Xibo
/ˈʃiː.boʊ/noun
A member of a traditionally Tungusic-speaking ethnic group in China, or the language associated with that group.
Did you know?The Xibo language is generally classified within the Tungusic family, but the ultimate meaning and earliest origin of the ethnonym Xibo are not securely established.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval period
Mongolic sources
Šivei
“A historical name recorded for groups in northeastern Inner Asia; its precise relationship to the later Xibo ethnonym is debated.”
17th Century
Manchu
Sibe
“A form used for the ethnonym of the people later known in Chinese as Xibo or Xibe.”
17th–18th Century
Manchu/Chinese
Sibe / 錫伯
“The ethnonym was represented in Chinese characters as 錫伯, conventionally romanized as Xibe or Xibo.”
18th Century
Qing Chinese
Xibe
“The Qing state relocated many Xibo soldiers and families westward, especially to Xinjiang, helping create the modern geographic division of the community.”
Modern English
English
Xibo
“An English romanization referring to the Xibo people or their language; Xibe and Sibe are also widely used forms.”