Language Information
Manchu is the native language of the Manchu people from the Manchuria region of northwestern China. The Manchu people are a significant ethnical minority of China, with a population of over 10 million. However, the Manchu language is critically endangered as generally Manchu people now speak Mandarin Chinese in daily life.
Study of the Manchu language is valuable to scholars of Chinese history, culture, linguistics, and religion. Manchu is in the family of Tungusic languages, on its southern branch.
At Indiana University, the Department of Central Eurasian Studies occasionally offers an introductory Manchu course.