N.Enkhbayar, President of Mongolia emphasized the importance of focusing attention on the perfection and promotion of further development of the rich resource of word treasure of Mongolian language, improvement of the language education, and inheritance of the traditional culture to the future generation.  Along of the President’s order, researchers from the Language and Literature Institute of Mongolian Academy of Sciences, under the guidance of Academician L.Bold have compiled a new five-volume ‘Comprehensive Mongolian dictionary’. The compilation and publication of the dictionary is the fruit of strenuous efforts to cover a comprehensive vocabulary collected from the best national and international literature works written between XVII and XXI centuries about history and politics, culture and economy, translated and published in Mongolia; and new words and expressions from daily newspapers.
As for the entry words and their expressions, this is the most extensive and massive dictionary of Mongolian language so far. The whole book has 5 volumes. It occupies an extremely important position in academic studies. During the dictionary compilation work which has taken years, many new words were added to the lexical stock, data collection was scrutinized carefully and some changes were made in the method due to achievements in Mongolian language studies.
    Starting point to set grammar and orthographic rules for Mongolian language, based on the Uigur-Mongolian phonetics, was made by Sa skya pandita Kun dga’rgyal mtsan (1182-1251).  In 1305 Choskui ’od zer (XIV century) compiled “Зүрхэн толтын тайлбар”, following Indian and Tibetan syllabic writing principle. However the first attempt for orthoepy is the work “Qa@an-nu bicigsen manju-mong@ol ~gen-~ toli bicig” completed in 1746.
    Another major achievement in the setting up the norms of literature word stock is the dictionary “Qorin niget~ tayilburi toli” composed in 1708-1717. It became a base for many of the later dictionary compilers of different periods, as it included active vocabulary typical to that time. For instance, two dictionaries “Gucin jir@u@atu” based on the vocabulary of this, were made later. “Erik~i-y kilbar bolgan jokiyagsan mong@ol ~gen-~ tayilburi cindamuni-yin erike” composed in 1929 by B. Shagj, the distinguished compiler, serves as a good resource. In 1993, highly respected scholar D. Tserensodnom et al published “Mongol ~gen-~ tayilburi toli”, giving full consideration to the academic turnover.
    Between 1949-1969 ’Concise Mongolian Dictionary’ was prepared and edited by Ya.Tsevel, who used to assist B. Shagj collecting words for his dictionary. Latter two dictionaries are of academic values and provide valuable benefits to various dictionary compilers as the largest sources of reference. B. Shagj developed a specific system in order to simplify word searching and paid special attention to make it consistent for the user. Thus he took a new and fresh look at the meaning of dictionary. Dictionary by Ya. Tsevel was targeted to satisfy the needs of users, particularly ‘language-consciuos people‘–teachers, writers, journalists and intellectuals, and to provide a great improvement in language education for all learners.
    Further, with the recent advances in many disciplines of science and technology, and in Mongolian studies it had become crucial to develop up-to-date dictionary which can meet needs of modern readers. Distinguished scholar A. Luvsandendev noted that ‘The researchers of the Language and Literature Institute have started word registering and collected around thirty thousand words. Upon completing with this enormous and complicated work it would be possible to make clear definitions of all senses of a word (lexeme), enabling researchers investigate many different issues, relevant to the vocabulary studies. Thus extensive dictionary with academic value, based on these materials, can be produced’.
    Soon after his idea fulfilled and it succeeded in producing ‘Comprehensive Mongolian Dictionary’ with an invaluable wide range of vocabulary covering entire field of literature, history, society, economy, folklore, translation works and research works, in addition common terminology. Kh. Luvsanbaldan, a senior researcher developed adequate methods, employing the experience of forerunners and referring to the advances in Mongolian studies. In 1980 researchers of the Department of Linguistics, Language and Literature Institute started compiling the dictionary. However this work was delayed due to staff and reference materials and equipment shortage. Meantime research works on the history of Mongolian language and culture, kept in the national and international libraries and archives were put on academic turnover and several dictionaries were out of print.
    Mongolians, fascinated by their own mother tongue, have the rich history and heritage in compiling linguistic and encyclopedic dictionaries, considering the importance of them to the intellectual needs of the society. Language is the tool of social progress and national identity, uniting people in any period of the history. The power of language is in the way it can accompany, serve and create us. Language is important for every people or nation as it is an essential part of human heritage and culture.  
    The achievements derived from the dedication by our ancestors benefited to the enhancement of mother language appreciation. Concerning the preservation of the tradition, set by early scholars in their search for new knowledge, as a review of the past, and the representation of our present reality, and the encouragement of future development, needs to be creating extensive and comprehensive dictionary so that it covers a fascinating blend of active vocabulary from XVII century and meets the demand for modernization in the context of globalization and the evolution of the nomadic style of living.
    In the new globalization era of communication, Mongolia made clearer the legal regulations on safeguarding the linguistic and cultural heritage which is a symbol of nation’s solidarity and which should be enriched from time to time and developed on modern lines. In the wake of a rapid globalization people of the world are getting closer and functioning together, each community, by giving its support to linguistic policies for the promotion of national securities, makes effort to preserve their native language as an integral part of intangible heritage.

 

B.Uranchimeg /PhD in Linguistics/