The Languages of Manchuria in Today's China JUHA JANHUNEN

Manchuria is a region'often neglected in the circumpolar context because of its political adherence to China. In this paper, the author shows that a considerable part of the ethnic groups today living in Manchuria are closely associated with the rest ofthe circumpolar populations. Also, the problems of language endangerment and ethnic survival in Manchuria are similar to those encountered elsewhere in the North. There are, however, also specific problems and possible solutions peculiar to China. 1. THE MANCHURIAN LINGUISTIC REGION By Manchuria I understand here the region comprising, basically, the hydrographic areas of the rivers idtmur and Liao, both with adjoining tributary basins. The river Amur (Heilongy'iang), with its major tributaries Ussuri (M7tzsulijiang) and Nonni-Sungari (Nenjiang-Songhuay'iang), defines a region which, in terms of a very rough geographical division, may be generally specified as North Manchuria, in contrast to the Liao region, or South Manchuria. In the longitudinal direction, and in an arc along the middle course of the Amur, Manchuria is traversed by the Greater (Da) and Lesser (L>if7ao) Khingan Ranges (Xing'anling)', which contrast with the relatively plain territory, or Central Manchuria, in the middle. Geographically and culturally Manchuria is linked with Siberia in the north, Mongolia in the west, China in the sopthwest, and Korea in the southeast. All of these neighbouring regions have on equal terms contributed to the ethnic and linguistic composition of Manchuria and vice versa, but politically the connection with China has been of the most long-standing importance. Starting with the Neolithic period, Manchuria has formed a cradle of cultural innovation and ethnic expansion parallel to, and comparable with, the Yellow River (Huanghe) basin. Much of Chinese history is directly connected with the evolution of the relationship between Manchuria and China proper, with Mongolia as the third main actor. From the early Middle Ages, 'several powerful politiCal entities, so-called "barbarian " kingdoms and empires, originated in Manchuria, each of which was presumably dQminated by a single monoethnic and monolingual core: Norther