Xibe

Xibe is a Tungusic language spoken in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in north west China by about 30,000 people. It is closely related to Manchu, though the Xibe people consider themselves a separte ethnic group. The Xibe were moved to the region in 1764 by the Ch'ing emperor Qianlong. The language is also known as Sibe, Xibo or Sibo.

Xibe is taught as a subject in a number of primary schools in Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County (Cabcal Sibe beye dasangga siyan) in northern Xinjiang. It is also taught at Ili Normal University. A number of publications in Xibe were published between 1954 and 1959 by the People's Publishing House in Ürümqi. News in Xibe has been published in the Qapqal News since 1946, there are short daily radio broadcasts in Xibe, and occasional television programmes.

Xibe alphabet

Xibe is written with a version of the Manchu alphabet. There is also a way to write it with the Cyrillic alphabet.

Notable features

Type of writing system: alphabet
Writing direction: left to right in vertical columns running from top to bottom
Used to write: Xibe
Most letters have several different forms: initial, medial and final, which are used at the beginning, middle and end of a word respectively. The vowels also have isolated forms.
Some letters have different shapes depending on which vowel comes before and/or after them.

Xibe vowels

Xibe Vowels

Note

The second final form of e is used after k, g and h.

Xibe consonants

Notes

The first medial form of n is used before vowels; the second is used before consonants
ng only occurs at the end of syllables
The first medial form of ng is used before i, o, u and ū; the second is used before e and i; the third medial form is used at the end of syllables
The first medial form of k is used before a, o and ū; the second is used before consonants
The first initial and medial forms of t are used before a, o and i; the second initial and medial forms are used before e, u ū; the third medial form is used before consonants
First initial and medial forms of d are used before a, o and i; the second initial and medial forms are used before e, u and ū
The first initial and medial forms of f are used before a and e; the second initial and medial forms are used before i, o, u and ū

Sample text in the Xibe script

Xibe alphabet

Cyrillic alphabet for Xibe

This version of the Cyrillic alphabet for Xibe was proposed in China in 1957, but did not catch on.

Cyrillic alphabet for Xibe

Download alphabet charts for Xibe (Excel)

Videos in Xibe

Information about Xibe | Numbers

Links

Information about the Xibe language, script and people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xibe_language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xibe_script
http://www.china.org.cn/e-groups/shaoshu/shao-2-xibe.htm
http://www.omf.org/omf/uk/asia/china/about_china/people_groups_of_china/xibe_china

Tungusic languages

Even, Evenki, Jurchen, Kili, Manchu, Nanai, Negidal, Oroch, Orok / Uilta, Oroqen, Udege Ulch, Xibe

Languages written with the Manchu alphabet

Daur, Manchu, Xibe

Languages written with the Cyrillic alphabet

Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Aghul, Akhvakh, Akkala Sámi, Aleut, Altay, Alyutor, Andi, Archi, Assyrian / Neo-Assyrian, Avar, Azeri, Bagvalal, Balkar, Bashkir, Belarusian, Bezhta, Bosnian, Botlikh, Budukh, Bulgarian, Buryat, Chamalal, Chechen, Chelkan, Chukchi, Chulym, Chuvash, Crimean Tatar, Dargwa, Daur, Dolgan, Dungan, Enets, Erzya, Even, Evenki, Gagauz, Godoberi, Hinukh, Hunzib, Ingush, Interslavic, Itelmen, Juhuri, Kabardian, Kaitag, Kalderash Romani, Kalmyk, Karaim, Karakalpak, Karata, Karelian, Kazakh, Ket, Khakas, Khanty, Khinalug, Khorasani Turkic, Khwarshi, Kildin Sámi, Kili, Komi, Koryak, Krymchak, Kryts, Kubachi, Kumandy, Kumyk, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Lak, Lezgi, Lingua Franca Nova, Lithuanian, Ludic, Macedonian, Mansi, Mari, Moksha, Moldovan, Mongolian, Montenegrin, Nanai, Negidal, Nenets, Nganasan, Nivkh, Nogai, Old Church Slavonic, Oroch, Orok, Ossetian, Pontic Greek, Romanian, Rushani, Russian, Rusyn, Rutul, Selkup, Serbian, Shor, Shughni, Siberian Tatar, Sirenik, Slovio, Soyot, Tabassaran, Tajik, Talysh, Tat, Tatar, Teleut, Ter Sámi, Tindi, Tofa, Tsakhur, Tsez, Turkmen, Tuvan, Ubykh, Udege, Udi, Udmurt, Ukrainian, Ulch, Urum, Uyghur, Uzbek, Veps, Votic, Wakhi, West Polesian, Xibe, Yaghnobi, Yakut, Yazghulami, Yukaghir (Northern / Tundra), Yukaghir (Southern / Kolyma), Yupik (Central Siberian)

Alphabets

A-chik Tokbirim, Adinkra, ADLaM, Armenian, Avestan, Avoiuli, Bactrian, Bassa (Vah), Beitha Kukju, Beria (Zaghawa), Borama / Gadabuursi, Carian, Carpathian Basin Rovas, Chinuk pipa, Chisoi, Coorgi-Cox, Coptic, Cyrillic, Dalecarlian runes, Elbasan, Etruscan, Faliscan, Fox, Galik, Georgian (Asomtavruli), Georgian (Nuskhuri), Georgian (Mkhedruli), Glagolitic, Global Alphabet, Gothic, Greek, Irish (Uncial), Kaddare, Kayah Li, Khatt-i-Badí’, Khazarian Rovas, Koch, Korean, Latin, Lepontic, Luo Lakeside Script, Lycian, Lydian, Manchu, Mandaic, Mandombe, Marsiliana, Medefaidrin, Messapic, Mongolian, Mro, Mundari Bani, Nag Chiki, Naasioi Otomaung, N'Ko, North Picene, Novo Tupi, Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong, Odùduwà, Ogham, Old Church Slavonic, Oirat Clear Script, Ol Chiki (Ol Cemet' / Santali), Old Italic, Old Nubian, Old Permic, Ol Onal, Orkhon, Osage, Oscan, Osmanya (Somali), Pau Cin Hau, Phrygian, Pollard script, Runic, Székely-Hungarian Rovás (Hungarian Runes), South Picene, Sutton SignWriting, Sunuwar, Tai Viet, Tangsa, Todhri, Toto, Umbrian, (Old) Uyghur, Wancho, Yezidi, Zoulai

Other writing systems

Page last modified: 30.05.24

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