Classical Mongolian

Classical Mongolian, also known as Literary Mongolian, is the written form of the principal member of the Mongolian language family. It developed from the traditional Mongolian script, which has Syriac origins and was borrowed from the Uyghurs. This script is written vertically and has different letter forms depending on their position in a word.1

Classical Mongolian represents the language as it was spoken during the era of Genghis Khan and differs from modern spoken Mongolian. It was historically used for translating Buddhist literature from Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Chinese, but it has also proven adaptable for use as a modern national language. The written language is distinct from the spoken dialects, which began to show modern features in the 17th century.12