Glossary
Words that open the landscape.
A few Mongolian terms can change how you understand the people, places and traditions you encounter.
- Airag
- Fermented mare’s milk, generally produced during the summer milking season.
- Aimag
- A province, Mongolia’s primary administrative division below the national level.
- Deel
- A traditional robe worn in many forms across Mongolia.
- Ger
- The circular felt dwelling used by pastoral families; often called a yurt outside Mongolia.
- Khuumii
- Mongolian throat singing, with multiple regional and technical styles.
- Morin Khuur
- The horse-head fiddle, one of Mongolia’s most recognized musical instruments.
- Naadam
- A national festival centered on wrestling, archery and horse racing.
- Ovoo
- A sacred cairn or place of offering, often located on a mountain pass or prominent landscape feature.
- Soum
- A district within an aimag.
- Takhi
- The Mongolian name for Przewalski’s horse.
- Tsam
- A masked Buddhist ritual dance tradition.
- Urtiin Duu
- Mongolian long song, characterized by extended melodic lines and ornamentation.
Words are easier in context.
Come and hear them used properly, by the people they belong to.
See the journeys