The history and current situation of the Hmong writing system

Abstract

The Hmong, or Miao, is a worldwide ethnic group. The Hmong writing system has developed over the centuries, with different writings produced successively in different historical periods. This study analyses several typical Hmong writing systems from a philological perspective and discusses the impact of history and human planning activities on creating and developing writing systems. The findings show the following. (1) The font of Hmong writing includes graphic style and stroke style, and the glyph of Xiangxi Square Writing has been squared. Some Hmong writing systems use the letter as a symbolic form, the syllable as a language unit and the phonetic expression as an expression method. (2) Social background and language planning activities were significant factors that influenced the creation and development of Hmong writing forms and structures. Analysing the Hmong writing system from a philological perspective is a significant reference for future Hmong language research and world language study. Exploring the factors affecting the development of the Hmong writing system is of great significance for protecting Hmong culture and the diversity of world civilizations.