Xibe language
Encyclopedia
The Xibe language is the most widely spoken of the Tungusic languages
spoken by members of the Xibe
ethnic group in Xinjiang
, in the northwest of the People's Republic of China
.
with the closely related Manchu language
. However, unlike Manchu, Xibe is reported to have eight vowel distinctions as opposed to the six found in Manchu, as well as differences in morphology, and a more complex system of vowel harmony
.
. The language uses the Xibe script, a slightly revised version of the Manchu script
.
of northern Xinjiang
; they established an undergraduate major
in the language in 2005. In the Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County
, there is one newspaper in Xibe, the Qapqal News
, as well as 15 minutes per day of radio broadcasting and 15 to 30-minute television programmes broadcast one or twice per month.
A few Manchu language
enthusiasts from Eastern China have visited Qapqal Xibe County in order to experience an environment where Xibe language is spoken natively, as it is the closest living relative to the Manchu language, which has practically no native speakers left.
Tungusic languages
The Tungusic languages form a language family spoken in Eastern Siberia and Manchuria by Tungusic peoples. Many Tungusic languages are endangered, and the long-term future of the family is uncertain...
spoken by members of the Xibe
Xibe
The Xibe or Sibo are a Tungusic ethnic group living mostly in northeast China and Xinjiang. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.- History :...
ethnic group in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, in the northwest of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Phonology
Xibe is mutually intelligibleMutual intelligibility
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is recognized as a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related languages can readily understand each other without intentional study or extraordinary effort...
with the closely related Manchu language
Manchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
. However, unlike Manchu, Xibe is reported to have eight vowel distinctions as opposed to the six found in Manchu, as well as differences in morphology, and a more complex system of vowel harmony
Vowel harmony
Vowel harmony is a type of long-distance assimilatory phonological process involving vowels that occurs in some languages. In languages with vowel harmony, there are constraints on which vowels may be found near each other....
.
Lexicon
The general vocabulary and structure of Xibe has not been affected as much by Chinese as Manchu has. However, there are a number of Chinese loanwords, and a large body of sociological terminology, such as gəming (revolution) and gungshə (commune), have been borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the everyday vocabulary of the language. There has also been some influence from RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. The language uses the Xibe script, a slightly revised version of the Manchu script
Manchu alphabet
The Manchu alphabet was used for recording the now near-extinct Manchu language; a similar script is used today by the Xibe people, who speak a language descended from Manchu...
.
Usage
Xibe is taught as a second language by the Ili Normal University in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous PrefectureIli Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture , in northernmost Xinjiang, is the only Kazakh autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China.-Geography and coordinates:The following figures excludes both Tacheng Prefecture and Altay Prefecture....
of northern Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
; they established an undergraduate major
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
in the language in 2005. In the Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County
Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County
Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in northern Xinjiang is the only Xibe autonomous county of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 4,430 square kilometers and a population 160,000...
, there is one newspaper in Xibe, the Qapqal News
Qapqal News
The Qapqal News is the world's only newspaper in the Xibe language, a Tungusic language spoken in northwest China. It is one of roughly fifty minority-language newspapers in the Xinjiang autonomous region of the People's Republic of China.-History:...
, as well as 15 minutes per day of radio broadcasting and 15 to 30-minute television programmes broadcast one or twice per month.
A few Manchu language
Manchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
enthusiasts from Eastern China have visited Qapqal Xibe County in order to experience an environment where Xibe language is spoken natively, as it is the closest living relative to the Manchu language, which has practically no native speakers left.