Première étape dans le travail de description du hmong noir (Vietnam) : évaluation de la vitalité de la langue

Abstract

The first step in describing an undescribed language begins with a situational overview, a sociolinguistic description that includes a language vitality assessment. This research note updates the first study conducted on black hmong (Mouton 2018), a Hmong-Mien language spoken in the region of Sapa (Lao-Cai province, North Vietnam). The purpose of this study was to assess the vitality of this language based on the nine criteria proposed by UNESCO in 2003. Based on field surveys, the study showed that Black Hmong has a relative vivacity in some areas (uninterrupted transmission, use of language in various public and private contexts), but may be considered as an endangered language in others (documentation, education). This study on Black Hmong is still in progress and its aims is to produce a grammatical description of the language.

Keywords

• Black Hmong
• Vietnam
• linguistics
• language vitality
• language endangerment
• UNESCO’s criteria