Glossary - Terms from the interviews
This glossary is based upon terms readers may encounter in the translations and summaries of the interviews. It is not intended to be a comprehensive glossary. Rather, it lists those terms that are often left in the Mongolian, or names that the project staff felt deserved extra clarification. We have also included a few phrases or concepts that are in English, but might be unfamiliar to a more general audience (for example, 'Red Corner').
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A B C D E F G H I J L M N O Ö R S T U Ü V Y Z
- '69' - Colloquial term for a Soviet jeep, based on the model number; the UAZ 69 and 469.
- '72' – name of a transit prison
- '120' – district in Ulaanbaatar
- aav – Halha Mongolian, lit. ‘father’
- aaruul – a type of dried cheese
- aarts – a kind of sour milk
- agitator / agitation - Mongolian: uhuulagch - one who carries out propaganda activities or agitates on behalf of government policy.
- ah – lit. 'elder brother', used for biological brothers and uncles, but also as a respectful form of address
- ail – family
- aimag – province; it can also refer to a district within a monastery.
- airag – koumis, fermented mare's milk
- Aj Ahuin Negdeliin Holboo – Federation of (agricultural) Cooperatives
- amidralyn nahia - lit. 'The Bud of Life'
- argali – Wild Sheep
- arhi – lit. 'alcohol', often used to refer to vodka
- avgai - lady, wife, also used as a term of address or reference, where it means 'old woman'.
- baatar – lit. 'hero', in the socialist period often short for 'Hero of Social Labour'
- bag – subunit of the sum, also called bag brigad
- bagiin darga – leader of a bag
- bagsh – teacher; used as a title after a name
- bantan – gruel, soup with flour
- bariach – traditional bone-setter
- bariulah – causative voice of 'barih', healing method used to treat fractures and other illnesses, among others by massaging the affected body parts
- base - Mongolian: baaz. A base or depot, usually for transport vehicles.
- bog mal – small animals; sheeps and goats
- boov – cake, pastry
- burhan – a god, Buddha. Most usually refers to Buddha or one of the Buddhist gods.
- buuz – Mongolian steamed dumplings
- buyan – Buddhist concept indicating virtue, merit, meritorious acts and good fortune
- Bühii l olon bagachuud – song title, lit. ‘Many young children’
- Chaavaas! – Exclamation, lit. ‘Dash it!’ or ‘Oh dear!’
- Chin Van – – prerevolutionary noble title
- dalain bayar – lit. 'Sea Festival', local holiday
- darga – term used to designate people occupying a leading position
- datsan – college in a lamasery
- davhraga irmeg – layered edge
- Dayan Haan – the Mongolian ruler Batmönh Dayan Haan (1470-1543 AD)
- deel – Mongolian traditional clothing
- dharani – spell or incantation
- Dobrij utrom – Russian, lit. ‘Good morning!’
- düü – lit. ‘younger brother or sister’, used for younger siblings, but also as an affectionate form of address for people younger than the speaker
- EBS - acronym for Erönhii Bolovsrolyn Surguul', school for general education
- eej – Halha Mongolian, lit. ‘mother’
- emee – Halha Mongolian, lit. ‘grandmother’
- eezgij – a milk product made by boiling most the whey from curdled milk and setting the residue to dry on a screen
- egch – lit. 'elder sister', used for biological sisters and aunts, but also as a respectful term of address for women older than the speaker
- evlel – lit. 'league', short for Huv'sgalt Zaluuchuudyn Evlel, 'League of Revolutionary Youth
- Farlent – probably the Mongolian pronounciation of the Russian disinfectant ‘Porolon’
- forever – in Mongolian 'mönh'
- gambir - a sort of bread or cake made without fat
- Gants Hudag – name of a prison
- Gav'yat – socialist title and award for outstanding merits
- Gav'yat Negdelchin – socialist title, 'Distinguished Member of the Cooperaative'
- ger – Mongolian dwelling, the traditional round felt tent, often known as a yurt
- gobi - refers to the Gobi desert, but more literally refers also means a type of harsh scrubland.
- GOK – acronym for the Russian term 'Gorno-obogatitel'nij Kombinat', ore mining and processing enterprise
- guai – polite form of address used after a name for both women and men
- hadag – ceremonial silk scarf
- hamba – silk patterned with circular designs
- Hangai – can refer to the Hangai Montains, as well as to mountainous, wooded and watered landscapes in general
- har shöl – soup with meat
- hargana - Caragana
- hashaa - literally a fence, but usually refers to the yard enclosed by it.
- hearth – Mong. 'gal golomt', term to indicate the hearth, the family line and the heir
- horgo– extinct volcano in Arhangai province
- horoo– may refer to a town district, or a committee, depending on context.
- hoshuu – lit. 'banner', Manchu administrative and territorial unit
- hoshuur – fried flat meat dumplings
- hot ail – group of gers
- Hödölmör – 'Labour', name of a newspaper
- Hödölmöriin Hündet Medal' – socialist award, 'Honorary Medal of Labour'
- höhüür – leather sack for making airag
- hözör – playing cards
- hural - a meeting or assembly
- hursan – barren
- huruud – type of cheese made from naturally soured skimmed milk
- Hümüüs - Name of a magazine
- hüree – headquarter, camp, or lamasery
- hyaram - a drink of water and milk mixed together and boiled.
- hyaramtsag – kind of black pudding made of blood and offal encased in an animal's intestines and frozen
- Ij-2 – kind of motorcycle
- irmeg - edge
- jijuur - a sort of attendant
- lam – title used for Buddhist lamas
- League - short for the Revolutionary Youth League.
- MAAM - 'mal aj ahuin mashin' - livestock husbandry (agricultural) machinery
- MAHN – acronym for Mongol Ardyn Huv’sgalt Nam, the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party
- manai aav – Halha Mongolian, lit. ‘our father’
- mantuu – A steamed bun
- Mönhamgalan – lit. 'eternal peace', 'eternal quiet'
- möngö – subunit of the tögrög, not used anymore
- muhar - roughly, 'cut-off'. A term of reference for Revolutionaries, who wore their hair short, in a modern style, instead of in a queue.
- myangat malchin – herder owning more than a thousand animals
- Naadam – Mongolian National Holiday
- Neg hoyor gurav zereg alhaad’ – song title, lit. ‘One, two, three, we walk together’
- negj – 'unit'; way of reckoning the balance on a prepaid mobile phone
- Notstoi medee – Name of a magazine
- noyon – prerevolutionary noble title
- nutag – birthplace, homeland
- October holiday – 7th of November, celebrates the October Revolution of 1917
- odin, dva – Russian, lit. ‘one, two’
- open the golden vessel – ‘altan hairtsag neeh’, ceremony carried out by a lama follwing the death of a person
- Osman – A leader of Kazakhs in Xinjiang in the early to mid-twentieth century.
- ovog – similar to a clan, clan name
- ovoo– cairn erected for local deities, as a landmark or for other purposes
- övöö – Halha Mongolian, lit. ‘grandfather’
- Red Corner - A space or room in a public building (school, club, etc.) that was used for propaganda and educational activities.
- Said – lit. 'minister'
- Said Naryn Zövlöliin Darga – lit. 'Chairman of the Council of Ministers', head of state during the socialist period
- saxaul - a shrub sometimes used for fuel in Mongolia.
- Serüüleg - name of a magazine
- SHBOS – acronym for Shine Büteel Onovchtoi Sanal, 'New and Constructive Suggestions'
- shooting board and bullet – parts of the Mongolian ankle bone game
- shimiin arhi – distilled liquor made of fermented milk
- Soyolch Ailyn Gerchilgee – ‘Certificate of the Cultured Family’
- soyombo – state symbol of Mongolia
- subbotnik – 'voluntary' work undertaken on the weekends.
- sul'hir – Agriophyllum
- sum – administrative unit one level smaller than a province (aimag)
- sumyn darga – leader of a sum
- süütei tsai – milk tea
- temee – Halha Mongolian, lit. camel
- terleg – a summer-weight deel
- tingua - kind of gourd
- TMS – acronym for 'Tehnikiin Mergejliin Surguul'', technical colleges
- tookuu – Torgut stocking-boots with felt shafts and leather soles
- toono – the wooden roof ring of a ger
- tovshuur - a stringed instrument with two strings
- tögrög – the Mongolian national currency
- tulgat – lit. 'with a base'
- TÜTS – acronym for Tügen Üilchilgeenii Tseg, kiosk
- Tsagaan Sar – Mongolian lunar new year
- tsötsgii – cream on the milk
- tsuivan - fried noodles with meat and vegetables
- ulaach – attendant sent with relay horses to sent them back (ulaa – relay horse)
- Ulsyn Arslan – title for wrestlers, lit. 'State Lion'
- Ulsyn Avraga Malchin – socialist title, 'State Champion Herder'
- Ulsyn Sain Malchin – socialist title, 'State Excellent Herder'
- Ulsyn Zaan – title for wrestlers, lit. 'State Elephant'
- uurtyn duu – lit. 'long song', Mongolian musical genre
- üiten huar - type of velvety fabric with slightly raised patterns
- Ünen - 'Truth', the newspaper of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
- Van – prerevolutionary noble title
- yatga - Mongolian zither.
- zangi - a Manchu military commander
- zasag darga - governor
- zööhii – - cream, whipping cream
- zud - disaster affecting livestock caused by severe natural conditions
- Züün Haraa – name of town, also name of prison in the town.
