MANCHU LANGUAGE. Manchu belongs to the Tungus group of
languages. The Tungus people probably inhabited the present
Manchuria already in the 3rd century B.C. The real founder of
Manchu power was Nurhatsi who proclaimed himself emperor in 1616
and established his capital at Mukden in 1625. Under his reign
the Manchus adopted for their own use the Mon golian alphabet
which they had copied from the Uigurs. In course of time changes
were made in order to adapt this writing to the Manchu language
and in its final form it became far more elab orate and
serviceable than its Mongolian prototype. Books had been printed
in Manchu by 1647. The two emperors K'ang-hsi and Ch'ien-lung
did most to establish and stereotype this some what artificial
language by causing translations to be made of Chinese and
Mongolian works and by the publication of numer ous polyglot
dictionaries. All officials had to pass an examina tion in
Manchu; but in spite of these efforts this language continued to
change more and more both in pronuncia