 21, 1952, when students demonstrating in defense of their native language Bengali, which they demanded to be recognized as one of the state languages ​​of the country, were killed by police bullets. .

Languages ​​are the most powerful tool for preserving and developing our material and spiritual heritage. UNESCO estimates that half of the world's approximately 6,000 languages ​​may soon lose their last native speakers. All steps to promote the spread of mother tongues serve not only to promote linguistic diversity and multilingual education, to develop a fuller acquaintance with linguistic and cultural traditions around the world, but also to strengthen solidarity based on mutual understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

On February 21, 2003, on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, UNESCO Director-General K. Matsuura said: “Why is so much attention paid to the mother tongue? Because languages ​​constitute a unique expression of human creativity in all its diversity. As a tool for communication, perception and reflection, language also describes how we see the world and reflects the connection between past, present and future. Languages ​​bear traces of chance encounters, various sources from which they were saturated, each according to its own separate history. Native languages ​​are unique in the way they leave an imprint on each person from the moment of birth, giving him a special vision of things that will never really disappear, despite the fact that a person subsequently masters many languages. Learning a foreign language is a way to get acquainted with a different vision of the world, with other approaches.”

And every year, as part of the celebration of Mother Language Day, various events are held in different countries dedicated to a specific theme and aimed at promoting respect, as well as promoting and protecting all languages ​​(especially languages ​​​​that are on the verge of extinction), linguistic diversity and multilingualism. So, in different years, the Day was devoted to the following topics: the relationship between the native language and multilingualism, especially in education; Braille system and sign language; raising public awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions based on mutual understanding, tolerance and dialogue; protection of the intangible heritage of mankind and the preservation of cultural diversity and others.

related holidays

Arabic Day. Arabic Language Day has been celebrated since 2010. Then, on the eve of International Mother Language Day, the UN Public Relations Department proposed to establish its own holiday for each of the organization's six official languages.

French Language Day (International Francophonie Day). French Language Day, like the days of other languages ​​of the United Nations, is celebrated recently - only since 2010. The initiator of the introduction of the new holiday was the UN Department of Public Relations.

Day of the proclamation of the Korean alphabet. October 9 is Hangul Proclamation Day in South Korea. The original alphabet of the Korean language is called Hangul, and today they celebrate its creation and proclamation in the country by King Sejong the Great.

Limba Noastra - National Language Day in Moldova On the last summer day, Moldova celebrates a traditional and in its own way unique holiday - National Language Day - Limba Noastra. "Limba noastra" means - "our language" or "mother tongue".

State Language Day in Kyrgyzstan. The state language of Kyrgyzstan is Kyrgyz. In 2009, 20 years have passed since the day when in 1989 the Supreme Council of the Kirghiz SSR unanimously adopted the Law "On the State Language of the Kirghiz SSR".

"Precious Legacy"

The languages ​​we speak today came to us from ancient times. All these years they have undergone changes, continuously developed, and a detailed analysis of these processes will help us to better understand both the world around us and ourselves. I offer a selection of facts about the origin and original meaning of well-known words, as well as explanations of some difficult, controversial cases of their use.

Knowledge of the customs, mores of ancient peoples, knowledge of their mythology, their ideas about the world helps to understand the original meaning of many words. And in the same way, the analysis of words helps to understand the way of life and the views of our distant ancestors. For example, we can conclude that our ancestors invested in the concept of "happiness". The root of this word is part, which means happy - it is having a part, part of wealth, inheritance, who has received a share. Note that the word share also means not only “part”, but also “fate”, “fate” (the composition of this word is also transparent: y-part).

"Water" and "fire" are the most important concepts in the minds of ancient man. They gave rise to many myths, fairy tales, legends, as well as many words. So, the word grief is connected with fire, that which burns in the human soul. The constant epithet of this word is bitter: "woe is bitter." Tears are bitter, but one can also say that tears are burning; those tears that burn. Bitter in the old days meant "fiery". Needless to say, the same root in the words burn, warm, forge, potter, etc. A synonym for the word grief - the noun sadness - is also associated with fire: that which bakes. Sorrow from the stove. The outstanding linguist A. A. Potebnya wrote: “Anger is fire; and from it the heart flares up “more than fire” or, which comes out to the same thing, “without fire” ... In general, the representation of fire dominates in words for anger and concepts akin to it.

In the mythology of the Slavs, Yarilo, the god of spring, sun, and fertility, occupied an important place. Hence many words with the root yar: spring (spring, sown in spring), yarka (young sheep), ardent bees (young, today's swarm). What does spring mean? It is sunny, radiant, clear. It is also warm, hot, then the meaning develops: hot, excited, angry. Hence we have the words: bright, ardent, fury.

Looking at the expressions still in the language of the red girl, the red corner (in the hut), we guess that for our ancestors, red is “beautiful”. In the word work, we no longer hear the word slave. But once a worker was actually a slave. There were workers in the village for a long time (remember L.N. Tolstoy's “Master and Worker”). The word worker, having appeared in the middle of the 19th century, began to displace the worker, the worker. The word worker remained in the language because it changed its meaning. We are talking about people of mental labor: a scientific worker, a literary worker.

In the Russian language there is a comrade and a commodity, as if not connected with one another. But how was it really? Traders wandered around Russia, but it was dangerous to go on a journey alone, so they chose a comrade for themselves who helped sell the goods. Then the word comrade acquired the meaning of "friend, buddy" in general, and not only in trade, in travel. After the Great October Revolution, a new life began for the word comrade.

Everyone knows the diminutive suffixes -ik and -ok: house - house - house; hour - hour - hour. But no one now perceives thread, particle, scarf, bag (once formed from fur), pin, hammer, bench, crust and dozens of others as diminutives. About the man who took off the belt, we will not say: He unbelted.

Comparison, juxtaposition of words can go beyond the limits of one language, and then a lot of similarities and differences are revealed in the worldview of different peoples. The word, human speech has always seemed to people an incomprehensible, mysterious phenomenon. The word was given a special, mystical meaning. The most mysterious were the coincidences in the sound and meaning of words belonging to different languages. For linguists, however, such coincidences often seem natural.

So, we can easily find the ancestors and relatives of the word god, first of all, in the Slavic languages, which indicates the deep antiquity of the word. Turning to other Indo-European languages, we find that the Slavic god is related to the ancient Indian bhagah, which meant "wealth, happiness" and the one who gives it - "giver, lord, lord." The ancient Persian baga - "Lord, God" goes back to the ancient Indian bhajati - "endows, gives." Thus, scientists come to the conclusion that the original meaning of the word god is “the giver of blessings, endowing with blessings.” Its meaning as "the supreme mythical creature" developed later in the Slavic languages. Now the consonance of the words god and wealth, rich and poor, in which the prefix y- has a negative meaning, will no longer seem accidental.

Here are some other examples of the origin of words and their correct use:

Enrollee

Looking at the dictionaries, you can be sure that the original meaning of the word “applicant” is not at all the one who enters the university, but the one who has just graduated from school (as you know, among the graduates there are those who are not going to go somewhere). The explanatory dictionary of foreign words L. Krysin indicates that the word "entrant" comes from the Latin abituriens (abiturientis), that is, "going to leave."

However, the word, indeed, became Russified and became independent of the Latin source. Modern dictionaries - and the already mentioned Explanatory Dictionary of Foreign Words, and the Explanatory Dictionary edited by N. Shvedova - offer two meanings for the word "applicant". The first, obsolete, is a high school graduate. The second, modern one, is an applicant entering a higher or secondary specialized educational institution.

Thanks to

Is it okay to say, “The building fire burned down some wonderful theatrical costumes,” or “The hurricane left hundreds of people homeless”? Of course, it’s better not to say that: it’s somehow strange to thank for this! It should be remembered that after the word "thanks" only positive facts can follow. Otherwise, it is better to use neutral prepositions “because of”, “because of”, “due to” (“Because of the heavy snow, we got lost yesterday”).

The context is very important for the preposition “thanks”, because even a hurricane can be good news, as, for example, in this situation: “Thanks to the hurricane, our old shed fell apart, which we were going to dismantle for a long time, but still couldn’t find the time.” In this case, the use of this preposition is permissible.

god and god

Sometimes there may be doubts whether the word "god" should be written with a lowercase or uppercase letter. Everything will depend on what (or whom) you mean and in what sense you pronounce this word.

If you speak and write about God as a single supreme being in different religions (at the same time, it must be a monotheistic religion that claims that God is one), then this word should be written with a capital letter - “God”. So, about the holy and sacred - with a capital letter, "God." Moreover, adjectives derived from it should also be written with a capital letter (“Divine”, “God”). And even if in a religious or philosophical text the word “god” is replaced by other words (pronouns), then they are also written with a capital letter: “Thy will be done”, “His holy will be done”.

However, as soon as we “descend from heaven to earth”, we move to the level of everyday life, changes immediately begin in the spelling of the word “god”. In stable expressions that no longer have a direct connection with religion (such as “God willing”, “thank God”, “By God”), “God” should not be capitalized. Even if you are a believer, it is quite possible to get by with a lowercase letter in the words and expressions “by God”, “divine taste” or “grandmother of God's dandelion”.

By the way, Russian classics (F. Dostoevsky, for example) write the word "God" with a lower case letter.

Majority

The question often arises as to whether the majority of comrades “agreed” or “agreed” is correct. It is important to understand here whether we are talking about animate objects or not. It's one thing - tables, books, windows, doors. Quite different - students, friends, citizens, comrades, etc.

Let's take the topic of elections. “The majority of voters supported the candidacy of N.N.” - so we say. That is, the predicate will be in the plural, despite the word "majority". And all why? Because the voter is an animated object, a person!

Inanimate objects do not need the plural of the predicate. There is no talk of any active action: “most of the windows were lit”, “most of the houses were repaired”. It would seem a nuance, but the ending is different. Now most of you know about it!

Marriage

Everyone knows the gloomy joke that “a good deed will not be called “marriage”. An interesting language effect: both marriage is marriage, and poor-quality products are also marriage. However, these are two different words - what linguists call homonyms.

Looking into the etymological dictionary, one can understand that the word "marriage" in the meaning of "matrimony" was still in the Old Russian language, and its origin is rather vague. It is believed that it came to the Russian language from Old Slavonic, and there - from Common Slavic, from "Brati", that is, "to take" ("to marry"). In any case - our word, primordial.

What can not be said about another "marriage" - the very one that means unusable products. The word "marriage" and "marriage" in this sense have been known to us only since the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century, and the word "marriage" came from the German language. In it, brak meant "vice, defect", and before that, even earlier, "debris". Compare English brack (flaw, fragments).

If earlier, when we saw or heard something amazing, unusual, scary or joyful, we exclaimed “ah!”, “Oh!”, “ay!”, “Oh!”, now “wow!” flies from the tongue more and more often. . This exclamation usually expresses the emotion of extreme amazement or delight. All these are interjections.

In American English, the slang wow is used as a noun in the sense of "something out of the ordinary"; a verb meaning "to stun, to amaze"; interjection expressing surprise and delight. In Scottish slang, the same interjection expresses exactly the opposite emotions: disgust, surprise, grief, condolences.

Most linguists are inclined to believe that the word wow comes from the battle cry of the Okoto Indians. There is another version, it is associated with the so-called theory of onomatopoeia, which received from its opponents the derisive name "wow-wow" theory. If a native speaker of Russian hears the sounds of "bow-wow" in a dog's bark, then an English speaker - a combination of bow-wow. In other words, the Russian “woof” can be an analogue of the English interjection wow.

Ice or ice

For zealous fans of the Russian language, the question arises, what is the difference between the words "icy" and "icy". This is the case when ordinary, commonly used words are at the same time the terms of weather forecasters, but their meanings do not coincide.

The explanatory dictionary of S. Ozhegov puts "ice" and "icy ice" side by side. As you might expect, this is the time when the ground is covered with a layer of ice without snow and, of course, the surface itself, which is covered with ice. Just one touch: “icy ice” is a more respectable word, it is considered unconditionally literary. But "ice" is a colloquial word.

For weather forecasters, "icy" and "sleet" have become two different words, they mean different things. "Ice" is a more general term. Ice is the formation of ice on any surface: on roads, on wires, on trees. When there is ice everywhere, it is ice. Well, black ice is what drivers do not like so much: ice on horizontal surfaces, primarily on roads.

One of the heroes of Anatole France expressed his attitude towards languages, which we should all listen to: “Languages ​​are like dense forests, where words grew as they wanted or as they could, there are strange words, even freak words. In coherent speech, they sound beautiful, and it would be barbaric to cut them like lindens in a city garden ... Such words are undoubtedly freaks. We say: "today," that is, "today," meanwhile, it is clear that this is a heap of one and the same concept; we say: "tomorrow morning", and this is the same as "in the morning in the morning", and the like. Language comes from the bowels of the people. There are many illiteracy, mistakes, fantasies in him, and his highest beauties are naive. It was created not by scientists, but by people close to nature. It has come down to us from time immemorial... We will use it as a precious heritage. And let’s not be too picky…”

Based on the materials of the books by V. V. Odintsov “Linguistic Paradoxes” (publishing house “Enlightenment”) and M. A. Koroleva “Purely in Russian” (“pagedown studio”).

Alexander Mikhailov reads the poem "Our Language" by K. Yu. Frolov

Performed by Veniamin Smekhov

Day after day... (2: 21 February)

International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference on November 17, 1999, has been celebrated every year on February 21 since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

In turn, the UN General Assembly in its resolution declared 2008 the International Year of Languages. 2010 was proclaimed the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.

The date for the Day was chosen to commemorate the events that took place in Dhaka (now the capital of Bangladesh) on February 21, 1952, when students demonstrating in defense of their native language Bengali, which they demanded to be recognized as one of the state languages ​​of the country, were killed by police bullets. .

Languages ​​are the most powerful tool for preserving and developing our material and spiritual heritage. UNESCO estimates that half of the world's approximately 6,000 languages ​​may soon lose their last native speakers.

All steps to promote the spread of mother tongues serve not only to promote linguistic diversity and multilingual education, to develop a fuller acquaintance with linguistic and cultural traditions around the world, but also to strengthen solidarity based on mutual understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

On February 21, 2003, on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, UNESCO Director-General K. Matsuura noted: “Why is so much attention paid to the mother tongue? Because languages ​​constitute a unique expression of human creativity in all its diversity. As a tool for communication, perception and reflection, language also describes how we see the world and reflects the connection between past, present and future. Languages ​​bear traces of chance encounters, various sources from which they were saturated, each according to its own separate history.

Native languages ​​are unique in the way they leave an imprint on each person from the moment of birth, giving him a special vision of things that will never really disappear, despite the fact that a person subsequently masters many languages. Learning a foreign language is a way to get acquainted with a different vision of the world, with other approaches.”

And every year, as part of the celebration of Mother Language Day, various events are held in different countries dedicated to a specific theme and aimed at promoting respect, as well as the promotion and protection of all languages ​​​​(especially languages ​​\u200b\u200bthat are on the verge of extinction), linguistic diversity and multilingualism. So, in different years, the Day was devoted to the following topics: the relationship between the native language and multilingualism, especially in education; Braille system and sign language; raising public awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions based on mutual understanding, tolerance and dialogue; protection of the intangible heritage of mankind and the preservation of cultural diversity; the role of the language taught in schools and others.

Mongolian is the language of the Mongols, the official language of Mongolia. The term can be used more broadly: for the Mongolian language of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia in China, for all the languages ​​of the Mongolian group, in a historical context for such languages ​​as the ancient common Mongolian and the old written Mongolian languages.

The language of the Mongols, the main population of Mongolia, as well as Inner Mongolia and the Russian Federation. It is often referred to as Khalkha-Mongolian or simply Khalkha by its main dialect.

The Khalkha-Mongolian dialect (or language) has a literary norm and the status of the state language in Mongolia. The number of speakers in it is about 2.3 million people. (1995). The Khalkha dialect is included in the central group of dialects of the Mongolian language. Along with it, the eastern and western groups also stand out. Differences between dialects are mainly phonetic.

As the national language of Mongolia began to take shape after the Mongolian People's Revolution (1921) on the basis of the Khalkha dialect. Since 1943 - writing based on the Cyrillic alphabet.

Khalkha-Mongolian, together with the language of the Mongolian script, is part of the Mongolian family of languages. This family is divided into the following groups:

• northern Mongolian languages: Buryat, Kalmyk, Ordos, Khamnigan, Oirat;
• southern Mongolian languages: Dagur, Shira-Yugur, Dongxiang, Baoan, Tu (Mongorian);
• Mughal stands apart in Afghanistan.

In their structure, these are agglutinative languages ​​with elements of inflection. For the majority (except Kalmyk and Buryat), impersonal conjugation is characteristic. In the field of morphology, they are also characterized by the absence of a sharp line between inflection and word formation: for example, different case forms of the same word often function lexically as new words and allow secondary declension, the basis of which is not the primary stem, but the case form. The role of possessive pronouns is played by special suffixes: personal and impersonal. The presence of predicative suffixes gives the impression that names can be conjugated. Parts of speech are poorly differentiated. The following parts of speech are distinguished: name, verb and invariable particles. The noun and adjective in most living languages ​​and the language of writing are not differentiated morphologically and differ only in terms of syntax.

In the field of syntax, the position of the definition before the defined, the predicate, usually at the end of sentences, and the lack of agreement in the case of the definition and the defined, as well as different members of the sentence, is characteristic.