Mongolian calendar
The Mongolian calendar may refer to a number of different lunisolar calendars related to the Chinese and Tibetan calendars.[1] These calendars (Mongolian: цаглабар, romanized: tsaglabar or цаг тооны бичиг, tsag toony bichig) have largely been replaced in day-to-day use with the Gregorian calendar (Аргын тоолол, Argyn toolol, 'chronology of method'), however the traditional calendar (Билгийн тоолол, Bilgiin toolol, 'chronology of wisdom') is still used for a variety of traditions such as the date of festivals like Tsagaan Sar (the Mongolian new year), horoscopy, and zodiac signs.
The traditional calendar as used in Mongolia today is a lunisolar calendar based on Tegus Buyantu zurkhai[2] system developed in 1747 by monk Ishbaljir (Сүмбэ хамбо Ишбалжир, Sümbe khambo Ishbaljir; 1704–1788). The year is composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three years, so that an average year is equal to the solar year.[3]
The Mongol traditional new year celebration is Tsagaan Sar which is celebrated at the second new moon following the winter solstice.
Argyn toolol
Months
The twelve months of the year are referred to by their number, such as first month, second month, and so on.
| English name | Mongolian name | |
|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | Traditional | |
| January | Нэгдүгээр сар | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Negdügeer sar | Nigedüger sar-a | |
| Анхдугаар сар | ᠠᠩᠬᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ | |
| Ankhdugaar sar | Aŋqaduɣar sar-a | |
| February | Хоёрдугаар сар | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Khoyordugaar sar | Qoyaduɣar sar-a | |
| March | Гуравдугаар сар | ᠭᠤᠷᠪᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Guravdugaar sar | Ɣurbaduɣar sar-a | |
| April | Дөрөвдүгээр сар | ᠳᠥᠷᠪᠡᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Dörövdügeer sar | Dörbedüger sar-a | |
| May | Тавдугаар сар | ᠲᠠᠪᠤᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Tavdugaar sar | Tabuduɣar sar-a | |
| June | Зургаадугаар сар | ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠤᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Zurgaadugaar sar | J̌irɣuduɣar sar-a | |
| July | Долоодугаар сар | ᠳᠣᠯᠣᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Doloodugaar sar | Doloduɣar sar-a | |
| August | Наймдугаар сар | ᠨᠠᠢ᠌ᠮᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Naimdugaar sar | Naimaduɣar sar-a | |
| September | Есдүгээр сар | ᠶᠢᠰᠦᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Yesdügeer sar | Yisüdüger sar-a | |
| October | Аравдугаар сар | ᠠᠷᠪᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Aravdugaar sar | Arbaduɣar sar-a | |
| November | Арваннэгдүгээр сар | ᠠᠷᠪᠠᠨ ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Arvannegdügeer sar | Arban nigedüger sar-a | |
| December | Арванхоёрдугаар сар | ᠠᠷᠪᠠᠨ ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ |
| Arvankhoyordugaar sar | Arban qoyaduɣar sar-a | |
Days of the week
In colloquial usage, the first 5 days of the week are referred to as first day, second day, etc. Saturday is referred to as Хагас сайн өдөр (Khagas sain ödör, "half-good day"), and Sunday is referred to as Бүтэн сайн өдөр (Büten sain ödör, "full good day"); a result of 5 full working days and Saturday as a half working day during the communist era.
The names of Tibetan origin are used in more formal settings, and almost exclusively in written documents, while the Sanskrit names are practically absent in modern usage.
| English name | Colloquial | Tibetan origin | Sanskrit origin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | Traditional | Cyrillic | Traditional | Cyrillic | Traditional | Meaning | |
| Monday | Нэг дэх өдөр | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠳᠡᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | Даваа гараг | ᠳᠠᠸᠠ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ | Сумьяа | ᠰᠤᠮᠢᠶᠠ | Chandra |
| Neg dekh ödör | Nigedeki edür | Davaa garag | Dawa ɣarag | Sum'yaa | Sumiy-a | ||
| Tuesday | Хоёр дахь өдөр | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | Мягмар гараг | ᠮᠢᠭᠮᠠᠷ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ | Ангараг | ᠠᠩᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ | Mangala |
| Khoyor dakh' ödör | Qoyadaki edür | Myagmar garag | Miɣmar ɣarag | Angarag | Aŋɣarag | ||
| Wednesday | Гурав дахь өдөр | ᠭᠤᠷᠪᠠᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | Лхагва гараг | ᡀᠠᠭᠪᠠ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ | Буд | ᠪᠤᠳ᠋ | Budha |
| Gurav dakh' ödör | Ɣurbadaki edür | Lkhagva garag | Lhaɣba ɣarag | Bud | Bud | ||
| Thursday | Дөрөв дэх өдөр | ᠳᠥᠷᠪᠡᠳᠡᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | Пүрэв гараг | ᠫᠦᠷᠪᠦ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ | Бархасбадь | ᠪᠠᠷᠬᠠᠰᠪᠠᠳᠢ | Brihaspati |
| Döröv dekh ödör | Dörbedeki edür | Pürev garag | Pürbü ɣarag | Barkhasbad' | Barqasbadi | ||
| Friday | Тав дахь өдөр | ᠲᠠᠪᠤᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | Баасан гараг | ᠪᠠᠰᠠᠩ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ | Сугар | ᠱᠤᠭᠠᠷᠠ | Shukra |
| Tav dakh' ödör | Tabudaki edür | Baasan garag | Basaŋ ɣarag | Sugar | Šuɣar-a | ||
| Saturday | Хагас сайн өдөр | ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠰ ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | Бямба гараг | ᠪᠢᠮᠪᠠ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ | Санчир | ᠰᠠᠨᠢᠴᠠᠷ | Shani |
| Khagas sain ödör | Qaɣas sayin edür | ||||||
| Зургаа дахь өдөр | ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠤᠭᠠᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | ||||||
| Zurgaa dakh' ödör | J̌irɣuɣadaki edür | Byamba garag | Bimba ɣarag | Sanchir | Saničar | ||
| Sunday | Бүтэн сайн өдөр | ᠪᠦᠲᠦᠨ ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | Ням гараг | ᠨᠢᠮᠠ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ | Адьяа | ᠠᠳᠢᠶᠠ | Surya |
| Büten sain ödör | Bütün sayin edür | ||||||
| Долоо дахь өдөр | ᠳᠣᠯᠣᠭᠠᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ | ||||||
| Doloo dakh' ödör | Doloɣadaki edür | Nyam garag | Nim-a ɣarag | Ad'yaa | Adiy-a | ||
See also
References
- ^ Atwood, Christopher P. (2002-01-01), "Lunar and Solar Calendars on the Mongolian Plateau", Young Mongols and Vigilantes in Inner Mongolia's Interregnum Decades, 1911-1931, Brill, pp. 1067–1070, doi:10.1163/9789004531291_024, ISBN 978-90-04-53129-1, retrieved 2023-11-20
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ Zurkhai (from the verb zur - draw) is a system of knowledge embracing mathematics, astronomy and astrology
- ^ Damdinsuren, Ts. (1981). "A Commentary on Kalacakra or Wheel of Time". The Tibet Journal. 6 (1): 43–49. ISSN 0970-5368.