11.01.08
Posted in Excursions, Introductory at 12:10 am by Randy Alexander
On Thursday, October 9th, I took my computer to a shop to get it fixed (my fan wasn’t on right, causing the CPU to heat up, in turn causing the C drive to crash, apparently). I had brought my copy of Gertraude Roth Li’s wonderful book Manchu: a Textbook for Reading Documents along so I could study while I was waiting, and since it looked like it would take a while, I took a cab over to the local Manchu Association to ask the Manchu language teacher there about his opinion on the meanings of some of the phrases and sentences in the first reading lesson of the book. Little did I know that this would lead into a trip to Sanjiazi, a place that still has living Manchu native language speakers. Read the rest of this entry »
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05.22.08
Posted in Introductory, Script at 11:48 pm by Randy Alexander
You’ve all seen those movies where someone finds some ancient parchment or carving with strange runes written on it. And then some professor-type runs off with it for an hour or so and then comes back holding it above his head shouting, “I’ve got it! It means….”
Yeah, right.
Deciphering an unknown script can be a nearly impossible task. Some scripts, like the Indus Script, remain undeciphered, despite many researchers collectively spending decades attempting to do so, even with thousands of (albeit short) texts available.
But the Manchu script is not some mysterious script; it was the language of the Chinese government during the final dynasty. There is even a kind of colony in Xinjiang province that was started in 1764 called the Xibe (or Sibo) that may still even produce their own newspaper.
Let’s take a look at exactly how hard it is to learn Manchu script. Remember now, this isn’t some mysterious script that no one has ever deciphered. It was commonly used just less than 100 years ago. There are even textbooks and online study materials available (which I’ll give links to as we go).
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05.05.08
Posted in Introductory at 9:01 pm by sima
Over the last year or so, Beijing Sounds has been a source of inspiration for those of us grappling with the finer points of life in China. Mandarin language obsessives have been treated to recordings and analyses of real Běijīnghuà, spoken by Beijingers young and old, as well as some of the other sounds one might hear out and about on the streets of the capital, and even the outlying lands.
All of this has led to detailed discussions, most of which have remained vaguely connected to the original subject matter. But in recent months, questions have been arising more quickly than anyone has been able to put them to bed. Indeed three of us have become quite obsessed with the current state of Manchu and whether it had an influence on modern Standard Mandarin.
It may have been Ken Grey, a sometime Beijing Sounds commenter, who planted the seed. He mentioned a time, not so very long ago, when the Manchu language could be heard on the streets of Beijing. If this was the case, who were the Manchu and where did they all go?
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