Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Ná Meo language

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Native to
  
Vietnam

Native speakers
  
1,200 (2002)

Ethnicity
  
Mieu people

ISO 639-3
  
neo

Region
  
Lang Son Province, Tuyen Quang Province

Language family
  
Hmong–Mien Hmongic East Hmongic Qiandong Miao Southern Qiandong Miao Ná-Meo

Ná-Meo (Vietnamese: Na Miểu; autonym: na˥˧mjau˧˥ɬa˥˧) is a language of northern Vietnam, spoken by the Mieu people. Nguyen (2007) believes Na Meo may be a Hmongic language closest to Qiandong Miao.

Contents

Classification

According to Andrew Hsiu (2015), Na Meo is most closely related to the Guncen 滚岑 and Zhenmin 振民 dialects of Southern Qiandong Miao (ISO 639-3 hms), which are spoken in Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, northern Guangxi Province, China. This is evidenced by the sound change Proto-Hmong–Mien *-ɛŋ > Proto-Na Meo-Guncen-Zhenmin *-a.

Distribution

The following locations are reported in Ethnologue.

  • Khánh Long Commune, Tràng Định District, northwestern Lạng Sơn Province
  • Khuổi Phu Dao village
  • Cao Minh Commune
  • Ca Liec village, Thạch An District, Cao Bằng Province

    • Nguyen (2007:31) reports the following additional locations.

  • Khuổi Giảo village, Cao Minh Commune, Tràng Định District, Lạng Sơn Province
  • Cai Liệng village, Thúy Hùng Commune, Thạch An District, Cao Bằng Province (ancestors crossed over from China via Trùng Khánh District)
  • Vũ Loan Commune, Na Rì District, Bắc Kạn Province
  • Kim Quan Commune, Yên Sơn District, Tuyên Quang Province (ancestors came from Yunnan to Bắc Giang Province via the Red River). Hsiu (2015) identifies the hamlet of Khuân Hẻ as the sole Na Meo-speaking location in Kim Quan Commune, Tuyên Quang Province.

    • References

    Ná-Meo language Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA