MONGOLIAN PLACE NAMES AND STRATIGRAPHIC TERMS Names of places and stratigraphic units are based on Russia, and Afghanistan. Much of the history of the standard versions used by informed Mongolian and Mongolian language has been oral, with constant evo- Western authors, expecially Gradziriski et al. (1977), lution of local dialects, even though the population of Jerzykiewicz and Russell (1991), and Dashzeveg et al. Mongolia has never been large (it is just over 2 inillion (1995). l'hese works incorporate a number of changes today). The modern Mongolian language developed in the transliterated forms of Mongolian place names, after the communist revolution in 1921 on the basis of and these may look a little odd to people who have the Khalh dialect. It consists of 46 phonenles become accusto~ned to the older spellings. For (identifiable sounds), including 22 vowel phonemes. example, 'Bayn Dzak' beconles 'Bayan Zag', 'Ulan Ten diff'erent scripts have been used to represent Bator' becomes 'Ulaanbaatar', 'Dzun Bayan' becomes Mongolian on paper, and even today there is debate 'Zuunbayan', 'Genghis Khan' becomes 'Chingis about which is most appropriate. 'The broad range of Khaan'. Some, fortunately, do not change: Choibalsan, scripts, and their constant evolution reflect attempts Djadokhta, Gobi, Nemegt. In any case, we felt it was by Mongolians to match the written language to the essential to attempt to standardize names, since oral as closely as possible. Written texts on monuments different authors have evolved quite different systems. from the seventh and eighth centuries are generally Who, but an expert, is to know that Hobur, Khoboor, given in Chinese scripts, involving hundreds or thou- Khobur, Khoobur, Khiiiiviir, and Khovboor are one sands of individual ideograms. The Old Mongolian and the same place? Why the changes? script, which evolved about 1000 years ago, and was There are a number of reasons for the difficulties in perhaps t~orrowedby the Mongolians in the thirteenth transliterating Mongolian names. First is the fact that century from an Aramaic source, the Uigur script, has there are several Mongolian languages, second that letters that represent sounds, and which change there has been no single standardized alphabet for depending on their position in a word. l'he script is writing Mongolian, and third transliteration methods written from the top downwards and from left to right. have so~netiines proceeded directly from the It has proved useful in representing words from all Mongolian to English, but frequently have gone from Mongolian dialects, and is still in use today. The Mongolian to IZussian, and then to English. Square script (hP'ags-pa) was invented between 1269 Mongolian is the langauge spoken by most people and 1368, on the order of Khubilai Khaan, for record- in Mongolia and in Inner Mongolia (Nei Mofzgol),part ing fornlal documents from a variety of languages, of China. By origin it is one the languages of the Tibetan, Sanskrit, Chinese, and Turkish. It consists of Mongolian group of the Altaic fiamily. In Mongolia 44 letters, of which 30 are consonants. Further scripts today, one language is spoken, Mongolian, but many include the Clear (Oirad) script invented in 1648, a dialects, including Khalh, 13uryad, Dorviid, and modification of the Old Mongolian; the Sopombo and Khalimag, while other languages of the Mongolian Horizontal-square scripts invented in 1686 to record group are used in neighbouring regions of China, holy texts in Mongolian, Tibetan, and Sanskrit; and Mongolian place names the Vaghintara script invented in 190.i, a further things sliding; Tsagaan, white; Tsat. (tsal,), gorge; simplification of the Old Mongolian script, consisting Ulaan (ulan), red; Uul (ula), mountain; Zoo (dzo), of 36 letters, including eight vowels. badland; Luiin (dzun), left. Place names ma) take the After the communist revolution in 192 1, Mongolia form of several words. When these arc convertetl into came firmly under the influence of the USSR. names of svitas or formations, the names arc rendered Initially, the Mongolian script Lvas used, but in the as a single word. 1940s, a strong attempt at standardization was made with the introduction of a modified Cyrillic script, '\lag Teeg [locality] essentially the same as used in Russia, but with two Alag'rsav [locality] additional letters for ii and ii, making a total of 35. The .-\lgui Ulaan 'l'sav [locality] Cyrillic alphabet is still widely used, but after the ,-\lgiriulaantsav Svita democratic revolution in the early 1990s, official Altai Sum moves were made to reintroduce the classical illtan Teeg [locality] Mongolian script. .-\Itanteel Sum In the hce of continuing instability, it is no wonder Altanulin (= Altanuul) that confusion reigns. Nevertheless, tve have selected ,-\Itan Uul ( locality] a single standard for transliteration, hased on two Altanuul Svita works, the major official publication, Infirmarioa Amtgai [localityl ,I.iongolia, prepared by the Mongolian Acade~~lyof Andai Khudag [well] Sciences, and puhlished in 1000 [the book puh- Andaikhudag For~~lation/Svita lishrd by the Pergamon Press in Oxford, and its owner, ,-\rts Ropd Ridge Robert Maxwell, is thanked for his 'far-sightedness'], Baga Mod Khudag Ilocalityl and A .Modcnz r2lougolia~z-Fqlish Dictionayy cornpiled Baganuur [locality] by Altangerel Damdinsuren (1008). 'l'hese books were Baga 'l'ariach [mountain) recommended hy Mongolian colleagues. In thern, at1 Baga Zos Nuur (lake] Mongolian words and names are transliterated Ragazosnuur Svita directly into English, using standard English conso- Bain Chire (= Bayan Shiree) nants and vowels, but with the addition of the vowels Raisheen (= Baishin) 'ti', and 'ii', for the sounds 'ea' as in 'early' (hut shorter, Baishin Tsav [locality] something hetween English 'o' and 'u') and 'o' as in Baishin Tsav depression 'who' respectively. Doubte vowels, 'aa', 'ee', 'ii', 'oo', Bakhar [locality] '____) oo , 'uu', and 'uii', indicate long vowels; these are ren- Rambuu Khudag [locality] dered properly in the system adopted here. Additional Barun (= Baruun) consonants include 'kh/h', 'ts', 'ch' and 'st)', but the Baruun Rayan cliffs consonant often given as 'dz' (Russian spelling) is here Baruunhayan Svita rendered simply as '2'. Baruungovot For~nation/Svita Some standard geographic terms used in place 13aruunurt [locality1 names are listed, with the older transcription in paren- Bayandalai Sum theses: Aimag (airnak), major administrative division; Bayankhongor Baruiln (barun), right, Bulag (bulak), spring; Gol, Bayan Mandahu [locality1 river; Khudag (khudak), well; Nuruu (nuru), moun- Bayan Mandahu I~asin tain range; Nuur (nur), lake; Ovoo (oho), heap, pile; Bayanrniinh Sum Su~n(somon), an administrative unit subordinate to an Bayan Munkh (= Ra)lanrniinh) aimag; 'l'eeg (teg), landform, any device to prevent Bayan Ovoo Uul [mountain] Mongolian place names Hangai (= Khangai) Khamareen (= Khamaryn) Har (= Khar) Khamarin (= Khamaryn) Hatan Sudliin (= Khatan Suudal) Khamaryn Us [locality] Hentii Mountains Khamaryn Khural (= Khamaryn Us) Hermiin Tsav [locality] Khanbogd Sum Hetsuu Tsav [locality] Khangai Mountains Hirgis Nuur [lake] Khar Hot01 Uul [mountain] Hobur (= Hoovor) Khar Khutul (= Khar Hotol) Hoov6r [locality] Khar Us Nuur [locality] Hotol~locality] Khara (= Har) Hovd (= Khovd) Khashaat [locality] Huachi Formation/ Svita (Chinese) Khatan Suudal [locality] Huanhe Formation/ Svita (Chinese) Khaya Ulaan Nuur lake Huhteeg [mountain] Khentei (= Hentii) Huhteeg Gorizont Khentii (= Hentii) Huhteeg Svita Khermeen (= Hermiin) Hural (= Khural) Khermin (= Hermiin) Hiiren Dukh [locality] Khetzoo (= Hetsiiii) Hurendukh Formation/ Svita Khirgis (= Hirgis) Hurmen Khudag [locality] Khoboor (= Hoovor) Hurmen Sum Khobur (= Hoovor) Ih Bayan Uul [mountains] Khoer (= Khoyor) Ih Ereen (mountain) Kholboot Go1 [river] Ih Shunkht [locality] Kholboot Sair [locality] Ih Zos Nuur [locality] Kholboot Svita Ikh (= 1h) Kholbotu (= Kholboot) Ikhe Dzosu Nuur (= Ih Zos Nuur) Khongil Ovoo [mountain] Ihes Nuur [locality] Khongil Tsav [locality] Ingeni Khovboor (= Ingenii Hoovor) Khoobur (= Hiiiivor) lngeni Khoovor (= Ingenii Hoovor) Khooldzin Plateau (Chinese) Ingenii Hoovor [locality] Khoolsun (= Khulsan) Ingenii Tsav [locality] Khooren Dookh (= Hiiren Dukh) lren Dabasu [lake; locality] Khovboor (= Hoovor) Iren Dabasu Formation (Chinese) Khovd [town] Jargalantyn Go1 Khoyor Zaan [locality] Javkhlant Svita Khukhtesk (= Huhteeg) Javkhlant Uul [locality] Khukhtyk (= Huhteeg) Jibhalanta (= Javkhlant) Khulsan [locality] Jingchuang Formation/ Svita (Chinese) Khulsangol Formation/ Svita Kalgan [town] (Chinese) Khulsyn (= Khulsan) Khaichin Uul [mountain] Khural [locality] Khalkhyn Go1 [river] Khuren [= Hiiren] Khalzan Khairkhan [mountain] Khurilt Ulaan Bulag [locality] Khamaran (= Khamaryn) Khurmen (= Hurmen) Mongolian place names Khutoolyin (= Hotol) 0ndor Ukhaa [mountain] Khyra [locality] (Chinese) 0ndorukhaa Svita Kobdo (= Khovd) Ongon Ulaan [locality] Kylodzhun [locality] (Chinese) Ongon Ulaan Uul [locality] Lamawan Formation (Chinese) Ongong (= Ongon) Land Shan massif (Chinese) 0njiiiil [locality] Lehe Formation (Chinese) 0bsh Basin Luohadong Formation (Chinese) 06sh Formation/ Svita Mandalgov' [town] 06shiin Nuruu [ridge] Manlai Lake 06shiin Nuur [locality] Manlay (= Manlai) Ordos Basin Mergen [locality] Orhon (= Orkhon) Mogoin Ulaagiin Hers [locality] Orkhon River Mongol Altai Mountains Osh (= 06sh) Mushgai Khudag well Oshih (= 0oshiin) Mushugai (= Mushgai) Ovdog (= Ovdog) Myangad (= Myangat)