Manchu alphabet

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Manchu script
ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡥᡝᡵᡤᡝᠨ
manju hergen
18th century manuscript
Script type
LanguagesManchu
Xibe
Related scripts
Parent systems
Child systems
 This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

The Manchu alphabet is used to write the endangered Manchu language. The Xibe people also use a similar script, called Xibe script, which is considered either a dialect of Manchu or a closely related language. This alphabet is written vertically from top to bottom, with columns going from left to right.[3][4]

History[change | change source]

In the 1800s, there were three ways to write Manchu: standard writing, semi-cursive writing , and cursive writing. The semi-cursive writing had letters closer together, while cursive writing had rounded tails.[5]

The Manchu alphabet was also used to write Chinese. For example, a book called "Manchu: a Textbook for Reading Documents" shows how Chinese sounds are written in Manchu letters. This helps the Xibe language borrow some words.[6] Some books have Chinese words written with Manchu letters. The Manchu versions of the Thousand Character Classic and Dream of the Red Chamber are just Manchu writings of all the Chinese letters.[7]

In a book made by the Qianlong Emperor, the Manchu alphabet is used for Evenki (Solon) words. In another book, also made by the Qianlong Emperor, the Manchu alphabet is used to write down Tibetan and Chagatai (related to Uyghur) words.

Alphabets[change | change source]

Characters Transliteration Notes
isolated initial medial final
Vowels[8][9][10]
ᠠ ᠠ᠊ ᠊ᠠ᠊ ᠊ᠠ a [a] A second final form is used after b (᠊ᠪᠠ ba) and p (᠊ᡦᠠ pa).
ᡝ ᡝ᠊ ᠊ᡝ᠊ ᠊ᡝ e [ə] A second final form is used after b (᠊ᠪᡝ be) and p (᠊ᡦᡝ pe).
᠊ᡝ᠋᠊ ᠊ᡝ᠋ The undotted medial form is used after k, g, h and before d and t.

The final form is used after t (᠊ᡨᡝ te). A second final form is used after k (᠊ᡴᡝ ka), g (᠊ᡤᡝ ga), and h (᠊ᡥᡝ ha).[11]

ᡳ ᡳ᠊ ᠊ᡳ᠊ ᠊ᡳ i [i] The second isolated form serves as genitive case marker.

The second medial form is used after vowels.

 ᡳ ⟨⟩ ᠊ᡳ᠌᠊
ᠣ ᠣ᠊ ᠊ᠣ᠊ ᠊ᠣ o [ɔ] The bow-less final form is used in single-syllable words only.
᠊ᠣ᠋
ᡠ ᡠ᠊ ᠊ᡠ᠊ ᠊ᡠ u [u] The dotless medial form is used after k, g, h, d, t.

The bow-less final form is used in single-syllable words only.

᠊ᡠ᠋᠊ dotted ᠊ᠣ᠋
ᡡ ᡡ᠊ ᠊ᡡ᠊ ᠊ᡡ ū/uu/v [ʊ] Denotes u after k [qʰ], g [q], h [χ].
᠊ᡟ᠊ ᠊ᡟ y/y/i' [ɨ] Used in Chinese loanwords.
ᡳᠣᡳ ᡳᠣᡳ᠊ ᠊ᡳᠣᡳ᠊ ᠊ᡳᠣᡳ ioi [y] Used in Chinese loanwords.
Consonants[12][13][14]
— ᠨ᠊ ᠊ᠨ᠋᠊ ᠊ᠨ n [n] The dotted form is used before vowels; undotted form before consonants.

A dotted final form is used in some words of chinese origin.

᠊ᠨ᠊
— — ᠊ᠩ᠊ ᠊ᠩ ng [ŋ] The medial form is used before consonants.
— ᡴ᠊ ᠊ᡴ᠊ ᠊ᡴ k [qʰ] The undotted medial form is used before a, o, ū; dotted form before consonants.
᠊ᡴ᠋᠊
᠊ᡴ᠌᠊ ᠊ᡴ᠋ k [kʰ] Initial and medial forms are used before e, i, u.
— ᡤ᠊ ᠊ᡤ᠊ — g [q] Used before a, o, ū.
— g [k] Used before e, i, u.
— ᡥ᠊ ᠊ᡥ᠊ — h [χ] Used before a, o, ū.
— h [x] Used before e, i, u.
— ᠪ᠊ ᠊ᠪ᠊ ᠊ᠪ b [p]
— ᡦ᠊ ᠊ᡦ᠊ — p [pʰ]
— ᠰ᠊ ᠊ᠰ᠊ ᠊ᠰ s [s], [ɕ] before [i]
— ᡧ᠊ ᠊ᡧ᠊ — š [ʃ], [ɕ] before [i]
— ᡨ᠋᠊ ᠊ᡨ᠋᠊ — t [tʰ]

Used before a, o, ū, i.

— ᠊ᡨ᠌᠊ ᠊ᡨ Medial form is used before consonants.
ᡨ᠌᠊ ᠊ᡨ᠍᠊ — Used before e, u.
— ᡩ᠊ ᠊ᡩ᠋᠊ — d [t]

Used before a, o, ū, i.

ᡩ᠋᠊ ᠊ᡩ᠊ Used before e, u.
— ᠯ᠊ ᠊ᠯ᠊ ᠊ᠯ l [l] Initial and final forms usually exist in foreign words.
— ᠮ᠊ ᠊ᠮ᠊ ᠊ᠮ m [m]
— ᠴ᠊ ᠊ᠴ᠊ — c/ch/č/q [t͡ʃʰ], [t͡ɕʰ] before [i]
— ᠵ᠊ ᠊ᠵ᠊ — j/zh/ž [t͡ʃ], [t͡ɕ] before [i]
— ᠶ᠊ ᠊ᠶ᠋᠊ ⟨⟩ — y [j]
— ᡵ᠊ ᠊ᡵ᠊ ᠊ᡵ r [r] Initial and final forms exist mostly in foreign words.
— ᡶ‍ ‍ᡶ‍ — f [f] First initial and medial forms are used before a, e;

second initial and medial forms are used before i, o, u, ū.

ᡶ᠋‍ ‍ᡶ᠋‍
— ᠸ᠊ ᠊ᠸ᠊ — v (w) [w], [v]-
— ᠺ᠊ ᠊ᠺ᠊ — k'/kk/k῾/k’ [kʰ] Used for Chinese k [kʰ]. Used before a, o.
— ᡬ᠊ ᠊ᡬ᠊ — g'/gg/ǵ/g’ [k] Used for Chinese g [k]. Used before a, o.
— ᡭ᠊ ᠊ᡭ᠊ — h'/hh/h́/h’ [x] Used in Chinese h [x]. Used before a, o.
— ᡮ᠊ ᠊ᡮ᠊ — ts'/c/ts῾/c [tsʰ] Used in Chinese c [t͡sʰ].
— ᡯ᠊ ᠊ᡯ᠊ ᠊ᡯ dz/z/dz/z [t͡s] Used in Chinese z [t͡s].
— ᡰ᠊ ᠊ᡰ᠊ — ž/rr/ž/r’ [ʐ] Used in Chinese r [ʐ].
— ᡱ᠊ ᠊ᡱ᠊ — c'/ch/c῾/c’ [tʂʰ] Used in Chinese ch [tʂʰ] and chi/c'y [tʂʰɨ]
— ᡷ᠊ ᠊ᡷ᠊ j/zh/j̊/j’ [tʂ] Used in Chinese zh [tʂ] and zhi/j'y [tʂɨ]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wilbourne, Emily; Cusick, Suzanne G. (2021-01-19). Acoustemologies in Contact: Sounding Subjects and Modes of Listening in Early Modernity. Open Book Publishers. ISBN 978-1-80064-038-2. Manchu: its alphabet developed in 1599 from the Mongolian alphabet, which can be traced through Old Uyghur, Aramaic, and Syriac scripts all the way back to Phoenician, the fountainhead of all alphabets.
  2. ↑ Houston, Stephen D. (2004-12-09). The First Writing: Script Invention as History and Process. Cambridge University Press. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-521-83861-0. The Aramaic Uyghur script, which was likewise largely alphabetized, inspired the Mongolian alphabet and it in turn provided the basis for the Manchu alphabet created in AD 1599.
  3. ↑ Li, Gertraude Roth (2010). Manchu: A Textbook for Reading Documents. Natl Foreign Lg Resource Ctr. ISBN 978-0-9800459-5-6.
  4. ↑ Clark, Larry V.; Walravens, Hartmut (2006). Bibliographies of Mongolian, Manchu-Tungus, and Tibetan Dictionaries. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3-447-05240-5.
  5. ↑ Gorelova, Lidiâ Mihajlovna (2002). Manchu Grammar. Handbook of Oriental studies. Leiden London Köln: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-12307-6.
  6. ↑ Li, Gertraude Roth (2000-01-01). Manchu: A Textbook for Reading Documents. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2206-4.
  7. ↑ Salmon, Claudine (2013-11-13). Literary Migrations: Traditional Chinese Fiction in Asia (17th-20th Centuries). Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4414-32-6.
  8. ↑ Daniels & Bright (1996), p. 551.
  9. ↑ Gorelova (2002), p. 59
  10. ↑ Li (2010), pp. 23, 27.
  11. ↑ Gorelova (2002), p. 53
  12. ↑ Daniels & Bright (1996), pp. 551–552.
  13. ↑ Gorelova (2002), p. 70
  14. ↑ Li (2010), pp. 24–27.
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