Monday, November 27, 2006

Typing Mongolian (Cyrillic)

Mongolian Cyrillic uses the same alphabet as Russian, but with two extra characters, Өө and Үү. Unfortunately these are not included as options in any of the Cyrillic keyboard layouts included with OS X, so you need to use the Character Palette or install a custom layout. You can download a MongolianCYR and MongolianQWERTY layouts that do have them here.

Lucida Grande is the only font that comes with OS X that has the two extra characters. If you have Office2004, then the Arial, Monaco, Times, and Times New Roman that come with it should also work. Others you can download are Everson Mono, Charis SIL, Doulos SIL, Code2000, and Gandhari Unicode. Some MS Office Chinese fonts have them, but these are double-width.

Some users have reported that the keyboard works in every app except MS Word. If that is a problem for you, try typing some Mongolian in another app and then copy/pasting into Word. This may force it to recognize the keyboard.

47 comments:

Magnus Lewan said...

I am confused now with the different fonts. On the Mac I sit with right now ө seems to be available in Helvetica, Monaco, MS Gothic, MS Mincho, MS PGothic, MS PMincho and both Times and Times New Roman apart from Lucida Grande. On the other hand ү is not available in Lucida Grande, but it is in MS Mincho, MS PGothic, MS PMincho (not MS Gothic), Times and Times New Roman.

I guess I got slightly different versions of the fonts with MS Office on this Mac. The other one did not have MS Office installed.

Tom Gewecke said...

Thanks, Magnus! Indeed I seem to have missed some. I've modified the text and hopefully it is more accurate. Apple's Lucida Grande definitely has both these extra chars as far as I can see.

Anonymous said...

I feel pretty much illiterate on this area, but I have to ask... How do I install the layout once I've downloaded it from the iDisk link?

Tom Gewecke said...

To install a layout, put the .keylayout file in Home/Library/Keyboard Layouts. Then logout/login. Then go to system prefs/international/input menu and check its box (plus the box for "show input menu in Finder.") Then select the keyboard in the "flag" menu a the top right of the Finder and type.

Anonymous said...

Hi!
I checked the Idisk, but I couldn't see any keyboard layout for Mongolian Cyrillic.

If you have the layout file please upload and share it with us.

Thanks!

Tom Gewecke said...

You need to look more closely and perhaps scroll down the list. The layout has been there for years now. It is called MongolianCYR.

Unknown said...

Thank you very much for you kindness. I have installed Mongolian Cyrillic in Mac OS Leopard. But some letters for example "K" "П" I couldnt type with my keyboard. Do you have some suggestion how to be able to type these letters? I am using new iMAC and its keyboard

Thank you

Anonymous said...

thanks, it's working great,for me no letters problems. everything just great

Anonymous said...

Works like a dream! Wonderful! Thank you so much for this. Now I can keep typing in Mongolian. But I have to use Open Office. MS Word for Mac won't let me use this layout. Btw, it also screws up the Turkish keyboard layout that came with the machine when I bought it. That, too, only works in Open Office and not in MS Word for Mac. Maybe that's the problem Ganjaa had (see above)?

Tom Gewecke said...

Are you using the obsolete Office X? If you are using Word 2004 or 2008, what happens when you try to use the keyboard?

Anonymous said...

Yep i just checked and I have Office X. I don't have access to any newer versions, so I don't know how they would work.
But who needs Word, right?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for making Mongolian font available. It's working great but when I try to use Word the Mongolian font is not working. Is there any way I can use Mongolian font for Microsoft programs for Mac? Thanks

Tom Gewecke said...

If you are using the obsolete Word X I think you need to upgrade to Word 2004 or 2008.

K said...

Hi! Could you please tell me differences between 2 files? (MongolianCYR and MongolianQWERTY)

Tom Gewecke said...

QWERTY is probably phonetic for people used to that kind of Latin keyboard. Try them and see.

Misheel Chuluun said...

The keyboard link is down. For the Mongolian cyrillic keyboard, try the link on
http://misheel.net/how-to-download-mongolian-cyrillic-on-a-mac/

I put my own keyboard file to share for the confused people.

Tom Gewecke said...

Thanks, Misheel! I fixed the link.

Anonymous said...

This would be a really excellent resource for me (I still can't believe that a language like Cherokee has a stock keyboard with Mac OSX but Mongolian cyrillic doesn't), but I can't seem to get them to work.

I've put the keyboards in the respective folders (personal and HD library), I've removed the .xml endings, I logged in and out with each try, and still nothing. I am somewhat familiar with the nature of keyboard files and how they work with a Mac, but the error could still be between the ears of the user, lol.

I am using a MacBook Pro, 200GB, @GB 1067 MHz DDR3, OSX 10.6.2

Tom Gewecke said...

James -- email me and I'll send you separate copies and see if that helps (tom at bluesky dot org).

Yesunbayar said...

Thank you Misheel- Simply the best help

Khulan Benato said...

Hi, I downloaded it but im so confused cause it says i have to go system preferences/ international and I don have that international thingy in my system preferences is that the language & text you mean by international? but then there is no box says input source from finder :(,,, i really do need this,, pls help me :) thank you :)

Tom Gewecke said...

Baba -- Yes, International became Language & Text in 10.6. The other box you need to check now says "Show Input Menu in Menu Bar".

Khulan Benato said...

but still mongolian cyrillic is not appearing, i cant choose T.T do you know what's wrong with my computer? I just followed it and it is not working,,,

Tom Gewecke said...

Baba -- Please email me with details of what you have done (tom at bluesky dot org). Did you put MongolianCYR.keylayout in Home/Library/Keyboard Layouts? Did you logout/login? Does it appear in the Input Sources list?

Skinny said...

How do i get mongolian cyrillic on iphone?

Tom Gewecke said...

Skinny -- I don't think it is possible, you can't add custom keyboards to an iphone (or ipod or ipad). Perhaps there is something in the iTunes app store...

Tumurtogtokh Davaakhuu said...

Hi thanks works great....
but i have an issue... i can't type mongolian fonts on adobe applications... it's automatically switch to minion pro.. i have all .keylayouts....

Tom Gewecke said...

Romantic H -- Sorry, I don't understand your problem. If the keyboard layout is showing at the top right of the screen, you should be able to type cyrillic. Fonts are not really relevant. If you want, email me details (tom at bluesky dot org).

Anonymous said...

i have an Imac Air. i downloaded the thingy. then i put it in the keyboard layouts. i logged off. i logged on then what do i do?

please help

Tom Gewecke said...

You go to system prefs/language & text/input sources and check the box for the layout, plus the box for Show Input Menu in Menu Bar. Then go to the "flag" menu at the top right of the screen and select the layout you want and type.

ariunaa bayanjargal said...

Hi,

I'm having a same problem as Baba. when i go to sys pref/language & text/input i do not see mongol in the list of layouts. i must have missed a step or did it incorrectly. Do you mind helping me put here.

Thank you,

Tom Gewecke said...

arlunaa -- you must logout/login after you put the file in Home/Library/Keyboard Layouts.

Email me (tom at bluesky dot org) and I can send you another copy of the layout which might help.

Unknown said...

Anything on MAC OS X LION? please help me...

Tom Gewecke said...

Batjaa --What are you talking about exactly? What help do you need? Email me if you need the keyboard (tom at bluesky dot org).

Undrush said...

I can't find home/library/keyboard layouts in MAC OS X LION? Please help me to install keyboard layout

Tom Gewecke said...

Undrush -- see

http://tidbits.com/article/12306

Anonymous said...

Hi, what application should I use to open the file on mac?
Thanks.

Tom Gewecke said...

You don't open a .keylayout file, you put it in Library/Keyboard Layouts. It's been explained here already.

Baya Tserendavaa said...

Hello Tom,

I have been using MongolianCYR on my macbook for a while.
However the only problem i have is that when i use Entourage email for work, my п letter is not working inside the email text box and instead types ' (apostrophe) english keyboard.

is there any fix to this ? I have mac OS X 10.4.11
I know shocking such an old version that i guess its no longer worth upgrading so i am in process of buying new one. I am hoping i won;t have this problem with new one since my work email is 95% carries in mongolian cyrillic.

many thanks.

Bayarmaa

Tom Gewecke said...

BTserendavaa -- if Entourage is the only place where you have the problem, I have no idea how to fix it. I have no knowledge of MS products or why they don't act like normal apps.

Baska said...

On MacOS X 10.8.5 icons doesnt appear, how can i solve it?

Tom Gewecke said...

Baska -- What icon are you talking about? Where does it not appear?

Master trainers for leadership said...

Dear Tom,

I'd like to install mongolian cyrillic keyboard in to iOS X 10.9, but it is not added to input source. I downloaded of your website and tried to copy library/keylayouts but I could not not find mongolian cyrillic in the input source lists. Please tell what should I do?
Bold

Tom Gewecke said...

Master trainers -- email me (tom at bluesky dot org)

Anonymous said...

Dear Tom.
My issue is same with "Master trainers...". I made clean install of mavericks on my book and can't input mongolian cyrillic. If there are any way to solve this please make comment on this blog. Thank you..

Tom Gewecke said...

anonymous -- email me and I will send you copies that may work. tom at bluesky dot org

bmr said...

Please try with following link. This layout is with Copy-Paste functionality.

http://mongoliankeyboardformac.blogspot.com/