MWW 46: Ес

Cyrillic	ес
Transcription	yes
IPA	[jөs]
Layman’s Pronunciation	YOOCE
Meaning	nine
In Genghis Khan’s time it was yisü.

9 is an important number in Mongolian culture. 3 itself is an important number, and as the square of 3, nine is also important. On account of the importance of 9, its multiples 81 and 99 also have some symbolic significance. All of these are generally considered “good” numbers. 9 is found throughout Mongolian culture, for example:

• Chinggis Khaan had nine white banners (есөн цагаан сүлд) and nine black banners (есөн хар сүлд).
• There are nine white gifts (есөн цагааны бэлэг) - considered the most respected form of gift, traditionally consisting of eight white horses and a white camel.
• A tsatsal (ritual sprinkler) has nine spouts.

Nine treasures

There are Есөн Эрдэнэ (nine jewels or nine treasures). These nine items are considered especially valuable in Mongolian culture and small pieces of them are supposed to be embedded in ovoos and other ritually significant things.

Cyrillic	Transcription	Translation
алт	alt	gold
ган	gan	steel
зэс	zes	copper
мөнгө	möngö	silver
номин	nomin	azure
оюу	oyuu	turquoise
сувд	suvd	pearl
тана	tana	mother-of-pearl
шүр	shür	coral

Nine nines

Mongolians have a traditional way of tracking the progress of winter known as the “nine nines” (Есөн Ес). Winter is considered to consist of 81 days, begin on the winter solstice, and they are grouped into nine groups of nine days each, each one based on a characteristic sign that the temperature is getting colder or warmer.

Which 9?	What dates?	What happens?
1st	Dec 22 - 31	Нэрмэл архи хөлдөнө.
		Homemade vodka freezes.
2nd	Jan 1 - 9	Хорз архи хөлдөнө.
		Thrice-distilled vodka freezes.
3rd	Jan 10 - 18	Гунан үхрийн эвэр хуга хөлдөнө.
		Three-year-old cattle’s horns freeze and break off.
4th	Jan 19 - 27	Дөнөн үхрийн эвэр хуга хөлдөнө.
		Four-year-old cattle’s horns freeze and break off.
5th	Jan 28 - Feb 5	Тарьсан будаа хөлдөхгүй.
		Set rice no longer freezes.
6th	Feb 6 - 14	Зурайсан зам гарна.
		The roads become nice and thin.
7th	Feb 15 - 23	Довийн толгой борлоно.
		The tops of hills become brown.
8th	Feb 24 - Mar 4	Нал шал болно.
		Everything gets wet.
9th	Mar 5 - 13	Ерийн дулаан болно.
		It becomes generally warm.

So as you can see, we’re already long past the last nine and winter is over.