Traditional Mongolian on Modern Devices

Abstract

Computer operating systems have been slow to adopt the Traditional Mongolian script for the Mongolian language due to its vertical, left-to-right orientation. Prior research shows that Webkit-based browsers struggle to display the Traditional Mongolian script, while Blink-based browsers like Google Chrome are able to display Mongolian text to a certain extent. However, this research is outdated and fails to look at these issues with reference to the operating system being used to host each browser. This study will determine the accessibility of the Mongolian script on modern computer systems by examining the problems that major operating systems have with the Traditional script. Data was collected through a needs assessment, where quantitative analysis of the data was employed. Operating systems included Android 12, iOS 15, and Windows 10, in which Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Samsung Internet were hosted. Initial results showed that browsers ran in iOS contained a higher amount of text rendering problems compared to other variables, while browsers ran in Android and Windows had the most amount of support and were the most usable. Text rendering problems generally varied based on the operating system being used rather than the browser displaying the text, meaning that Mongolian support problems were moreso dependent on the operating systems. These findings indicate that Mongolian display problems lie more with the operating systems themselves, meaning that distributors like Apple, Android, and Windows should consider which aspects of localization support should be focused on when providing language options for the Traditional Mongolian script.