CUHK Manchu Lanuage Course Description

Manchu Language Courses
CUHK
2003-2004


Manchu Documents (Elementary)

This is the first half of a year-long course that helps you read Manchu documents. In this semester, we will focus on documents written in the pointed script.

From weeks 1-3, you will learn the basics of the language, including writing and pronunciation. From weeks 3-6 we will study the postpositions and suffixes through basic sentence patterns, simple conversations and short texts. The remaining 6-7 weeks will be devoted to reading historical documents, including the Tongki fuqa sindaxa hergen-i dangse, known commonly as the Man-wen lao-tang; archival materials such as edicts and memorials; and other kinds of writings that you may find interesting to read (folk epics, shamanistic prayers, Buddhist sutras, St. Mark’s Gospel, phrase books, works on anatomy, musical lyrics etc.)

There is no prerequisite for the course. A good command of both Chinese and English is, however, presumed. You are reminded that a reading knowledge of a language typologically similar to Manchu such as Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Uighur or Tibetan , though not essential, would help you understand the Manchu syntax and morphology better. Upon request, we might use, besides Manchu-Chinese materials, some other bilingual (Manchu-Japanese, Manchu-Korean, Manchu-Mongolian, Manchu-Tibetan) or multi-lingual texts in class to bring home certain grammatical features peculiar to the Manchu language.



Manchu Documents (Advanced)
This course is a continuation of “Manchu Documents (Elementary).” The focus is on Manchu texts written in the unpointed script, including the Tongki fuqa aqô hergen-i dangse, stele inscriptions, and newly discovered documents written in Old Manchu. You will also learn how to use native Manchu dictionaries and will be introduced to reference works essential to deciphering unregistered vocables that might crop up from time to time in the texts.

Though not a prerequisite, a reading knowledge of French, German and Russian would be helpful in using some of the reference works introduced in the course.

中正滿文班課程介紹（一）：大夫第

甘教授在中正的滿文教學，通常會花半學期的時間教字母，讓同學有較多的時間熟悉滿文的拼寫。學完字母後，直接開始看檔案史料，同學必須回去先查字典，上課時輪流翻譯。在學習初期，三學分的課往往要花上幾天來準備，但同學也因此更容易熟悉滿文的文法。在孰悉一般滿文檔案後，便會閱讀其他滿文材料如「大夫第誥命」木匾。此木匾為香港新田文家所有。然而，工匠並不懂滿文，所以錯字連篇。甘教授要求同學看誥命的中文部分，還原出原本的滿文。同學必須對滿文文法有一定基礎，才能夠面對這項考驗。諸位朋友可以試著閱讀看看。針對這塊木匾，甘教授正在撰寫專文，未來發表後請各位朋友不吝批評指教。





照片由鄧國亮先生提供

中正大學的滿語課程

甘德星教授在中正大學開設滿語課程多年，課程種類繁多。

在大學部開設的課程有
滿文閱讀入門 一學年課程
滿文文獻閱讀進階 一學年課程

在研究所開設的課程有
滿文檔案文獻選讀（初階） 一學年課程
滿文史料研究（進階） 一學年課程

另外，對於立志要用滿文做研究的同學，另外開有專題性課程。

滿文檔案文獻專題研究：八旗制度 一學期課程
滿文檔案文獻專題研究：《無圈點字檔》 一學期課程




甘德星老師滿文教學實況（2004年蔡名哲於「滿文閱讀入門」課堂上拍攝）