Hmong (Hmong: hmoob) occurs as Hmong-Mien language spoken by the Hmong people native to Sichuan, northern Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. It consists of the heavy total of reciprocally opaque idiom, typically considered languages. A idiom discussed on this text is referred to as White Hmong or even Hmong Daw. Its ISO 639-2 code is hmn & its SIL code is MWW. There are more accent, including Blue Hmong (Hmong Njua) & Black Hmong.
Phonology
A ensuing discussion of the phonology of Hmong is largely based on Golston & Yang 2001.
Vowels
A vowel system of Hmong is as shown in the as a consequence stock and index charts:
! rowspan=Ii | Monophthongs
! colspan=Ternion | Oral
| rowspan=Quint |
! colspan=Ii | Nasal
|-
! Front
! Central
! Back
! Front
! Back
|-
| Close
| align=center | | align=center | | align=center | |
|
|-
| Mid
| align=center | |
| align=center | | align=center | | align=center | |-
| Open
|
| align=center | |
|
|
|}
! Diphthongs
! Closing
! Centering
|-
| Close component is front
| align=center | | align=center | |-
| Close component is central
| align=center | |
|-
| Close component is back
| align=center | | align=center | |}
Consonants
Hmong utilizes the total of phonological features unfamiliar to English speakers, like aspiration, prenasalization, and lateral pass release, to produce phonemic contrasts. A consonant inventory of Hmong is shown in the chart below.
!
! Bilabial
! Bilabial using
lateral release
! Labiodental
! Dental
! Retroflex
! Palatal
! Velar
! Uvular
! Glottal
|-
|Plain stop
| align=center | | align=center | |
| align=center | | align=center | | align=center | | align=center | | align=center | | align=center | |-
| Prenasalized stop
| align=center | | align=center | |
| align=center | | align=center | | align=center | | align=center | | align=center | |
|-
|Plain affricate
|
|
|
| align=center | | align=center | |
|
|
|
|-
|Prenasalized affricate
|
|
|
| align=center | | align=center | |
|
|
|
|-
|Nasal
| align=center | | align=center | |
| align=center | |
| align=center | |
|
|-
|Fricative
|
|
| align=center | | align=center | | align=center | | align=center | |
|
| align=center | |-
|Lateral approximant
|
|
|
| align=center | |
|
|
|
|
|}
Syllable structure
Hmong syllables have a very elementary structure: onsets are obligatory (except in two or three particles), nuclei may consist of a monophthong or even diphthong, & coda consonants are prohibited, except that the decrepit finale might accompany a on line-falling creaky tone.
Tones
Hmong occurs as tone language and makes use of sevener distinct tones:
! Tone
! Example
|-
| High
| "lump"
|-
| Mid
| "pancreas"
|-
| Low
| "thorn"
|-
| High-falling
| "female"
|-
| Mid-rising
| "throw"
|-
| Great-falling (creaky) tone
| "see"
|-
| Mid-great (breathy) tone
| "faith"
|}
Orthography
A glottal stop is not indicated in the writing system. A couple of truly vowel-initial words come indicated by an apostrophe.
A mid tone is non indicated in the writing system. A others come indicated by letters written at a prevent of the syllable.
-b – high tone
-s – moo tone
-j – high-falling tone
-5 – mid-rising tone
-one thousand – online-falling (creaky) tone
-g – mid-great (breathy) tone
-d - sentence-final on line-rising variant of -m
Hmong names
In the United States, Hmong usually spell their list around how else thus that Americans potty extra well pronounce the children, like than utilizing Hmong writing system, which it have chiefly among themselves. Therefore, like than Xaab Vaaj for instance, a title is written Sa Vang. More most common list besides Vang come Her (Hawj inside Hmong), Moua (Muas), Xiong (Xyooj), Chang (Tsab), Yang (Yaj), Lor (Lauj) & Lee (Lis). A select few one list come as well uncovered among Chinese; e.g., Hawj corresponds to Chinese He or even Ho (何), & Vang corresponds to Wang or even Wong (王). Too, although a Vietnamese word for "gold" is vàng, it doesn't pop up to use any connection to the Hmong title Vaaj/Vang.
Sources
Golston, Chris, & Phong Yang. 2001. "Hmong loanword phonology". Around Proceedings of HILP Five, ed. C. Féry, The. D. Green, & R. van de Vijver, 40-57. Linguistics within Potsdam Xii. Potsdam: University of Potsdam.
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