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A Quantitative Analysis of Female Appellation Terms in Miao Love Songs

Author(s)

Jincheng Wu

Affiliation(s)

School of Literature and Communication, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei, China

Abstract

The appellation terms of the Miao people are rich in content and exhibit both colloquial and non-colloquial usage characteristics. Non-colloquial Miao appellation terms are most prominently manifested in orally transmitted native-language poetry. In traditional Miao love songs, there are not only many different male appellation terms, but also an extremely rich variety of female appellation terms. Therefore, taking female appellation terms in Miao love songs as an example, we conduct some illustrative analyses of their usage in non-colloquial contexts.

Keywords

Miao People; Qiandong Dialect; Love Songs; Female Appellation Terms

References

[1]Tian Jihui. “Oral Memory and Wisdom: A Literary Anthropological Study of Miao Traditional Culture — A Brief Review of the Book Studies on Miao Oral Classics and Historical Narratives”. Journal of Guangxi Minzu Normal University, 2025(5): 114. [2]The Miao song is cited from Huangping Basic Miao Songs, edited by Wu Chaoxing, compiled by the Culture, History and Learning Committee of the CPPCC Huangping County Committee, the Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Huangping County, and the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism of Huangping County, published by Guizhou University Press in 2023, page 133. The meaning expressed here is a new translation we have made based on the original Miao text. [3]The original Miao song text is cited from Selected Miao Love Songs (Qiandong Dialect), collected, arranged, translated and annotated by Xu Shiren, edited by the Office of Minority Languages and Scripts of Guizhou Province, published by Guizhou Nationalities Publishing House in 2012, page 9. The free translation of this love song has been revised based on the original wording. [4]The Miao song is cited from Chinese Miao Literature Series: Selected Works of Central Miao Folk Literature, edited by the Editorial Committee of the Chinese Miao Literature Series, chief editor Miao Qing, published by Guizhou People's Publishing House in 2013, pages 683–684. The free translation of this love song has been accurately rendered here based on the original vocabulary. [5]Wu Yifang, et al. (comp., arr., trans. & annot.). A'ge A'mei: Love Songs (Miao‑Chinese Bilingual). Guiyang: Guizhou Nationalities Publishing House, 2015: 47(1) & 41(2). [6]Li Bingze. Non‑oral Issues in Oral Poetry: A Linguistic Study of Miao Ancient Songs. Beijing: The Ethnic Publishing House, 2004: 322. [7]Yang Bin, ed. Miao Hymns. Guiyang: Guizhou University Press, 2025: 6. [8]Dong Jin (comp., arr. & research). Night Deep, Affection Deep (Miao‑Chinese Bilingual). Guiyang: Guizhou Nationalities Publishing House, 2014: 27. [9]Jin Dan (arr., trans. & annot.). Miao Ancient Songs: Song Blossoms. Guiyang: Guizhou Nationalities Publishing House, 1998: 23. [10]Wu Zhengbiao. Culture and Fieldwork: Research on the Collection and Compilation of the Miao Epic "King Yalu". Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2026: 163.