Under no circumstances would I give up the fight. I had to fight to the finish, come what may. So what if my neck broke and my thread of life snapped? So what if I bit the dust, forever the poor devil, and black worms ate me? So what if the loaded dice fell that way? And so I went on, ranting and raving …

Glossary

GLOSSARY

Ail (Mongolian) settlement consisting of several yurts

Aimag (Mong.) administrative unit (provinces or regions); in Tuvan, it can refer to any administrative unit

Arate (Mong.) poor herder, a pillar of Socialist society

Awaj (Tuvan) sister, aunt; form of address for females among one’s paternal relatives

Baj (Turkic) rich person

Daaj (Tuv.) maternal relatives

Darga (Mong.) supervisor, head, person in position of authority

Deedis (Tuv.) euphemism for Deeri—sky

Desgen (Tuv.) plant with a strong, hard root

Dör (Tuv.) the north side of a yurt, opposite the entrance, considered the place of honor

Dshargak (Tuv.) skirt-like piece of clothing made of sheep or goat leather, worn by the poor

Dshelbege (Tuv.) fairy-tale character who devours everything but is never satisfi d

Dshele (Tuv.) a rope to tether yak calves and foals

Dshula (Tuv.) a lamp that burns clarifi d butter, used for religious purposes

Dshut (Tuv.) violent weather, most often leading to a lack of food for the animals

Düüleesh (Tuv.) alpine plant with strong roots and soft, bushy tops

Enej (Tuv.) grandmother

Eshej (Tuv.) grandfather

Gashyk (Tuv.) ankle bones of sheep and goats, used both as a toy and as an oracle

Gök-Deeri (Tuv.) blue sky, revered as sacred

Hara mola (Tuv.) curse, referring to a Kazakh burial marker

Hara-Sojan (Tuv.) one of the three main ethnic groups among the Tuvans, the other two being the Ak-Sojan and the Gök-Mondshak

Hendshe (Tuv.) baby lambs, kept in a flock by themselves and herded by children; also, the youngest child

Höne (Tuv.) a rope made from yak hair to tether lambs and kids

Hürde (Tuv.) sheepfold or pen made of wickerwork, usually portable

Khalkh (Mong.) largest and dominant ethnicity in Mongolia; its language is Mongolia’s official language and the language of Mongolian literature

Kulak (Russian) fist; peasant in Russia wealthy enough to own a farm and hire help; also applied to wealthy Mongolian herders

Örtöö (Mong.) express-messenger mail service, created by Mongolian rulers in the 13th century and abolished only in 1949. The distance between two Örtöö was roughly 30 kilometers. Örtöö service relied on the unpaid labor of impoverished males and their provision of mounts free of charge

Oshuk (Tuv.) fireplace consisting of iron rings, on four feet

Pidilism (Mong.) colloquial term for feudalism

Sum (Mong.) administrative unit (district or prefecture)

Ton (Tuv.) skirt-like piece of clothing for the cold season

Yak (Tibetan) long-haired cattle breed of the Central Asian mountains

Yrgaj (Tuv.) tamarisk-like shrub; its red, hard wood is used for whip handles