A Hmong Orthography Project: Orthography as Semiotic
Author(s):
Eira, Christina
Format:
Report
Citation:
Working Papers In Linguistics - University Of Melbourne, Volume 16, (1996). pp. 53-74.
Language:
English
Abstract:
A case of orthography selection by a Hmong community at Coolaroo in Melbourne, Australia, is used to demonstrate that neither practicality nor linguistic suitability is the only or even the foremost goal in selecting such a system. Orthography, the writing system acknowledged as correct for a given language-culture group as distinguished from the script used to convey it, is argued to be used as a semiotic of social, religious, & political positions. The preference of the Coolaroo Hmong for the Pahawh Hmong orthography is attributed to (1) its having been divinely received by Shong Lue Yang, a Hmong farmer said to have been in direct communication with the Tswb Tchoj, a major figure in the dag neeb, the body of sacred Hmong oral literature, & the archetypal Hmong Messiah; (2) its credibility as a Hmong national symbol; (3) the suitability of Pahawh as a symbol of language/culture maintenance; (4) correlation with speaker perception of language structure, & (5) cross-dialectal application of Pahawh without the necessity of modifications. The availability of Pahawh fonts through the Internet & a translation between Pahawh Hmong & Romanized Popular Alphabet are seen as a requirement for the viability of Pahawh Hmong as part of international communication technology. 4 Tables, 4 Figures, 37 References. Adapted from the source document