What languages are closest to Hmong?
What Language Is Closest To Hmong? The tone of Hmong compares to that of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Laothian in many ways. Is Hmong A Rare Language? Our company works on a small scale with the rare language while we do translate translations from various clients around the country. If anyone in your community uses Vietnamese speakers and ...
Does the Hmong have a written language?
The written language, known as “the Romanized Popular Alphabet (RPA)” or “Hmong RPA” was developed in Laos between 1951 and 1953 by missionaries and Hmong advisors. The script is now semi-syllabic like the Cherokee language, but is also influenced by Laotian and Roman script.
What language do the people in Hong Kong speak?
Hong Kong - Language. Though English is one of Hong Kong´s official languages, most of the locals speak Cantonese, which is a dialect of Chinese. There are two main dialects of Chinese: Cantonese and Mandarin. Both difficult languages to learn.
What is the Hmong language called?
Hmong-Mien languages, also called Miao-Yao languages, family of languages spoken in southern China, northern Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
Where do Hmong people write?
Hmong writing refers to the various writing systems that have been used for transcribing various Hmongic languages, spoken by Hmong people in China, Vietnam, Laos, the United States, and Thailand, these being the top five countries. Over a dozen scripts have been reported for Hmong, none of which is considered standard ...
What is the Hmong alphabet?
This is an alphabet that was used, at the very least, by Hmong residents of Sainyabuli Province (the script's namesake) in Laos, who came to a UN Refugee Camp in Chiang Kham , Thailand, as a result of the Vietnam War. It is called by anthropologists as "Ntawv Puaj Txwm.", which means "original writing." Nine volumes of texts reported to be 700–800 years old were handed over by Ga Va Her to Nina Wimuttikosol, an officer that Her had befriended while in the camp. Allegedly, these writings had been revealed by the Hmong deity La Bi Mi Nu, and the information in these manuscripts was then transcribed. Wimuttikosol gave it to Jacques Lemoine, a known French anthropologist in the field. It has a set of unusual features, which if discovered to be original, could dramatically alter the field of Hmong research. It is not known how much further research is currently being undertaken. The preliminary Unicode proposal for this script uses the name 'Eebee Hmong script'. It is used to write the Hmong Daw (White Hmong) dialect that is commonly spoken in Laos and in the United States.
How many characters are in the Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong script?
On March 5, 2019, Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong Script was officially published into the Unicode Standard version 12.0 with a total of 71 characters in the Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong Unicode block.
What is the Hmong script?
This refers to the set of Hmong scripts that are based on the Lao alphabet, primarily used for transcribing the Green and White varieties of Hmong. Two versions are thought to have been initially developed. The first version was developed by Lor Fong, the brother of Hmong leader Fai Dang Lor, in 1948. After a meeting held by General Vang Pao at Long Tieng in 1964, a revised version was developed by Christian missionaries. It was used extensively in Laos before the communist takeover; however, its influence and use has waned. Apparently, people who are literate in Lao will not find too much trouble in reading and writing the script.
Who invented the Hmong alphabet?
This was a French version of the Hmong alphabet developed by Father Savina during French colonization of Indochina. Rather than resembling Ntour Hmongz (Hmong Vietnamese) or Ntawv Hmoob (RPA), it uses tone symbols, like Quốc ngữ writing used for Vietnamese today.
Who created the Pahawh Hmong script?
Pahawh Hmong. Pahawh Hmong is one of the most successful indigenous scripts to have ever been created by illiterates. It was created by Shong Lue Yang, who was born in 1930 to a farmer. He was seen by the Hmong people as a "Chao Fa," or "Lord of the Sky," which makes him akin to the son of God in Hmong culture.
Who was the leader of the Hmong people?
Pa Chai was a leader of the Hmong in the early twentieth century. He was seen as the "Chao Fa" of the Hmong people before Shong Lue Yang, although his power was not as far-reaching. He was a leader in the movement against the French colonial empire, and one day, he was taken to the "Lord of the Sky and the Earth," known in Hmong as Lub Ntuj Lub Teb. He received a mandate to lead the Hmong people to change their way of life and develop a new writing system, and it is said that after he returned, he displayed magical powers. These manifested in the form of two years of successful resistance against the French. Apparently, although Pa Chai had instructed his people not to attack the Lao, they did, and this caused him to lose his supposed mandate, which caused the Hmong to begin losing, and in due course, in 1921, he was killed, ending the "War of the Insane", as it was known to the French. As Shong Lue was the next "Chao Fa," this alleged militant intention constantly hung over Shong Lue's head, which contributed to the acceleration of Shong Lue's defamation, mystery, and assassination. Pa Chai's script has reasonable success, with villagers reporting that they had seen Pa Chai's script, encoded laws, and writing methods during the French colonial rule. It is unknown what has survived.
What language do Hmong speak?
Today most Hmong write their language with the Romanized Popular Alphabet (RPA), a version of the Latin alphabet developed mainly by American missionary linguists in the 1950s in Laos. In the RPA tones are indicated by final consonants.
What alphabet is used to write Hmong?
During the 1980s and 1990s several other alphabets were invented to write Hmong: Ntawv Paj Ntaub, based on Thai letters and Chinese characters, and Ai Ao Lo .
What are the two main types of Hmong?
There are two major varieties of Hmong: White Hmong ( Hmoob Dawb) and Green/Blue Hmong ( Moob Leeg/Hmoob Ntsuab ), which are named after the traditional colours worn by women of the different groups. In China Hmong is known as Miao and is written with Chinese characters or with an alphabet known as Pollard Miao.
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What is the Hmong language?
Demystifying the complex Hmong language. Hmong—also known as Hmoob—is part of a dialect cluster called the Chuanqiandian cluster in English. Western Hmongic is also known as Chuanquandian. There are three main dialects of Hmong: Dananshan (Standard Chinese Miao). Hmong Daw and Mong Njua are the two major dialects spoken by Hmong Americans.
How many dialects are there in Hmong?
There are three main dialects of Hmong:
What is the most widely used writing system among Hmong diaspora?
In the early 1950s, the now-popular Ntawv Thoob Teb ( Romanized Popular Alphabet) developed by three Westerners took root. Because of its popularity in the United States it remains the most widely adopted writing system among Hmong diaspora. It is also widely used on the Internet. Our translators use this system today.
Who collected the Hmong folktale?
Robert Cooper, an anthropologist, collected a Hmong folktale saying that the Hmong used to have a written language, and important information was written down in a treasured book. The folktale explains that cows and rats ate the book, and therefore the Hmong language was exclusively oral from that point onwards. [15]
What is the Hmong language?
The Hmong language has two dialects: white and green. They are similar to the British and American forms of English. If you're White Hmong, you speak the White Hmong dialect and vice versa. The names — white and green — refer to the colors and patterns of each group's traditional clothing.
Where did the Hmong live?
The Hmong are members of an ethnic group that have not had a country of their own. For thousands of years, the Hmong lived in southwestern China. But when the Chinese began limiting their freedom in the mid-1600s, many migrated to Laos, Thailand and other neighboring countries. During the Vietnam War, the Hmong in Laos aided ...
How did the Hmong pass down their history?
Traditionally, Hmong passed down their history orally or through story cloths ( paj ntaub ). A Romanized writing system was developed by missionaries in the 1950s.
What war did the Hmong fight?
During the Vietnam War, the Hmong in Laos aided and partnered with American forces to fight Southeast Asian Communists in what is now known as the "Secret War.". January 2015 Looking back at 40 years of Hmong migration to U.S.
What does "hello" mean in Mandarin?
For example, in Mandarin, hello is usually translated to ni hao, which looks how it sounds. "It's harder to grasp when you see a language like Mandarin ... when they use the RPA system, Romanized letters, they are sounding it out," she said. "When you see the actual Hmong writing, it is the sound of the Hmong language.
How many clans are there in Hmong?
There are 18 clans in the Hmong culture, each with a different name. Children are members of their father's clan. Women, upon marriage, become members of their husband's clan, but typically retain their original clan — or, rather, maiden name. Members of the same clan consider themselves family. The 18 clans (and surnames) are: Chang/Cha. Cheng.
Where are the Hmong in Minnesota?
Most of Minnesota's Hmong population resides in the metro area (about 65,000); the second-largest metro concentration of Hmong people is in Fresno, Calif., with about 32,000. Within the Twin Cities, St. Paul has the largest population by far with nearly 30,000 Hmong.
What alphabet does Hmong use?
Today most Hmong write their language with the Romanized Popular Alphabet (RPA), a version of the Latin alphabet developed mainly by American missionary linguists in the 1950s in Laos. In the RPA tones are indicated by final consonants.
What does Hmong mean in English?
Definition of Hmong 1: a member of a mountain-dwelling people inhabiting southeastern China and the northern parts of Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. 2: the language of the Hmong people.
How long does it take to learn Hmong?
From my experience, spending about 1-2 hours per day practicing reading, speaking, and memorizing new vocabulary will cause you to see quick progress and you will likely be able to hold reasonable conversations in 6 months or 1 year.
How many Hmong tones are there?
The Hmong language, spoken in China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, can have seven or even eight tones.
What kind of food do Hmong eat?
The Hmong staple food is white rice, which is usually eaten with a variety of vegetables, hot pepper (often in the form of a Southeast Asian-inspired sauce) and boiled or fried meat if it is available. Sticky (glutinous) rice —either white or purple—is commonly served at gatherings and on other special occasions.
Where is Karen spoken?
Karen languages, languages spoken in lower Myanmar (Burma) and on the borders of Thailand. The Karen languages are usually divided into three groups: northern (including Taungthu), central (including Bwe and Geba), and southern (including Pwo and Sgaw); only Pwo and Sgaw of the southern group have written forms.
Is Hmong language tonal?
All Hmong-Mien languages are tonal languages, some with large and complex inventories of tones.
Where did the Hmong originate?
Chinese text suggests the Hmong originated in 2300 B.C. E. in northern central Asia, the area of present day Mongolia. Over centuries, people migrated south into Tibet and China, in the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Hunan.
Where did the Hmong people live?
Chinese text suggests the Hmong originated in 2300 B.C. E. in northern central Asia, the area of present day Mongolia. Over centuries, people migrated south into Tibet and China, in the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Hunan. For several thousand years, the Hmong lived relatively independently while paying tribute to the Chinese government. However, under the oppression of the armies of the last dynasty in China, the Hmong rose in rebellion.
How did Hmong refugees become Thai citizens?
For survival and permission to cross out of the camp and local areas, many Hmong refugees became Thai citizens (Hmong Thai) by paying sums of money borrowed from relatives. Through pleas for asylum brought by Hmong human rights groups in the U.S., in June 2004 refugees from Wat Tham Krabok began arriving in the U.S.
How do Hmong women greet each other?
People greet each other verbally and men shake hands. Shaking hands is a new behavior for Hmong women and they may be embarrassed shaking hands with a male or holding hands too tightly during a handshake. Traditionally, Hmong women who are close to each other share hugs as that of American greetings. When a person visits a family, all members of the family are expected to greet the guest by saying welcome (“koj tuaj los” which literally means “you have come”). When the guest leaves, they are encouraged to come back and visit (“mus hos tuaj”).
Why do Hmong have sons?
In traditional Hmong culture, sons were desired because parents could never live in the same house with daughters and sons in-law due to spiritual reasons. A married daughter and son in-law has a different house and ancestor spirits; therefore two sets of different spirits could never live under the same roof. Although male children are desired and given greater spiritual responsibilities in the family, this does not mean that daughters are given less affection. Nevertheless, couples without sons may seek to adopt them or may allow the husband to marry a second wife in the hope that she will bear male children. In the US, as many parents consider placing themselves in nursing homes at old age and start understanding the biological reason for conceiving a son or daughter, there is increased acceptance when a couple has only daughters.
How many Hmong are there in the world?
The worldwide Hmong population is approximately 6,000,000 in China where the Hmong are called Miao; 788,000 in Vietnam; 315,000 in Laos; 124,000 in Thailand; 2-3,000 in Burma; 250,000 in the United States; 8,000 in France; and 1,800 in Australia.
What was the Hmong rebellion?
However, under the oppression of the armies of the last dynasty in China, the Hmong rose in rebellion. In the 1800s, faced with political persecution, depleted soil fertility and increasing population pressure, some Hmong migrated into Southeast Asia.
Overview
Historically referenced scripts
It is unknown whether a historic writing system existed for the Hmong. Several Hmong scripts have been noted in historical works, mostly in Chinese literature, as illustrated in the below sections. However, this evidence is disputed. For instance, according to Professor S. Robert Ramsey, there was no writing system among the Miao until the missionaries created them. Archaeologists are still s…
Widely used scripts
The Pollard script was published in 1922 by Sam Pollard for writing A-Hmao, a Hmongic language in Sichuan, China. Published sources seem to indicate that the use of the script was widespread amongst Hmong in Sichuan; however, its use is waning, although it is held in esteem by Hmong of the Christian community and by elders. The current extent of its use is unknown.
Pahawh Hmong is one of the most successful indigenous scripts to have ever been created by ill…
Historically used scripts
This is an alphabet that was used, at the very least, by Hmong residents of Sainyabuli Province (the script's namesake) in Laos, who came to a UN Refugee Camp in Chiang Kham, Thailand, as a result of the Vietnam War. It is called by anthropologists as "Ntawv Puaj Txwm.", which means "original writing." Nine volumes of texts reported to be 700–800 years old were handed over by Ga Va Her to Nina Wimuttikosol, an officer that Her had befriended while in the camp. Allegedly, these writi…
Working experimental scripts
A vast majority of experimental scripts are based in the United States of America, specifically in the Midwest, where there is a relatively large population of Hmong refugees, primarily from Laos and Vietnam.
This was developed by Cher Ze Xiong, who died in May 2013 in Chicago. He allegedly developed the script in the 1950s while still in Laos. His script is distinct in that he uses left radicals, as in C…
Unclassified scripts
This script has appeared over the Internet as the "Ancient Hmong Written Language" and is allegedly the reading guide to the Pa Ntau flower cloths referenced historically. It is, however, only being promoted in America, and based on Internet testimony, there seems to be Hmong schools in the United States who teach it in official settings, and Hmong women who teach it to their children. Whether or not this transcription does represent the true transcription of the flower clot…
See also
• Hmongic languages
• Hmong language
• Hmong people
Romanized Popular Alphabet
Sample Text in Hmong (Miao) of Northeastern Guizhou
- Laix laix diangl dangt lol sob dab yangx ghax maix zit yef, niangb diot gid zenb nieef haib gid quaif lit gid nongd jus diel pinf denx. Nenx dol maix laib lix xent haib jox hvib vut, nenx dol nongt liek bed ut id xit deit dait.
Sample Text in Hmong (Miao) of Southeastern Guizhou
- Leb leb nis zib youl nangs, mex ad sheit nangd zend yanl nhangs njanl lib. Mix mex lix xinb gaot liangt send, leb leb lies nhangs ghob nab ghob geud nangd.
Sample Text in Hmong (Miao) of Sichuan/Guizhou/Yunnan
- Cuat lenx cuat dol bongb deul ndax dex douf muax zif youx, nyaob shout zunb yinx tab ndas dos id, dax zis ib suk. Nil buab daf lol jaox muax lid xinf hlub hout tab liangx xinb shab nzhuk, yinf gaib keuk suk gud dix mol lol nit jinb shenx lol shib daf shib hlad.
Sample Video in Hmong
- Information about: Hmong | Hmong Dau | Hmong Njua | Scripts for Hmong: Pahawh Hmong | Romanized Popular Alphabet | Pollard Miao | Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong | Phrases in: Hmong Dau | Numbers in: Hmong Dau | Tower of Babel in: Hmong Dau | Hmong Njua | Iu Mien | Books about Hmong
Links
- Information about the Hmong language and people http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_language https://www.ethnologue.com/language/hmn http://www.hmongnet.org http://www.sytra.cn/hmong-translation-services.html Information about the Romanized Popular Alphabet (RPA) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanized_Popular_Alphabet Online Hmong diction…
Hmong-Mien Languages
- A-Hmao, Dananshan Miao, Hmong, Hmong Dau, Hmong Njau, Hmu, Iu Mien, Luobohe Miao, Mashan Miao, Qo Xiong, She Languages written with the Latin alphabet Page last modified: 09.09.22 [top] Why not share this page: If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I ma…