Birtalan Ágnes: Kalmyk Folklore and Folk Culture in the Mid-19th Century: Philological Studies on the Basis of Gábor Bálint of Szentkatolna’s Kalmyk Texts.

KALMYK VERNACULAR AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE

mine. As for me, I also live without any trouble, in health, thanks to the benevolent Buddha's protection. gosudaryni vysoőajáuju milost' poluőa, v obratnom projezde s pokojem i v dobrom li zdravii pribyt' izvolili? A o sebe Vam ob"javljaju, őto ja i zdes' pod pokrovitel'stvom milostivoj gosudaryni nahodilsja zdorov." (Ubaäi p. 34.) The main text body contains the actual matter of letter writing. The fragment below refers to a typical school matter: taking an examination and going home, but a slightly more private and personal subject also emerges from the letter written otherwise in a formal style: the sender seems to be offended for being neglected by a relative (his elder brother) who visited the city (Astrakhan) he is studying in without meeting him. Private letter (to family members) Private letter (to a friend) My very benevolent mother and father, this is further information concerning you: please take notice that 1 will definitely come after a month. The reason is that in seven-eight days I take my exam and return [home]. Further, I am distressed by my elder brother Nadbid. Concerning its reason, he was here in the city I live in and he was trading here, [but] he has not visited my study place to meet me. [173] I have heard about it from others. In the Herrnhut collection there are various topics beginning with requests to do or get something for the sender to the sending of gifts and reporting about stealing. The conclusion of the letters includes greeting and wishing good health for persons other than the addressee(s): Private (to family members) Give my greetings to my elder sister, Bayaskhalang, my elder brother Nadbid and my younger sister (?) Naran. Private letter (to a friend) tani balyasanai tanidaq idustu cuyärtu mörgöji bayinai bi (Herrnhut p. 11.) "I pay my respect to everyone I know among the people of your city." (Herrnhut p. 12.)" The signature is placed to an honorific sentence Private (to family members) Me, your faithful and humble son Badma wrote it. Private letter (to a friend) iirgiiljidii itegeltei bayiqci J/iigünei dgelong (Herrnhut p. 11.) "Ever faithfully, Jiigünei dGe-slong" Dating the letter in Kalmyk or Russian or both styles: Private (to family members) On the first day of the dog month (= August) of this metal ape year. Private letter (to a friend) eme modon quluyuna Jiliyin xonin sarayin dolön-dü piyitertü bleibe (Herrnhut p. 12.) "Written at Petersburg on the seventh of the Sheep Month in the Female Wood-mouse-year [1804]" (Herrnhut p. 12.) 37