Abstract

Introduction. The article aims at studying the terms for the traditional dwelling and its parts in the modern Kalmyk language and in the language of the Oirats of Mongolia in a comparative and comparative-historical modes. Analysis of lexical material of the old-written Mongolian, the Khalkha-Mongolian, and the Buryat languages helped identify common terms and common Mongolian basis; also, some features of the Oirat distribution area and specific characteristics of Kalmyk and Oirat of Mongolia were clarified. The lexical material reflects to a degree the historical realities of the ethnic groups in the period of the common Mongolian proto-language, and in a later period of the settlement of Mongolian clans and the formation of Mongolian languages. Materials and methods. The research database comprises the data of dictionaries of the languages under study, as well as field material collected from informants during expeditions to Oirat groups in Western Mongolia. The main research methods are descriptive, comparative, comparative-historical, and continuous sampling. Results. The analysis helped identify both common Mongolian and specific terms characteristic of Kalmyk and Oirat of Mongolia, reflecting the nomadic lifestyle of pastoralists. Conclusion. The authors argue that the commonality of the traditional dwelling vocabulary in the languages in question indicates their common origin, as well as great antiquity of the Oirat clans’ original material culture.

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