Hmoob
/m̥ɔ̃˧˩/noun
A Hmong-language ethnonym referring to the Hmong people, especially in White Hmong orthography.
Did you know?The origin of Hmoob as an ethnonym remains debated; English Hmong and Chinese Miao are related names for the same broader people but are not securely proven cognates of Hmoob.
Etymological Timeline
Modern Hmong
Hmong
Hmoob
“An endonym for the Hmong people, written in the Romanized Popular Alphabet.”
20th Century
Hmong
Hmoob
“The White Hmong orthographic form used in literacy, religious, and community publications.”
20th Century
English
Hmong
“The established English ethnonym, adapted from Hmong-language forms.”
19th–20th Century
Chinese
Miao
“A historically used Chinese exonym for several Hmong-Mien-speaking peoples.”
Modern English
English
Hmoob
“A loanword or proper ethnonym used in English contexts, particularly by Hmong communities and in scholarship.”