Alternate Names: Sibe, Sibin, Sibo, Xibo
Dialects: None known. Inherently intelligible of Manchu ,.
Status Notes: Language of recognized nationality: Xibe.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 30,000 (2000 A. Jun). Few monolinguals. Ethnic population: 189,000 (2000 census). L2 users: Chinese, Uyghur, or Kazakh speakers in the area can also speak Xibe.
Language Use: Vigorous. All domains. All ages in rural areas. Positive attitudes. Also use English [eng], Kazakh [kaz], Mandarin Chinese [cmn], Russian [rus], Uyghur [uig].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 50%. Literacy rate in L2: 52%. Taught in primary schools. Newspapers. Radio programs. Dictionary. Grammar.
Typology: SOV; genitives, articles, adjectives, numerals precede noun heads; question word initial; complex vowel harmony.
Writing System: Cyrillic, Latin, Mongolian (Sibe)
Nation of Origin: China
Other Comments: Descendants of an 18th century Qing dynasty military garrison. Loans from Uyghur, Kazakh, and Chinese. Traditional religion.