Editing Manchu language (section)

==Dialects==
Dialects of Manchu include a variety of its historical and remaining spoken forms throughout [[Manchuria]], and the city of [[Beijing]] (the capital). Notable historical Manchu dialects include Beijing, [[Ningguta]], [[Acheng District|Alcuka]] and [[Mukden]] dialects.

===Beijing Manchu dialect===
{{About|the dialect of Manchu spoken in Beijing|the Northern Mandarin dialect spoken in Beijing|Beijing dialect|section=yes}}

{{Quote box
 |quote = Many of the Manchu words are now pronounced with some Chinese peculiarities of pronunciation, so k before i and e=ch', g before i and e=ch, h and s before i=hs, etc. H before a, o, u, ū, is the guttural Scotch or German ch.
|source = ''A Manchu Grammar: With Analysed Texts'', ''[[Paul Georg von Möllendorff]]'', p. 1.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Manchu Grammar: With Analysed Texts|first=Paul Georg von|last=Möllendorff|year=1892|edition=reprint|location=Shanghai|publisher=American Presbyterian mission Press|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924023341112|page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924023341112/page/n38 1]}}[https://archive.org/details/cu31924023341112/page/n38]</ref>
}}

The [[Beijing dialect|Chinese Northern Mandarin dialect spoken in Beijing]] had a major influence on the phonology of the dialect of Manchu spoken in that city, and because Manchu phonology was transcribed into Chinese and European sources based on the sinicized pronunciation of Manchus from Beijing, the original authentic Manchu pronunciation is unknown to scholars.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHwPAAAAYAAJ|title=Manchu Grammar, Part 8|volume=7 |editor-first=Liliya M.|editor-last=Gorelova|year=2002|publisher=Brill|page=77|isbn=9004123075}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=30kHAQAAIAAJ|title=Cahiers de linguistique: Asie orientale |volume=31-32 |year=2002 |publisher=Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, Centre de recherches linguistiques sur l'Asie orientale |page=208}}</ref>

The Manchus of Beijing were influenced by the Chinese dialect spoken in the area to the point where pronouncing Manchu sounds was hard for them, and they pronounced Manchu according to Chinese phonetics, whereas the Manchus of [[Aigun]] (in Heilongjiang) could both pronounce Manchu sounds properly and mimic the sinicized pronunciation of Manchus in Beijing, because they learned the Beijingese pronunciation from either studying in Beijing or from officials sent to Aigun from Beijing, and they could tell them apart, using the Chinese influenced Beijingese pronunciation when demonstrating that they were better educated or their superior stature in society.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FpEyQ1tUYTkC|title=Archives polonaises d'etudes orientales |volume=8–10 |first=S. M. |last=Shirokogoroff |chapter=Reading and Transliteration of Manchu Lit. |year=1934 |publisher=Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe. |page=122}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JsQSAAAAIAAJ|title=Rocznik orientalistyczny |volume=9–10|first=S. M.|last=Shirokogoroff |chapter=Reading and Transliteration of Manchu Lit. |year=1934 |page=122 }}</ref>

====Changes in vowels====
Phonetically, there are some characteristics that differentiate the Beijing accent from the standard spelling form of Manchu. 
* There are some occasional vowel changes in a word. For example {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠴᡳᠮᠠᡵᡳ}} (''cimari'' /t͡ʃʰimari/) is pronounced [t͡ʃʰumari], {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠣᠵᠣᡵᠠᡴᡡ}} (''ojorakū'' /ot͡ʃoraqʰʊ/) is pronounced [ot͡ɕiraqʰʊ], and {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ}} (''gisun'' /kisun/) is pronounced [kysun].
** In particular, when the vowel /o/ or diphthong /oi/ appears at the beginning of a word, it is frequently pronounced [ə] and [əi] respectively in Beijing accent. For example, {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠣᠩᡤᠣᠯᠣ}} (''onggolo'' /oŋŋolo/) is pronounced [əŋŋolo], {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠣᡳᠯᠣ}} (''oilo'' /oilo/) is pronounced [əilo].
* [[Diphthongization]] of vowels. /ə/ becomes /əi/ (such as {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡩᡝᡥᡳ}} ''dehi'' /təxi/ pronounced [təixi]), /a/ becomes [ai] (such as {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡩᠠᡤᡳᠯᠠᠮᠪᡳ}} ''dagilambi'' /takilampi/ pronounced [taikilami]), and /i/ becomes [iu] (such as {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠨᡳᡵᡠ}} ''niru'' /niru/ pronounced [niuru], and {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠨᡳᠴᡠᡥᡝ}} ''nicuhe'' /nit͡ʃʰuxə/ pronounced [niut͡ʃʰuxə]).
* /oi/ becomes [uai], especially after /q/ (g). For example, {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡤᠣᡳ᠌ᠮᠪᡳ}} ''goimbi'' /koimpi/ becomes [kuaimi].
* Loss of vowels under certain conditions. The vowel /i/ following consonant /t͡ʃʰ/ (c) or /t͡ʃ/ (j) usually disappears. For example, {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡝᠴᡳᡴᡝ}} ''ecike'' /ət͡ʃʰikʰə/ is pronounced [ət͡ʃʰkʰə], and {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡥᠣᠵᡳᡥᠣᠨ}} ''hojihon'' /χot͡ʃiχon/ is pronounced [χot͡ʃχon]. There are also other cases where a vowel disappears in Beijing accent. For example, {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡝᡴᡧᡝᠮᠪᡳ}} ''ekšembi'' /əkʰʃəmpi/ is pronounced [əkʰʃmi], and {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠪᡠᡵᡠᠯᠠᠮᠪᡳ}} ''burulambi'' /purulampi/ is pronounced [purlami].

====Changes in consonants====

This section is primarily based upon Aisin Gioro Yingsheng's ''Miscellaneous Knowledge of Manchu'' (满语杂识).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Aisin Gioro|first=Yingsheng|title=Miscellaneous Knowledge of Manchu [满语杂识]|publisher=Xueyuan Press|year=2004|isbn=7-80060-008-4|location=Beijing|pages=221–230|language=Chinese}}</ref>

* Systemic merger of /q/ and /χ/ into [ʁ], and /k/ and /x/ into [ɣ] between voiced phonemes. For example, {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ}} (''sargan'' /sɑrqɑn/) is pronounced as [sɑrʁɑn], and {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡠᡵᡤᡠᠨ}} (''urgun'' /urkun/) is pronounced as [urɣun].
* Conversely, /χ/ may be pronounced as [qʰ] at the beginning of a word. For example, {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡥᠠᠮᡳᠮᠪᡳ}} (''hamimbi'' /χɑmimpi/) is pronounced as [qʰamimi].
* Assmilation of alveolar and postalveolar stops after /n/. For example, {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠪᠠᠨᠵᡳᠮᠪᡳ}} (''banjimbi'' /pɑnt͡ʃimpi/) is pronounced as [pɑnnimi], and {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡥᡝᠨᡩᡠᠮᠪᡳ}} (''hendumbi'' /xəntumpi/) is pronounced as [xənnumi].
* /si/ is pronounced as [ʃɨ] in the middle of a word. For example, {{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ}} (''usiha'' /usiχɑ/) is pronounced as [uʃɨʁɑ].