Steps toward Standardization of a Minority Orthography: An Update on Mien (Yao)
Author(s):
Purnell, Herbert C
Format:
Conference presentation
Publisher:
2002.
Language:
English
Abstract:
The development of a standardized orthography for the Mien vernacular (as opposed to the ritual & literary language systems borrowed centuries ago by the Mien from Chinese & written in Chinese characters) is traced from the first Thai-based missionary orthography devised in 1932 to the unification in 1984 of two Roman scripts, one elaborated by Laotian Mien refugees in Western countries & having transfer value to English & French & the other, based on Pinyin, produced at the Chinese Central Institute for Nationalities by a Chinese Mien researcher, Pan Cheng Qian, & his associates. Although agreement was reached on a compromise between the two alphabets, systematic variation in usage quickly emerged & could not be reconciled between the two sides, who have come to tolerate variability within & across communities for the sake of ethnic unity. 4 Tables, 60 References. J. Hitchcock