Tungusic languages - Definition and Overview

Tungusic languages (or Manchu-Tungus languages) are spoken in Eastern Siberia and Manchuria. Some linguists constitute them to be part of the Altaic family of languages, together with the Turkic and Mongolian, but this theory is not universally agreed.

The Tungusic languages are divided into a northern and a southern group. The northern group comprises:

• Evenk language (obsolete: Tungus), spoken by Evenks in central Siberia, Mongolia, and China and
• Lamut (Even language) of eastern Siberia

The southern group comprises:

• Manchu language of Manchuria, which is the only Tungusic language with a literary form since the 17th century and a written history. Manchu includes the Sibe dialect still spoken today.
• the Amur dialects, including Nanai or Goldi, Oroch, etc.