1. General

Sibe (ɕivə gizun, the official Chinese term Xī​bóyǔ 錫伯語), is a Tungusic language spoken in Xīnjiāng by the descendants of a Manchu garrison sent to Xīnjiāng in 1764. At present, they are officially classified as a part of the Sibe nationality (Xī​bózú 錫伯族). Thanks to the 250 year-long isolation from historical developments in Manchuria and to their status as a colonial garrison that hindered assimilation with the surrounding population, at present the Xīnjiāng Sibes…