Hmong-Mien
/ˈmɔːŋ ˌmiːˈɛn/noun
A proposed language-family name for languages spoken mainly in southern China and mainland Southeast Asia.
Did you know?Hmong-Mien is a modern scholarly label replacing older Chinese-based classifications such as Miao-Yao, reflecting the political power hidden inside linguistic names.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient and medieval period
Chinese
Miao
“A Chinese exonym historically applied to several southern peoples, including groups now associated with Hmong languages; it was not originally a precise linguistic term.”
Ancient and medieval period
Chinese
Yao
“A Chinese exonym used for peoples associated with what are now called Mien languages.”
19th Century
European scholarship
Miao-Yao
“An older comparative-linguistic label grouping the languages now generally called Hmong-Mien.”
20th Century
Hmongic and Mienic languages
Hmong / Iu Mien
“Endonyms and community-based names used by major branches or peoples within the family; Hmong and Mien are not simply translations of one another.”
20th Century
English
Hmong-Mien
“A newer scholarly family name using representative indigenous ethnonyms rather than the older Chinese exonyms.”
Modern English
English
Hmong-Mien
“The established name for the proposed language family, though its internal classification and preferred naming remain subjects of linguistic debate.”