Manchu alphabet

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]

Manchu script ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡥᡝᡵᡤᡝᠨ manju hergen
18th century manuscript
Script type	Alphabet
Languages	Manchu Xibe
Related scripts
Parent systems	Egyptian hieroglyphs Proto-Sinaitic alphabet[1] Phoenician alphabet[1][2] Aramaic alphabet Syriac alphabet Sogdian alphabet Old Uyghur alphabet Mongolian script Manchu script
Child systems	Dagur alphabet Xibe alphabet
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.

History

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

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’] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 8: ῾) (help) [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] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 9: ῾) (help) [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’] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 8: ῾) (help) [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]