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Mongol

Pronunciation: /ˈmɒŋg(ə)l/
Definition of Mongol

noun

  • 1a native or inhabitant of Mongolia; a Mongolian.
  • 2 [mass noun] the language of the Mongols; Mongolian.
  • 3 (mongol) offensive a person with Down’s syndrome.

adjective

  • relating to the people of Mongolia or their language.

In the 13th century ad the Mongol empire under Genghis Khan extended across central Asia from Manchuria in the east to European Russia in the west. Under Kublai Khan China was conquered and the Mongol capital moved to Khanbaliq (modern Beijing). The Mongol empire collapsed after a series of defeats culminating in the destruction of the Golden Horde by the Muscovites in 1380

Origin:

Mongolian, perhaps from mong 'brave'

The term mongol was adopted in the late 19th century to refer to a person with Down’s syndrome, owing to the similarity of some of the physical symptoms of the disorder with the normal facial characteristics of East Asian people. In modern English this use is now unacceptable and considered offensive. It has been replaced in scientific as well as in most general contexts by the term Down’s syndrome (first recorded in the early 1960s).

Mongol in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of Mongol in the US English dictionary
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