Editing Outer Mongolia (section)

== Names ==
The name "Outer Mongolia" is contrasted with [[Inner Mongolia]],<ref name="Borjigin2" /> which corresponds to the region of Inner Mongolia in China. Inner Mongolia was given its name because it was more directly administered by the Qing court; Outer Mongolia (which is further from the capital [[Beijing]]) had a greater degree of autonomy within the Qing empire.<ref>''The Cambridge History of China'', volume 10, p&nbsp;49.</ref>

There are three alternate terms, including Ar Mongol, Mobei Mongol, and Outer Mongolia.

=== Ar Mongol ===
The term ''Ar mongol'' or ''Mobei Mongol'' ({{zh |s = 漠北蒙古 |p = Mòběi Měnggǔ |l = North-of-the-[[Gobi Desert|Desert]] Mongolia}}) is sometimes used in Chinese and Mongolian languages to refer to North Mongolia<ref>cf. Norcin, C. (1999): ''Monggol kelen-ü toli''. Ömnud monggol-un arad-un keblel-ün qoriya. Page 170.</ref> when making a distinction with South Mongolia, so as to elide the history of [[Mongolia under Qing rule|Qing rule]] and rather imply a geographic unity or distinction of regions inhabited by Mongols in the [[Mongolian Plateau]].<ref name="Bulag">{{cite book |last=Bulag |first=Uradyn |title = Nationalism and Hybridity in Mongolia |publisher=Clarendon Press |year=1998 |pages=179–180 }}</ref> There also exists an English term: ''Northern Mongolia''.<ref name="Bulag" />

Ar Mongol can also be used to refer to [[Mongolia]] synchronically, during that time period.<ref>Bawden, Charles (1997): Mongolian-English dictionary. London: Kegan Paul. Page 23.</ref> In the [[Mongolian language]], the word ''ar'' refers to the back side of something, which has been extended to mean the northern side of any spatial entity, e.g. a mountain or a yurt. The word ''öbür'' refers to the front/south (and thus protected) side of a mountain.<ref>cf. Norcin, C. (1999): ''Monggol kelen-ü toli''. Ömnud monggol-un arad-un keblel-ün qoriya. Page 169, 580. ''ömnud: agula dabagan-u engger tal-a-yin gajar''.</ref> So the difference between South Mongolia and the Mongolian state is conceived as the metaphor of the backward northern side and the south side of a mountain.

In contrast to Mobei Mongol ({{zh|c=漠北蒙古}}), there is also Monan Mongol ({{zh|c=漠南蒙古|p=Mònán Měnggǔ|l=South of the [[Gobi Desert|Desert]] Mongolia}}), roughly referring to the region now known as South Mongolia.